GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS
Accepted doctoral students are guaranteed a graduate research assistantship (GRA) award with their admission.
Master’s applicants who submit a completed application for admission to an IBMS graduate program are automatically considered for a GA award.
- GA awards may be provided to applicants who demonstrate superior academic and/or career achievement and strong interpersonal skills.
- GA positions are merit-based, highly selective and limited in number.
- If you are selected for a GA award, you will be notified in your admissions letter.
Didn’t receive a GA appointment with your admission? Explore other funding options!
Many colleges and departments across campus offer assistantship opportunities to graduate students. Many of the available positions for Fall semester are posted on Handshake closer to the start of the semester – around July. To apply for these opportunities, you will need to create a Handshake profile and submit a resume.
Note: Applicants should not apply to any assistantship opportunities before graduate admission has been granted.
IBMS offers two primary
assistantship awards:
- Research – Research assistants work in a lab conducting academically significant research under the direction of a faculty member.
- Teaching – Teaching assistants assist professors and instructors with a range of teaching-related duties including serving as a discussion leader for course sections or assisting with grading.
Additional Details
To be eligible for an IBMS graduate assistantship, students must:
- Be admitted to an IBMS graduate degree program.
- Be able to verify legal presence and eligible to work in the United States
- Students on an F-1 visa are eligible.
- Be available to work on-campus during normal weekday business hours (8:30 am – 5:15 pm)
To maintain eligibility for an IBMS graduate assistantship, students are required to:
- Maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and satisfactory academic standing.
- Maintain satisfactory work performance.
- Meet minimum enrollment requirements for graduate students.
- 12 credits in Fall/Spring or 9 credits in Summer for GAs with a full tuition waiver
- 6 credits in Fall/Spring or 3 credits in Summer for GAs with a partial tuition waiver - Register for the required research or teaching section as described in the GA offer letter each semester
Failure to meet these guidelines each semester will result in a loss of the assistantship appointment.
GA awards often include a tuition waiver. The waiver covers tuition, which leaves the student responsible for registration fees, mandatory student fees and health insurance premiums. Nonpayment of applicable fees will result in the student being dropped from their courses and loss of the assistantship and tuition waiver.
Georgia State awards tuition waivers based on the total stipend amount earned each semester. Under university guidelines, graduate assistants will receive tuition waivers as follows:
| Total semester earnings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall & Spring Semesters | Summer Semester | Tuition Waiver Awarded |
| $2,000 or more | $1,000 or more | Full tuition waiver |
| $1,000-$1,999 | $500-$999 | Partial (50%) tuition waiver |
| Less than $1,000 | Less than $500 | No waiver |
Graduate assistants who are awarded a partial waiver may seek additional assistantship appointments to increase their semester stipend resulting a full tuition waiver. This can be done by reaching out to other departments/colleges across campus or applying to available positions posted on Handshake.
Graduate assistants who are enrolled in full-time credit hours and awarded a full tuition waiver are required to have full coverage health insurance. These students will be automatically enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) each semester the full waiver is applied.
You have the option to purchase health insurance from an outside agency. If you are covered by another health insurance plan the meets minimum requirements, you may waive out of SHIP through Student Financial Services.
Doctoral graduate research assistants will receive at least $2,500 per month in exchange for an average of 16 hours of work per week.
Masters graduate assistant stipend amounts will vary, but typically start at $500 per month in exchange for 8 hours of work per week.
Graduate assistant stipends are paid on the last business day of each month and in equal installments during the semester:
- Fall - September, October, November and December
- Spring – January, February, March and April
- Summer – May, June and July
Graduate assistants are required to complete a new hire packet and the new hire process with the Office of Human Resources. Failure to do so will delay stipend payments. Retroactive payments may not be issued for a month or semester in which the hiring packet was not completed on time within HR.
Note: Not completing your hiring packet within the Office of Human Resources may result in loss of pay and a possible loss of assistantship(s) for the semester. Retroactive payments may not be issued for a month or semester in which the hiring packet was not completed on time within HR.
The institute coordinates graduate and undergraduate admissions. Students seeking an undergraduate degree will apply through university admissions and receive additional support from the central office.
Please allow one to three business days for a response to your inquiry.