Graduate Assistantships

Graduate students who have been fully admitted to a Master’s, Specialist, or Doctoral program are eligible to apply for a School of Education and Human Development Graduate Assistantship. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and will be kept on file for all of the semesters indicated on the application (maximum of one year). When a position becomes available, the applications on file are reviewed for consideration. Applicants being considered will be contacted for an interview. 

If you are interested in being a GA, you will need to fill out the GA Application from the correct department (see below). Once the form(s) is completed and signed by a SEHD faculty member, please submit it with a copy of your resume to the appropriate contact as provided in the application. You may choose to scan and email the form. If you are new to FIU, we suggest that you ask the Program Leaders who reviewed your admission file if they will sign the form as recommending faculty member. 

• Requirements

  Once hired, Graduate Assistants must complete the Florida International University new-hire sign-on packet through the Department of Human Resources. In order to maintain eligibility, the GA must be enrolled as a full-time student (nine credits hours in both the Fall and Spring and six credit hours in the Summer), maintain a 3.0 GPA, and accept no employment outside of the assistantship (students are permitted to receive other forms of financial aid).

• Benefits

  In addition to a stipend (disbursed in bi-weekly paychecks), graduate assistants receive a tuition waiver and are enrolled in medical insurance provided by the University Graduate School. The GA is responsible for all fees, including per credit fees (lab, online and special courses may require additional fees), semester fees (such as health, parking and athletic fees), as well as photo ID and orientation fees. The GA is also responsible for 25% of the health insurance premium (deducted from paychecks throughout the duration of the contract).

• Responsibilities

  A Graduate Assistant is assigned to a supervisor each semester. They are to work on the tasks assigned by that supervisor for 20 hours each week for the duration of the contract. This includes breaks in classes (Spring Break, Winter Break, and breaks between semesters), as well as weeks in which the university is closed for any number of days (such as holidays). The student and supervisor will work together to determine the work schedule and any make-up hours.

• Types of Graduate Assistantships

  There are three different types of Graduate Assistants, a Graduate Research Assistant (RA), Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) and a Graduate Assistant (GA). All are considered and referred to as Graduate Assistants. However, a GA, TA and RA are different types of graduate assistants with different corresponding duties:

  • Graduate Research Assistant (RA): a Graduate Research Assistant shall be a degree seeking graduate student who performs research duties related to his or her academic program. The RA will perform general duties related to research, documentation, experimentation, interviews and other activities that support the academic endeavor of the supervising faculty. For some positions assigned to this class, special qualifications may be added to the minimum such as completion of specified number of graduate credit hours or a master’s degree or specialization in an appropriate area of research.
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant (TA): a Graduate Teaching Assistant shall be a degree seeking graduate student who assists a faculty member with a teaching assignment. The duties may include, but are not limited to preparing lectures, grading assignments, researching class topics and substituting for Faculty of Record on select class days.
    A Graduate Teaching Assistant who is the instructor of Record must have completed 18 graduate credit hours in the subject area and perform teaching duties related to his or her academic program. This teacher assistant must be certified by UGS and as well attend a workshop in the Academy of the Art of Teaching. If an international student is assigned a teaching assistantship they must score a 50 in the Test of Spoken English (TSE).
  • Graduate Assistant (GA): a Graduate Assistant shall be a degree seeking graduate student who assists in the teaching and/or research function, but do not have primary responsibility for teaching and/or research. The duties may include those outlined in either the teaching or research classifications as well as other duties assigned that relate to his or her academic program. A graduate assistant should be used only when neither a GTA nor GRA is appropriate.
• Additional Information

  Visit the University Graduate School’s Graduate Assistantships page for additional information and links to important forms for current Graduate Assistants.