Graduate students who hold assistantships benefit educationally and professionally. They gain further expertise in their field; enhance their research skills and develop pedagogical skills; acquire experience in leadership, interpersonal effectiveness, and performance evaluation; acquire academic administrative experience; and develop collegial collaborations with advisors that may result in joint publications and other professional activities. Skills learned in assistantships prepare students not only for the academy, but also for corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations.
A limited number of assistantships are available throughout the academic year for qualified students. We encourage students to contact their graduate program director to discuss opportunities that may be available within their program. There are four categories of assistantships available: Graduate Assistants (GA), Teaching Assistants (TA), Research Assistants (RA) and Doctoral Scholars.
In addition, students can check Handshake for other job opportunities throughout the University.
Full time (20 h) assistants receive a stipend and are eligible to receive 12 units of tuition waiver each term but must be registered for at least 6 units per term. Half time (10 h) assistants recive a stipend and are eligible to receive 6 units of tuition waiver each term but must be registered for at least 3 units per term.
| 20-hour position | Stipend |
|---|---|
| Graduate Assistant | $12,000 |
| Master's RA/TA | $12,000 |
| Doctoral RA/TA | $16,000 |
| Doctoral Scholar | $35,000 |
| 10-hour position | Stipend |
|---|---|
| Graduate Assistant | $6,000 |
| Master's RA/TA | $6,000 |
| Doctoral RA/TA | $8,000 |
Assistantship and other job openings across campus can be found on Handshake. It is not a requirement for departments/programs to post positions to Handshake, therefore, we also encourage networking to find open positions.
Once in Handshake, choose the Jobs Tab and type in the words Graduate, Teaching or Research Assistant(ship(s)) in the Search Bar. Open positions can be viewed on this page without logging into Handshake.
The GA Office will send an invite to all incoming TA's to attend mandatory training in September.
In addition, the Teaching Assistants are also encouraged to attend a Technology Workshop hosted by TU's Faculty Academic Center of Excellence at Towson (FACET). Staff from Academic Affairs and the Office of Technology Services provide instruction on technology tools to support you in your position as a teaching assistant at Towson University.
Some graduate programs offer external graduate assistantships and part-time jobs closely related to a chosen field to graduate students to help defray the cost of advanced study. The external graduate assistantship program expands the range of opportunities beyond the university campus. The program is a partnership between Towson University and the community, providing the talents of mature students for business, government, industry and education. External assistantships are not available in all programs.
External graduate assistants may be employed for 10 to 20 hours per week, on either a semester or 12-month basis. An organization hiring a graduate assistant is asked to develop a job description, supervise the student, and evaluate the student's work, in much the same manner as regular employees. Organizations are asked to provide work that involves the student in a substantial way in the organization's activities. The organization is expected to cover the costs of graduate tuition, a stipend, and an administrative fee. Contact your Program Director to see if your program offers external assistantships.
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