Information About Assistantships
Assistant Professor Michael Pettes, and Ph.D. student Wei Wu testing how materials bend
Graduate Assistantships
An assistantship is awarded to a graduate student who provides teaching (teaching assistantship: TA) or research (research assistantship: RA) support to the University that is a part of their academic program. In recognition of this support, the tuition and a portion of health care (but not fees) are provided through the University. Effort devoted to the duties of a graduate assistantship typically range between 10 and 20 hours per week (also sometimes called a "half GA" and "full GA" respectively).
By agreement with the union, The Graduate School maintains a space for open assistantship positions to be advertised. The current list of available assistantships and other employment opportunities can be found under Current Opportunities. Departments who wish to post an opening should contact gradschool@uconn.edu with the job description and fill-by date. Open positions can also be advertised through Soapbox, which is the grad-only version of the Daily Digest.
Graduate Assistantship Administration
Before You Hire
What criteria must a student meet in order to be eligible to be appointed as a GA and what guidelines do we need to consider when employing grads? Who should administer the assistantship if the position is outside the academic home department? This page also discusses additional logistics, such as the submission of proof of English proficiency, involved in hiring international GAs. Learn More.
Creating the Offer Letter
Where to start? This page discusses GA appointment dates, including late hires; the GA offer letter templates; how to determine the GA’s stipend level/rate; and resources and deadlines related to adding the GA to graduate payroll. Learn More.
Transitioning to a GA/Getting Started
This page summarizes the onboarding process for a GA, including required employee trainings; GA registration deadlines and tuition waivers; payroll deduction and benefits; when/how to update Social Security Numbers; and tuition waivers. Learn More.
Assistantship Changes
What is supplemental employment? Can a grad be hired on Special Payroll during the academic year? When and how does a GA’s stipend level increase? And what if a GA needs to step away—what’s the difference between GA leave and an academic leave of absence? Learn More.
Completing and Finishing
What’s an alternate completion date? This page summarizes the process for a GA to end their employment, including implications of terminating the assistantship mid-appointment. Learn More.
