Each year, we offer graduate assistantships to help support our students’ graduate studies.  Currently the Department offers four types of assistantships:

Academic Assistantships (AA)

The AA position is an hourly paid role, offering 20 hours per week for 15 weeks each fall and spring semester. Students work in the Department’s Help Center assisting undergraduate students with questions related to microeconomic theory and macroeconomic theory, proctoring exams, grading homework assignments, and working with faculty instructors.

This position is available to students who were economics majors as undergraduates. Preference is given to students who earned grades of A in both microeconomic theory and macroeconomic theory at the intermediate level.

Perks of the AA Position:

  • Great networking opportunities with graduate students and faculty
  • Paid $20/hour
  • Renewable provided student remains in good standing
  • In-state tuition (for out-of-state students this cuts cost of tuition in half)
  • Summer funding may be available
Teaching Assistantships (TA)

TAs work 20 hours per week supporting a particular professor or instructor. Tasks include attending lectures, distributing class materials, taking attendance, assisting during class, grading homework, and helping students in the Help Center.

Perks of the TA Position:

  • Paid about $13,000 for Level 1 students (1st year students) and $15,000 for Level 2 students (2nd year students with at least 18 hours of completed coursework)
  • In-state tuition (for out-of-state students this cuts cost of tuition in half)
  •  Potential partial tuition waiver
  • Opportunity to transition into a Teaching Fellowship (TF) in second year
Research Assistantships (RA)

The RA/TA position requires 20 hours of work per week assisting faculty with their research and teaching responsibilities. Tasks can include gathering and cleaning data, performing statistical analysis, assisting with literature reviews, grading, or other tenure-track faculty needs.

Perks of the RA/TA Position:

  • Work with professors aligned with you research interests
  • Learn valuable research skills that improve marketability
  • Flexible hours for times and location of work
  • Stipend: $13,000 for Level 1 students (1st year students) and $15,000 for Level 2 students (2nd year students with at least 18 hours of completed coursework)
  • In-state tuition (for out-of-state students this cuts cost of tuition in half)
  • Potential partial tuition waiver
Teaching Fellowships (TF) - Available to Second Year Students Only

The Teaching Fellowship (TF) is a comprehensive teaching position that grants full instructional responsibility for an independent class. Based on departmental requirements, Teaching Fellows may be assigned to instruct either Principles of Microeconomic Theory or Principles of Macroeconomic Theory.

TFs have full responsibility for their class, including:

  • Writing and delivering lectures
  • Creating homework assignments
  • Administering exams
  • Grading

TFs typically teach one class per semester.

The TF position includes in-state tuition. To qualify, a student must have worked as a TA, RA, or AA, be in good standing, and successfully complete the Department’s Teacher Training Program.

Working as a TF is a fantastic way to gain teaching experience and help your fellow students while advancing your own skills!

AA, TA, and RA positions are available to both incoming students and second-year students. Second-year students also are eligible for Teaching Fellowships.

Assistantships are granted based on a combination of factors, including:

  • Students’ overall application (no single criterion guarantees an assistantship)
  • GRE scores
  • GPA
  • Math and Statistics coursework
  • Letters of recommendation

Assistantships are a paid position with the Department of Economics and cover the full academic year (both fall and spring semesters), provided you’re making steady progress toward your degree and meeting expectations. Note that assistantships usually do not include a tuition waiver.

To be considered for an assistantship, all your application materials are due by February 1st. If more funding becomes available after our first offers have been sent, additional assistantships may be offered to students who didn’t initially secure one.

Excited to apply? We’re here to help!

!IMPORTANT! English Proficiency Interview for AAs, TAs, and TFs

Students applying for Academic Assistant (AA), Teaching Assistant (TA), and Teaching Fellow (TF) positions will be interviewed by the Department. Since these roles involve working directly with students, strong English communication skills are essential.

Before starting in any of these positions, all applicants must complete a 15-minute interview to evaluate their oral communication skills in English. These interviews take place at the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) main office. The only students exempt from this interview are those whose first language is English and those who scored 26 or higher on the speaking section of the TOEFL iBT.  Further details will be provided to applicants on an individual basis as needed.