A graduate assistantship is a form of employment for graduate students that includes a stipend and a tuition waiver (excluding fees), in exchange for specific service to the university. Assistantships fall into two main categories:

• Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)
• Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

These roles provide students with professional development opportunities that support their academic progress and align with OSU's mission.

Note: the term “assistant” typically refers to master ’s-level appointments, while “associate” is used for doctoral-level appointments.

Graduate Research Assistants support the university’s research mission by assisting faculty in the execution of research, scholarly activities, and grant-funded projects. While a GRA’s duties may or may not directly relate to their own thesis or dissertation work, the role is intended to develop relevant research skills.

GRA responsibilities may include:

• Assisting faculty with research and scholarly activities
• Supporting professional or administrative aspects of research projects
• Contributing to curriculum or instructional material development
• Participating in degree-relevant scholarly endeavors

Important: GRA appointments must be related to the student's field of study and be supervised by a graduate faculty member. Work not aligned with academic training is not permitted under a GRA appointment.

Graduate Teaching Assistants assist faculty with instructional duties and help support OSU’s educational mission. These roles provide direct experience in teaching and academic support under the guidance of qualified faculty.

GTA responsibilities may include:

• Teaching courses or laboratory sections
• Assisting with grading, instruction preparation, or proctoring
• Mentoring or advising students
• Supporting arts or performance-based instruction

GTAs may not be assigned duties primarily intended to support faculty research or work that is primarily clerical in nature.

Graduate assistantships provide the following benefits:

• Monthly stipend for service provided
• Waiver of tuition (student fees are not covered*) [0.5 FTE assistantships]
• Health insurance (0.25 FTE or greater)
• Meaningful professional experience in research or teaching
• Opportunities for mentoring, networking, and academic skill development

*Students can estimate the cost of enrollment fees using the Bursar Tuition Estimator

To be eligible for a graduate assistantship, a student must:

• Be admitted to a graduate degree program (Master’s, Doctoral, or Education Specialist)
• Be enrolled in courses for the semester in which they are employed (9+ hours for 0.25 FTE students, 6+ hours for 0.5 FTE students)
• Be under the supervision of a graduate faculty member
• Reside in Oklahoma

Students pursuing certificate-only programs are not eligible. Additional policy details can be found in the Graduate College section 3.5-3.7 of the OSU Catalog

Assistantships are awarded and administered by academic departments and are often considered during the admission process.

To be considered for an assistantship:

• Indicate your interest in the graduate admission application
• Contact your academic program directly for opportunities and application procedures
• Currently enrolled students may also view postings at Hire OSU Grads

Students who require accommodations for employment as a GTA or GRA should contact the Office of Equal Opportunity:

• Email: eeo@okstate.edu
• Website: hr.okstate.edu/equal-opportunity/ada.html

For academic accommodations, please reach out to Student Accessibility Services:

• Email: accessibility@okstate.edu
• Website: accessibility.okstate.edu