Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships provide an excellent opportunity for graduate students to gain valuable experience in research, teaching, or service, while receiving wages, tuition remission, and healthcare benefits. Collaborating with educational professionals at UAA allows students to deepen their knowledge in their field and develop a versatile set of skills applicable across many careers. Earning a graduate assistantship is a significant achievement and a strong addition to any resume.

Elizabeth Freeman teaches a group of students in a geology class
Students identify rock samples as graduate teaching assistant and UAA Geology Club vice president Elizabeth Freeman teaches Planet Earth Lab (GEOL A111L) in UAA's Natural Sciences Building. (Photo by James Evans / Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ)

Eligibility and Benefits

To qualify for a graduate assistantship, the student must be in good academic standing with a minimum overall 3.0 GPA. The student must be able to attend graduate school full-time (i.e., enrolled in at least 6 credits) throughout their assistantship in courses directly fulfilling their official degree plan. Graduate Assistantships are competitive and will be awarded by the academic unit based upon eligibility and the required experience stated in the job posting. Graduate assistants at UAA receive wages, tuition remission, and healthcare benefits. For current openings, visit .

Healthcare Enrollment

Graduate assistants are eligible for health insurance through United Healthcare. The graduate assistant’s legal spouse, domestic partner, and dependent children under 26 years of age may also be insured at the student’s cost. Graduate assistants are required to enroll in this benefit each semester of employment via the Healthcare Enrollment Form.

Assistantship Types

Graduate assistantships at UAA fall into three primary categories: research, teaching, and service. Each type offers unique opportunities to apply classroom learning in real-world settings, collaborate with university professionals, and build valuable skills for future careers.

Graduate research assistantships are common in science and engineering disciplines with some assistantships available in other disciplines. Graduate Research Assistants work in laboratories, in the field, and other settings where faculty conduct their research projects. Working alongside highly-accomplished faculty, a Graduate Research Assistant has access to state-of-the-art research with a faculty mentor supporting the student’s learning. 
Graduate teaching assistantships involve the student in university-level teaching including teaching courses, leading a discussion section, supervising a laboratory, grading papers, meeting with students, and other work related to delivering instruction and assessing student learning. The teaching load varies based upon the structure of courses, content delivery, and learning within the discipline. The Teaching Assistantship may include in-person, on-line, or hybrid teaching.
Graduate service assistantships employ the student in a support role to a university unit whose mission is often related to the student's area of academic interest. A Service Assistant performs a variety of duties aligned with the unit’s mission including office duties, library services, residence hall duties, athletic services, or other academic or professional assignments. The administrative functions within a service unit afford the Graduate Service Assistant opportunity to acquire and expand their professional skill set.

 

Community Engaged Student Assistantships

Community Engaged Student Assistantships (CESAs) are awarded UAA Administration Scholarships in which students support faculty in their teaching, research, or creative activity. All activities should emphasize integrating community engaged experiences, disciplinary learning outcomes, or research and creative activity goals.

To be eligible for UAA Administration Scholarship awards, students must be: 

  • Enrolled in 1+ credits for the semester in which an award is being made
  • Admitted into a UAA degree or certificate program
  • Making satisfactory academic progress
  • Meet UAA cumulative GPA minimums of 3.0 for graduate students or qualify for a waiver

Learn more about Community Engaged Student Assistantships and apply via the Center for Community Engagement & Learning (CCEL). Please note: CESAs do not qualify as Graduate Assistantships and are not administered by the Graduate School. Please direct all questions regarding CESAs to the Center for Community Engagement & Learning.