How are assistantship (TA/RA/GA) positions awarded?
Most assistantships are in the form of acting as a teaching assistant (TA) for core required graduate or undergraduate classes. In addition, some students perform as research assistants (RA) for professors or work as Student Ambassadors with the MPP Admissions Office (GA). In the late fall, we provide students with a list of possible assistantship opportunities and ask them to rank their preferences. The Director of Student Services makes assignments based upon interests, skills, and needs across the program. Assuming satisfactory course progress in the first year of study, we award two-year MPP students assistantships for both the spring semester of the first year and the fall semester of the second. Most students do not work off-campus while in the MPP program; the curriculum is quite demanding and it is difficult to find time for external jobs. A very few students do juggle limited work while in school.
