What type of assistantship is the most common? Are there research assistantships?
The most common type of funding is a half-time teaching assistantship. A half-time teaching assistant is responsible for 3 sections of courses over two semesters. Students typically start teaching our public speaking course. We also have a small number of research assistantships supported by external grants; the specific number of these assistantships varies according to the status of the Faculty’s grant projects. Students funded as research assistants either receive a reduction in teaching or are released from all teaching responsibilities during the time of their funding as a research assistant. Of course, many students work informally with faculty, either as part of research teams or independently. We have a strong culture of collaboration, both among our graduate students and between our students and faculty.
