Graduate Assistantships

General Assistantship Information for Doctoral Students

The Office of Graduate Admissions & Support Services offers assistantships at the doctoral level for students who are interested in an opportunity to gain professional or research experience while participating in the academic life of Montclair State University. All assistantships are diverse in nature and encompass a wide variety of responsibilities and duties while allowing students to achieve their academic goals. Assistants receive a waiver of tuition and college-wide fees, plus a ten-month stipend in return for working an average of 20 hours per week (i.e. handling classes, conducting research, and/or other appropriate activities during the appointment).

Assistantships are awarded for one full academic year, beginning September 1 and ending June 30. The duties and responsibilities vary with each appointment. Only students fully accepted (matriculated) into a doctoral degree program at Montclair State University are eligible for an assistantship. Applications will be considered during the admission review. Assistantship recipients typically will be notified at the time of admission into the doctoral program.

Assistants are considered full-time students, fulfilling twenty hours per week. Tuition and fee remissions cover tuition and University-wide fees for the specific semester during which the student is in the assistantship position. The remission covers only those courses listed on a student's work program. Fees that are specific to courses are not included in the remission (e.g. supplies for courses in Art, Music, etc.). Each year there are many more qualified students than assistantship positions available at the doctoral level.

Appointments

• A current assistantship application, filed with The Graduate Admissions & Support Services,
• An acceptance into a doctoral program at Montclair State University,
• A recommendation for appointment, signed by the appointing supervisor; and
• An offer-of-appointment letter from the Office of Graduate Admissions & Support Services.

How to Apply

Students may obtain an application from the Office of Graduate Admissions & Support Services website at: http://www.montclair.edu/graduate/pdf/docgaApp.pdf Applications must be submitted by February 1 for the following academic year. Applications received after this date will be accepted, but will be distributed for review only if there are open positions. One-semester appointments may be made to fill a vacancy.

Any student who has been fully accepted into a doctoral program leading to a doctoral degree is eligible to compete for an Assistantship. A student who wishes to apply for an Assistantship should allow sufficient time for admissions credentials to be assembled and processed.

Please note that simply completing the Assistantship application and being admitted to the University does not in any way guarantee that an Assistantship award will be received. All applicants must undergo a review and approval process, which involves initial review by the Assistantship program coordinator, interview and recommendation for a position by an Assistantship supervisor, review and approval by the Dean or Division Head in which the position is housed and final approval by the Office of Graduate Admissions & Support Services. An offer of an Assistantship position is only official when it is sent to the student from the Office of Graduate Admissions & Support Services.

Applications will remain on file for one year. The University cannot guarantee consideration of applications received after the February 1 deadline.

Completed Assistantship applications should be included with your application for doctoral study and mailed to the Office of Graduate Admissions & Support Services, Montclair State University, 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07043

General Assistantship Information for Masters Degree Students

The Office of Graduate Admissions & Support Services offers approximately 200 assistantships for first-time master’s degree seeking graduate students who are interested in an opportunity to gain an academic experience that directly complements the student's degree program curriculum. All assistantships are diverse in nature and encompass a wide variety of responsibilities and duties while allowing students to also achieve their academic goals. Assistantships will offer opportunities to work with faculty on research, assist faculty with instructional support, and/or be related to the student’s clinical or field work.

Assistantships are NOT available to students:

• Seeking any type of certificate or certification only,
• Who are teaching or completing their in-service supervised training as an M.A.T. student,
• Maintaining a non-degree status, or
• With a conditional admission/matriculation to Graduate School

• Be fully matriculated in a master's degree program at MSU
• Be a full-time student, maintaining a minimum of nine (9) credits per semester, and a maximum of twelve (12) credits per semester
• Maintain at least a 3.00 GPA during each semester of the assistantship
• Fulfill twenty hours per week

How Students Apply

A separate application for a graduate assistantship does not exist. Students should be sure to mark the appropriate area on the graduate admission application if interested in a graduate assistantship.

Graduate Assistantships will be considered as part of the admission process to a graduate masters degree program. Most of our graduate degree programs have rolling admission, so the earlier a student completes the application for admission, the greater chance the student has to be considered for open graduate assistantship positions.

GA Appointment Process Overview

Recommendation for Graduate Assistantship Appointment
Academic departments send their recommendation of a student for graduate assistantship appointment to the Office of Graduate Admissions & Support Services.  the Office of Graduate Admissions & Support Services verifies a student’s eligibility to be appointed to an assistantship. The official offer of appointment will be sent via regular mail to the student from the Office of Graduate Admissions & Support Services. No appointment is official or finalized unless it is approved by the Office of Graduate Admissions & Support Services.  A verbal offer of an assistantship from a department other than the Office of Graduate Admissions & Support Services does not constitute an official appointment to an assistantship.

* Students should not begin work until they have signed and accepted the offer and terms of the assistantship with the Office of Graduate Admissions & Support Services.  Payroll papers (I-9 Eligibility of Employment and W-4 tax forms) must be completed at the Office of Graduate Admissions & Support Services before beginning the graduate assistantship position.