Graduate Studies

A Graduate Assistant working as a casual employee is paid on an hourly basis or flat rate basis for work performed. Graduate, research, and teaching assistantships are available to highly qualified graduate students in many academic departments. Graduate assistants normally carry a 6 to 9 credit hour course load and perform duties in laboratories, lecture halls, and classrooms.

Applying for a Graduate Assistant Position

New Students:
To apply for an assistantship check the appropriate box when you fill out the online application. By checking this box, the department will be notified of your interest in the position.

Currently Enrolled Students:
To apply for a position contact the department directly to find out which materials are required to apply for the position.

Criteria for the awarding of an assistantship may include, but are not limited to: undergraduate grade-point average, standardized test scores, past experience or training, interest in the field of study, letters of recommendation, and/or personal interview.

Department Requirements:

• Biology
  Essay
  Please upload, to the online application, a one-page personal essay that includes a description of any relevant experience and identify specific areas within biology that you would like to teach (for example, cellular & molecular biology, organismal biology, etc.).
• College of Education
  Form
• English
  Guidelines

Receiving a Graduate Assistantship

If you have been awarded a graduate assistant position, you will receive a contract letter, tuition waiver form, and new hire paperwork in the mail. If you need assistance completing your new hire paperwork please contact the Human Resources department at (716) 673-3434 to set up an individual appointment. Sign and return the contract letter to the Graduate Studies Office immediately. The tuition waiver form must be approved and signed by the department chairperson before it can be signed by the Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies & Research.

Salary and Hours

A newly hired GA will receive a stipend of $6700 plus any negotiated increases working 20 hours per week.(Speech Pathology GAs will receive a stipend of $3350 working 10 hours per week).
Returning GAs will receive an increased stipend of $7200 plus any negotiated increases.

​ Tuition Waiver Form

This form should be completed for every semester of your appointment during the academic year.
The form is available for download here.
No more than 18 credit hours of tuition waivers can be awarded to a graduate assistant for the academic year.

Dropping a Course

If you choose to drop a course covered by a tuition waiver you will be responsible for a portion of the tuition amount incurred.

Health Insurance

The SUNY Student Employee Health Plan (SEHP) is available to eligible graduate assistants represented by GSEU (Graduate Student Employees Union). Bi-weekly health insurance payments are automatically deducted from your pre-tax paychecks. Current health insurance rates are available here.

​Other Graduate Assistant Positions

There are other work opportunities, different from department assistantships, that exist on campus.
Graduate students interested in other positions should contact the following offices directly:

• Student Affairs: Admissions, Athletics, Campus Life, Career Development, and Multicultural Affairs.
• Sponsored Programs: Research Assistants for Project ELA, Project Bridge, Upward Bound, etc. (must be enrolled in the TESOL program)
• Residence Life: Graduate Assistant Resident Directors.
• Music: The School of Music offers assistantships funded through the department which carry varying workloads and compensation.