Graduate Assistantships

 Get paid while getting your M.S.

All of our GA and TS positions for AY 2023-2024 have been filled.  This was a particularly competitive year for awards, due to the unusually large number of applications we've received (around 400) relative to the number of GA positions (10) and TS positions (2) we had to offer.  We regret our inability to provide aid for all who merit it.


One additional source of information on GA and TS positions is graduate school's list of on-campus GA and TS positions.

In addition to scholarships, ETSU's Department of Computing offers graduate assistantships (GAships) and tuition scholarships (TSships) to full-time students, in exchange for half-time work on the Department's behalf.  GA positions include a salary--currently, $5,800 per semester. 

GA and TS positions include a tuition benefit. A full GA or TS appointment relieves students of their obligation to pay tuition for all terms in which they hold this appointment.

Eligibility

Students who hold a graduate assistantship (GAship) or tuition scholarship (TSship) in a given semester must enroll as a full-time graduate student at the start of that semester and maintain full-time enrollment until the end of the semester

Students who hold a teaching assistantship (TAship) or research assistantship (RAship) with the Department of Computing must also enroll in one of two classes:

  • Students with full TA appointments must enroll in CSCI 5019-001 (supervised teaching).
  • Students with RA appointments must enroll in CSCI 5029-001 (supervised research).

In order to maintain GAships and TSships, students must fulfill their duties as a GA or a TS to their supervisor's satisfaction and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above.

Duties

Most of the department's GAs serve as teaching assistants (TAs) for the Department's CSCI 1100 (Using Information Technology) freshman-level class.  The department also employs some students as TAs for lower-division computing classes and laboratory assistants.

Deadlines

All students who apply for admission to the M.S. degree program as full-time students are automatically considered for GAships and TSships. As a rule, GAships and TSships are awarded on an annual cycle, starting in fall semester.  Awards, however, are made for spring semester when positions are available, as is frequently the case.

Graduate assistantships and tuition scholarships for fall are typically awarded starting in mid-to-late April.  For full consideration for assistance, students should apply by April 1 for admission for the following fall or November 1 for admission for the following spring semester. 

Decisions

The awarding of financial assistance is based on evaluations of people's applications, academic records, and professional and teaching experience. GAships and TSships, as a rule, are awarded by a departmental subcommittee rather than individual professors.  Do not send CVs, resumes, and requests to individual members of our faculty; these will only be ignored.  Rather, to increase your chances of receiving financial assistance in what has become a competitive process,

  • Make sure to secure three letters of reference for your application. 
    • The graduate school must receive these before their personnel will process your application.
    • We require no specific format for these letters; however, do ask recommenders to complete the ETSU-provided form as part of their recommendations.
    • Ideally, at least two of these letters should be written by (former) professors who can speak to your academic performance.
  • Enclose a curriculum vitae (CV) with your application.
    • We require no specific format for CVs.  
    • Do make sure, however, that your CV is clear and focused.
    • Be sure to include relevant professional experience in computing and in teaching.
  • Ensure that your essay is clear, concise, focused, and speaks to your post-secondary and professional accomplishments and goals for education.
    • What you did or enjoyed as a child, for example, will likely be ignored.
    • Do speak to your teaching experience, if you have any; this can be a plus for evaluating your application.

Other Sources of Aid

ETSU's graduate school and College of Business and Technology are additional sources of aid for our department's M.S. students.  See the relevant web pages for more information.

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