Assistantships

A limited number of Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) and Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) are available through the Department of Economics. Teaching assistants receive teaching-skills training through the Graduate School. Graduate research assistants are employed by professors to work on funded research projects and receive training through coursework and employment.

The first priority for allocating these positions is to support continuing funded students who are making satisfactory progress in their academic work and in prior GRA and GTA positions. Any additional positions are allocated to in-coming students on the basis of the student’s likelihood of successful completion of the Ph.D. program, and on level of preparation upon entry to the program. Students who enter the program without funding are automatically considered for funding in each subsequent year.

Graduate students holding an assistantship are considered Nevada residents for tuition purposes. A full time graduate assistantship (20 hours per week) along with a minimum of 6 credits of course work (9 credits for students on federal financial aid) is considered full time.

Outside or additional employment for students on assistantships is discouraged as it may impede academic success and timely progress towards degree completion. The Graduate School is responsible for approval of graduate assistantships after a department has requested the initiation of a contract.

All positions are contingent upon available funding.

To be eligible for renewal of an assistantship, the student must:

• have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 and
• must be continuously enrolled in at least 6 graduate level credits throughout the duration of the assistantship.

International students serving as Teaching Assistants must:

• meet a minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 550 (paper version), 213 (computer version) and
• pass the SPEAK Test with a score of 50.

State-funded assistantships may be held, but are not guaranteed, for a maximum of:

• Five years for doctoral degree students;
• Six years for doctoral students continuing after completing a master's degree.

Details about Graduate Assistantships are available on-line from the graduate school at: Graduate Assistantships.

Candidates seeking assistantships should indicate their preference for teaching versus research assistantships in the University's application for graduate school admission.