Physics Graduate Assistantships
All M.S. and Ph.D. students accepted to the Physics Graduate Program are offered an assistantship in their first year, which includes a stipend, tuition waiver, and health insurance. The vast majority of students remain funded through assistantships throughout their entire graduate career. In the first years of the program, this is usually in the form of a Teaching Assistantship. After joining a research group, students often obtain Research Assistantships in the later years of their degree through independent fellowships or through grants from their research advisor.
Below is a list of frequently asked questions about assistantships in the Department of Physics. More general information can also be found on the Graduate School’s Graduate Assistantships page. The graduate school also curates a list of additional funding opportunities.
Graduate Assistantship FAQs
All graduate assistants are entitled to a grant-in-aid, which pays the majority of per-credit fees. Graduate assistants are also considered Nevada residents for tuition purposes. Non-resident tuition is waived as long as the student holds the assistantship. For current tuition rates, refer to the Domestic Cost with a GA and International Cost with a GA tables. Graduate assistants in the Physics department are typically awarded “20-hour Assistantships” and take 6 credit hours per semester.
All graduate assistants are entitled to health insurance coverage and are covered by Workers' Compensation. The student may also choose health insurance coverage for immediate family members at extra cost to the student. See the University Health Insurance Website.
In addition to these financial benefits, assistantships allow students to work closely with faculty members, enabling them to develop a network of colleagues.
Duties vary. Teaching assistants typically teach undergraduate laboratory sections or grade assignments and exams. Research assistants work in specific research programs.
A full-time graduate assistantship is based on a 20-hour work week (50% full-time employment or FTE). Student and employer agree upon the specific hours.
Please see the salary schedule for Doctoral Programs in STEM (50% FTE).
First semester teaching assistants must register for GRAD 701: Preparing Future Faculty: College Teaching I. This course provides preparation and practice for teaching across disciplines at the college level. Note: this is a full-term course and is a requirement to be satisfactorily completed, in order to maintain qualifications. For availability of the GRAD 701 course, check the course catalog.
Good academic standing in the chosen graduate program must be maintained. The minimum requirement is a grade point average of 3.0 or better.
Job duties must be performed satisfactorily.
International students must pass the IELTS/TOEFL/Duolingo requirement.
Probation: If the graduate grade-point total is one to six grade points below the requisite 3.0 GPA, the student is placed on probation. The student must then raise their cumulative graduate GPA to 3.0 by the end of the following semester or the student will be dismissed from graduate standing.
Dismissal: If the graduate grade-point total is seven or more grade points below the requisite 3.0 GPA, the student is dismissed from graduate standing, or if the graduate GPA remains below 3.0 for two (2) consecutive semesters, the student is dismissed from graduate standing.