Graduate Assistantship Information for U.S. Students
People seeking admission into our program have the option of also applying for a graduate assistantship. Graduate assistants assist in the instruction of Communication 101 -- the required course in public speaking. A full-time graduate assistant is assigned three sections. As a part of this enrollment, you participate in a training program about the teaching of Communication 101 (typically 2-3 weeks prior to the beginning of the Fall Term) and participate in periodic meetings between the 101 Coordinator and other graduate assistants. Graduate assistants have their own office space and access to computers. In the fall of 2007 the stipend for a graduate assistantship is $15,123 for the academic year (which includes an out-of-state tuition waiver). We typically are able to offer 4-6 assistantships each year. For the 2009--10 school year, we will most likely have 2-3 openings for assistantships. Non-resident full-time tuition in 2006 was $8,640 per semester, resident full-time tuition was $3,335 per semester. Thus, a graduate assistant with an out-of-state tuition waiver would save over $10,610 a year on tuition (compared to a student without the out-of-state waiver). If you would like to visit the Web page of the current Communication 101 course that our graduate students assist in teaching, please go to: http://www.uwsp.edu/comm/wdavidso/comm101/index.html
Graduate Assistants: 2 versus 3 Year Option
For students with assistantships, the graduate program in the Division of Communication allows students to declare a 2 or 3 year plan for completing their degree. This option must be declared at the beginning of the graduate student’s first semester of graduate work as a graduate assistant. People with graduate assistantships must be take a minimum of 4 graduate credits each semester.
2 Year Option
Full-time graduate students with graduate assistantships typically enter the program with the intention of completing the degree in 2 years. This means a student’s plan of study would be organized in the following manner:
- Fall semester 1st year: 9 credits (i.e. 2 graduate seminars and one “slash” course)
- Spring semester 1st year: 9 credits
- Fall semester 2nd year: 6 credits (i.e. one seminar and one slash course, colloquium)
- Spring semester 2nd year: (6 thesis credits)
3 Year Option
Some graduate students with graduate assistantships may decide for individual reasons to complete their degree in 3 years. In order to meet the requirement that a person with a graduate assistantship must be enrolled in a minimum of 4 graduate credits to maintain the assistantship, the 3 year option results in a student taking 1 additional graduate credit (a total of 32 credits) to complete their degree. A student choosing the 3 year option would have plan of study which would be organized in the following manner:
- Fall semester 1st year: 6 credits
- Spring semester 1st year: 6 credits
- Fall semester 2nd year: 6 credits
- Spring semester 2nd year: 6 credits
- Fall Semester 3rd year: 4 credits (i.e. 3 thesis credits, 1 colloquium credit)
- Fall semester 3rd year: 4 credits (i.e. 4 thesis credits)
It is important for every graduate student to plan carefully for how they can successfully complete the degree. If you are unsure of which option is best for you, please be sure to discuss the 2-3 year option for the graduate assistantship with the graduate director.
An important note: All application materials must be submitted by February 27, 2009 for full consideration for admission into the program for the fall semester. People who apply after the February 27, 2009 deadline will be considered--but only if there are available openings following the regular acceptance process. We only accept students into our program during the fall semester.
If you have any questions relating to our program, please e-mail Chris Sadler csadler@uwsp.edu or call 715.346.3898.