Graduate Assistantships

Are You Eligible to Apply?

• Must be fully accepted in a graduate program
• Must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in 8 hours of graduate work OR
• 2.75 GPA in undergraduate degree
• Students are eligible for one graduate assistantship position to complete one graduate program

Are You Eligible to Continue Your G.A. Position?

• Must Enroll/Successfully Complete 6 hours with minimum of 3 hours at the Graduate Level
• Must Maintain a 3.0 GPA each term and cumulative

What is the Financial Benefit?

• Stipend up to $1,000 per month
• Tuition waiver up to 100%
• GA positions are offered at 50%, 75% or 100%. Positions are determined by the department

Application Steps

• Complete the application
  • Cover Letter
  • Resume

Apply Today!

How can I find out what graduate assistantships are open? How do I apply?

• Graduate Assistantships positions are posted on the Northwest Website under Human Resources, Job Opportunities, Graduate Assistants

Do I need to fill out more than one application if I plan on applying/inquiring about more than one assistantship?

• After a student completes one application through NEOGOV, that application can be pulled back up to use for another position if interested. Student will need to reload their resume and cover letter.

Do I have to have my GRE/GMAT scores in before I can be a GA?

• YES! Scores must be received by our office before the first day of the semester in which you are a GA.

Paycheck Information

• To accept your Graduate Assistantship position, please follow the directions in Unit 1 on the Graduate Assistants Professional Development NorthwestOnline site.
• Time Sheets must be submitted online to your supervisor by Midnight on the 10th of each month. If the tenth falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the deadline will be the prior Friday. 
• Use the following directions to complete a GA timesheet:
  
  
  1. Log in to CatPAWS.
  2. Click on the Employee Tab.
  3. Select the appropriate Position and Pay Period.
  4. Click Time Sheet.
  5. Entering Unit:
     1. Click ‘Enter Hours’ on the first day you worked in the month
     2. In the hours box, enter 1
        **Note-only enter one hour on one day each month worked. Do NOT enter one hour on each day.
     3. Click Save
  6. Confirm that the total number of hours for the month is one.
  7. Click on Submit for Approval.
  8. Verify that the time sheet has been submitted by reviewing the bottom of the screen. The Submitted for Approval By… line should display the date.
  9. You may log in again before the payroll due date to verify that your supervisor has approved your time sheet. Your supervisor is required to approve time sheets by Midnight of the first business day after the employee submission deadline.

BEWARE: Be sure to use navigation buttons within WTE. Do NOT use the browser's navigation such as the Back arrow. Do NOT double click WTE navigation buttons. Failure to properly navigate within WTE can result in a time sheet error.

• For a student to receive pay, the Payroll Enrollment Form must be completed digitally. Upon completion of the form, student employees must print, sign and attach the appropriate documentation to the completed form before delivering it to the Payroll Office at Administration Building 107. Handwritten forms will not be accepted. Please note: This does not apply to refunds. Payroll Enrollment Form can be found in MyNorthwest.

  • Current Student Employee Resources (log into Canvas)
  • Student Employment Supervisor Toolbox (log into Canvas)
  • Graduate Assistant Supervisor Toolbox
• Graduate Assistants are paid by direct deposit on the last working day of the month.

Eligibility:

1. Student must be fully accepted into a Masters or Specialist program
2. Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or a graduate GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.
3. Full acceptance indicates completion of all admission entrance requirements. These may include the GRE/GMAT test, or alternate admission examination, as required by the program.
4. Complete and submit the online Graduate Assistantship application.
   • Fall/Spring Enrollment requirement: The graduate assistant must enroll in and complete a minimum of 9 hours with at least 6 hours at the graduate level per semester to be eligible for a Graduate Assistantship. Incomplete coursework from previous semesters do not count towards the number of hours for eligibility. Students must also maintain an overall 3.00 grade point average and a 3.00 grade point average in graduate courses each term of enrollment to be a Graduate Assistant. Graduate Assistants must complete the Degree Audit with your advisor within the first two weeks of their first semester.
   • Summer Enrollment requirement: A summer Graduate Assistant must take a minimum of 6 credits of graduate work for each 4 week, twenty-hour assistantship. The assistantship must occur concurrently with the coursework or following the coursework. Summer Graduate Assistants can be appointed for a maximum of twelve weeks only. A graduate assistant may take no more than 3 credits during the two week August session. In addition, a 4-week, 3 session Graduate Assistantship may not receive fee waivers on more than the maximum graduate load allowed or sixteen credit hours in the total semester. A 4-week, 2 session Graduate Assistant may not receive fee waivers on more than fourteen credits in a total Summer Semester. A 4-week, 1 session Graduate Assistant may not receive more than 7 credits of fee waiver in the total Summer Semester.

View Graduate Assistant Handbook