Graduate Assistantships

• The most common type (about 90%) of assistantship is a Research Assistantship connected with a faculty project or University research center (we have several here at the Humphrey School).
• There are a few Administrative Assistantships in the College of Liberal Arts where graduate students are used to advise undergraduates. The Institute sometimes has a few administrative positions for graduate students.
• For second-year students, there are Teaching Assistantships (lasting one semester) for the Institute's core courses. First-year students are sometimes eligible to serve as Teaching Assistants outside of the Humphrey School, depending on their undergraduate degrees and previous experience.
• The School's Admissions and Awards Committee awards a few assistantships each year as part of the Institutes recruitment process. The number varies, depending on available funds. Recipients are assigned to faculty projects according to their interests. These internal awards are over and above the need-based student financial aid, which is processed through the University's Student Financial Aid office (612-624-1111 or 1-800-400-8636). If you are awarded work-study funds, these can be applied to graduate assistantships so it is important to let people know you have work-study when you apply for assistantships.
• The majority of assistantships are not awarded with financial aid, but are posted as jobs available to any registered graduate student. Graduate students apply for them as for any other advertised position, usually with a resume and letter of interest. Most of these assistantships come from grants secured by individual faculty members, from research centers, or from University administrative offices.

For more information about graduate assistantships or to search for a graduate assistantship, go to the University of Minnesota's graduate assistant employment website.

Frequently asked questions

• Conditions of employment/benefits for assistantships
• How do I find an assistantship?
• When should I look for an assistantship?
• When am I eligible to take an assistantship?
• Student jobs off campus
• Student jobs on campus
• Funding your graduate education with a University staff position
• Financial aid

Conditions of employment/benefits for assistantships

Salary: $16.75 per hour (2009–2010 academic term rate)

Hours: Most are 25% time (10 hours a week), some are 50% time (20 hours per week)

Duration: Many are one-semester appointments; others are for an entire academic year. A few (usually the administrative) are for two years.

Tuition benefits: Generally, tuition benefits for MPP, MURP, and MS students equal twice the percentage of the assistantship at the Graduate School tuition rate (the Humphrey rate is higher; you will have to pay the difference). Tuition benefits for MPA students are different percentages of tuition because MPA students pay on a per-credit basis. In all cases, a 25% time assistantship (or more) provides in-state tuition.

For example, a 25% time assistantship covers (at in-state tuition rates) 50% of Graduate School tuition. An MPP/MURP/MS–STEP student would have to pay the remaining tuition plus the difference between the Graduate School tuition and Humphrey tuition. An MPA student would pay the difference between the charge for the number of credits he or she is taking and the assistantship tuition benefit.

You must be registered for at least six credits per semester to hold an assistantship. Summer appointments normally do not include tuition coverage.

Health coverage: Health coverage is provided in proportion to the percentage of your appointment. For more information, call the Graduate Assistant Insurance Office at 612-625-6936.

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How do I find an assistantship?

All assistantships (including those in the Humphrey School) are posted on the University of Minnesota Job Site . Applications normally are submitted on-line through the posting system, although you may be instructed to e-mail additional materials (such as transcripts) that the online system cannot process.

Humphrey School students are generally given priority for Humphrey assistant ships, unless the job specifically requires qualifications (such as Ph.D. degree) not normally found here.

To view and apply for graduate assistantships, go to http://employment.umn.edu. Click on Search Postings and then on Student-Graduate Assistants under Position Category. You can specify Humphrey School under College to view only Humphrey postings, but it may be wise to investigate postings from other colleges as well.

The Graduate Assistants Office is located in 200 Donhowe Building, 319 15th Avenue SE .

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When should I look for an assistantship?

Assistantships seldom are posted far in advance. Some postings will appear late in the summer for fall, but most will not appear until late August or early September after faculty members return to campus. It is a good idea to start checking into the University job site on a regular basis as early as June. Positions only need to be posted for five days before it can be filled, so you should check the sites at least once a week.

A word of advice: Do not count on getting an assistantship your first year here. You may, but your chances are better after you are on campus and get to know people. Your stress level can be lower if you can make other arrangements to fund your studies during your first year.

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When am I eligible to take an assistantship?

Once you have been officially admitted to the University of Minnesota Graduate School, you can begin working as a graduate assistant as early as the summer before your initial enrollment in the fall. Available summer positions are posted through the University job site.

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Student jobs off campus

We post a good number of off-campus public policy- and planning-related student jobs in the public/nonprofit/ private sectors. These positions often provide excellent professional experience and many will satisfy the MPP and MURP internship requirement. The pay generally ranges from $10 to $15 an hour, and hours usually are flexible. These positions do not offer any of the tuition or health insurance benefits provided by the graduate assistant positions.

Off-campus jobs funded through the University (such as those with the University's Center for Urban and Regional Affairs) are considered Research Assistantships with all of the related benefits. They also may satisfy your internship requirement, depending on the job responsibilities and total number of hours.

Off-campus jobs are posted on GoldPass, the University's on-line system for external jobs. Off-campus jobs also are posted on the Humphrey Job Blog. This blog are for Humphrey students only and is password protected. Contact Graduate Student Services for more information.

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Student jobs on campus

For information on work-study and other non-graduate student employment opportunities can be found at the University of Minnesota job site.

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Funding your graduate education with a University staff position

Another possibility for covering the costs of a graduate education is to secure a regular staff position at the University of Minnesota. University employees who work 75% time or 585 hours per semester are eligible for the Regents Scholarship, which covers some tuition costs. Eligible staff are those who are continuing, probationary, or temporary appointments, or on approved leaves of absence from qualifying appointments.

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Financial aid

Need-based student financial aid is processed through the University's Student Financial Aid office ( 612-624-1111 or 1-800-400-8636) U.S. citizens should fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible to ensure eligibility for need-based aid. Except for work-study, all aid for graduate students will be in the form of loans (not grants). Work-study funds can be applied toward graduate assistantship salaries, so don't turn down work-study until you are sure you won't be able to use it.

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