The Department of History annually awards a limited number of assistantships to full-time students accepted into the M.A. in Historical Studies program. These confer tuition remission, a stipend of $14,000, and health insurance benefits. Both new applicants and continuing students in the Historical Studies program are eligible to apply.
To be considered for an assistantship, new applicants must check the relevant boxes under “Financial Assistance Information” in Section IV of the Graduate School application form, and submit it by the February 15 application deadline. Continuing students wishing to be considered for an assistantship must send (by the same deadline) a letter indicating their interest and qualifications to the Historical Studies Graduate Program Director.
The Graduate School has specific guidelines concerning assistantships. Among them are the requirement that only full-time students can serve as graduate assistants. To be considered full-time, a student must be registered for a minimum of nine credits in each Fall and Spring semester for the year under consideration. The credits that a student earns as a graduate assistant contribute to this nine credit requirement. So, a student who serves as a part-time GA (10 hours per week) is expected to register for six credits that lead toward his/her degree and GRAD 600 (three credits). Full-time GAs, who work up to 20 hours per week, should register for a minimum of four credits that lead toward his/her degree and GRAD 601 (five credits).
Once a student is awarded an assistantship by the Department, the Graduate Program Director will assign them to a supervisor. Students and their supervisor are encouraged to organize their work schedule in whatever manner is mutually agreeable, so long as it meets the guidelines laid out in the Graduate Assistant Handbook.