Full Time MBA Program - Graduate Assistantship FAQs

A GA is a graduate student who is employed by the University. A GA typically works 10 hours per week although a few positions require 15 or 20 hours per week. In exchange for this work, a GA receives a stipend (wage) and a scholarship to help cover instructional and, if necessary, non-resident fees. GA scholarships vary in their size and typically cover anywhere from 50-100% of a students instructional and non-resident fees. The amount of the scholarship depends on a student's credentials and the level of funding the program has for each year.

GAs typically work for one of the College's departments. These departments include: Accounting & Management Information Systems, Applied Statistics & Operations Research, Economics, Finance, Graduate Studies in Business, Information Services, Legal Studies and International Business, Management, Marketing, and the Dean's Office.

Any full time MBA student who has been admitted on a regular basis and has an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 is eligible. Both domestic and international students are eligible for funding during the first semester in the program. A student also may receive funding after being enrolled in one or more semesters without funding.

When you complete your online application for the MBA program, please indicate on the application whether or not you would like to be considered for a GA role.  There is not a separate application.

Work assignments vary widely among departments, with each department determining the nature of the work. Some examples of recent GA duties include: grading exams, teaching classes, creating and maintaining departmental homepages, tutoring students, conducting library research, assisting with professors' lectures, or performing administrative duties. Some GAs are assigned to individual professors, whereas others may be given assignments by the department as they are needed.

The number of positions varies from year to year. The precise number depends on the number of returning GAs, the total GA budget for the year, and the needs of the various departments. The majority of GA contracts awarded begin in the fall semester. Relatively few positions are awarded during the Spring. Although GAs receive tuition scholarships for summer classes, GA stipends are rarely awarded for summer.

Approximately 10% of admitted students receive GA assistantship offers.

All GAs must maintain full-time student status (8 credit hours) and regular progress through the MBA curriculum.

Yes. To remain eligible for funding, a GA must maintain at least a 3.00 grade point average in his or her graduate courses. Failure to meet this standard could result in a GA losing his or her funding.

Although some criteria for GA selection vary with the position, we use a general set of credentials to identify qualified applicants.

First, we look for an applicant with high academic potential. We expect GAs to work to a high standard, and we reward this academic potential with funding. Three of the most common ways by which potential is judged are by an applicant's GMAT score (and TOEFL, if required), by undergraduate and/or graduate grades, and by professional work experience. A student who is not funded during his or her first semester may reapply after a semester or more of study in the MBA program.

No minimum GMAT or TOEFL score is required, although applicants with GMAT scores above 550 and TOEFL scores above 90 have a much better chance to be awarded funding than candidates with lower scores. To be eligible, an applicant must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00/4.00. Applicants with higher GPAs have a better chance to be awarded funding than those with lower GPAs.

After we determine that an applicant meets the standards for academic potential, we compare an applicant's background and preferences to the available positions. The resulting matches vary from semester to semester, depending upon which GA positions are available. For example, if the Accounting and Management Information Systems Department has an opening for a GA with computer programming skills and experience, then preference will be given to applicants with this background. Work experience may help, but is not mandatory.

A student's abilities and GA potential are often difficult to assess based only upon test scores, grades, and a resume. For this reason, we welcome any additional materials that show evidence of your skills, pertinent work or school experiences, and your teamwork and leadership abilities. A personal interview is not required. However, if you feel that it will enhance our understanding of your candidacy for a GA position, a visit or telephone interview can be arranged.

Yes. Students may always re-apply for future GA openings.

Our GA selection process begins in January for the following August. We only consider GA candidates who already have been admitted to their graduate programs. If you have not been fully admitted to your program at the time we are conducting our GA review, we will not consider you for a GA position. This means that if you want to be considered for funding, you should submit your completed application as soon as possible.

It means that you might not have been selected in the "first round" of decisions. We review the qualified applicants, make our initial decisions, and then contact each GA candidate directly to notify him or her of the offer.

Even if you do not receive one of the initial appointments, you remain eligible for selection during the subsequent rounds of decisions. Subsequent rounds occur if positions remain unfilled or new positions have been created. In that event, we review our applicant list to select additional qualified candidates. Even if you are not among the first positions awarded, you may yet receive an offer of a GA appointment.

On occasion, fall semester GA positions unexpectedly become available during the summer, and positions might reopen in early December. When this occurs, we again return to our GA applicant list and make offers to qualified candidates. In other words, all qualified GA candidates have an opportunity to be selected until all the GA positions are filled. For this reason, we do not mail "rejection" letters to students who were not selected in the first or second rounds of decisions. Of course, the closer it is to the start of the fall or spring semester, the greater the chances are that all the GA positions have been filled.

In summary, if we select you for a GA position, we will contact you immediately. You do not need to contact us unless you want to withdraw your application. If you are selected, we will contact you. If you require a firm answer from us in order to make your decision on graduate school, please contact our office.

GA contracts that begin in the fall semester are written for an academic year (this includes both fall and spring semesters). GA contracts that begin in the spring semester are written for the spring semester only. At the end of the academic year, GAs are given the opportunity to apply for funding for the following fall semester. Funded students who are approved for continued support are given priority over new applicants. Graduate students at the master's degree level may receive a maximum of two (2) years of stipend support, which exceeds the time required to complete the MBA program.

Yes. In previous years, MBA students have obtained GA positions from several other departments on campus. This varies from year to year and depends on overall funding levels. Please contact us for details.

Graduate students may eligible for other funding such as scholarship, loans and on-campus employment