A limited number of teaching and research assistantships are available in the Department.

To be eligible for a teaching assistantship (TA), students must first be admitted to the Department, then must demonstrate English competency (if not a US citizen) and must successfully complete a two-day (US citizens) and/or five-day (international students) teaching assistant workshop. The international workshops presently (Fall 2012) are not held during Spring semesters; international students entering the program during Spring must complete an ESL training course through the MSU Office of Academic Outreach and Continuing Education (at their own expense). Summer TAs are limited to assistance in courses that are taught during the summer, which varies among years, based on faculty offerings.

Research assistantships (RAs) are available as faculty funding permits. Interested students should inquire with potential major professors about the availability of RA support for their studies. This type of support usually requires participation in specific research related activities, such as data collection for funded research. Stipends for RAs will vary, depending on funding sources and amounts. Eligibility, beyond that required for general graduate studies admission, would be determined by the faculty sponsor.

Some faculty provide assistantship support via combined teaching and research assistantships. This form of assistantship obviously would require a concomitant level of participation in both faculty research and Departmental teaching.

Both types of assistantship provide regionally competitive stipends, along with a 100% waiver of out-of-state tuition and 71% remission for in-state tuition and fees. Please consult the graduate studies web pages for information on estimated costs.

The Department and Office of the Graduate School also have a number of opportunities for students to compete for funding to assist in travel to conferences or to conduct research in support of their thesis/dissertation. Competitions have one or two deadlines per year (depending on program) and funding ranges from a few hundred to a thousand dollars per award.