Teaching and Research Assistantships

The program awards Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) and Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) positions for doctoral students. Departmental assistantships are typically allocated during the spring semester for the following academic year.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs)

Graduate students receiving GTAs are offered opportunities to work closely with one or several faculty members from the SOAN department. These positions include tasks such as tutoring or mentoring undergraduate students, teaching sections of courses, and providing other direct support to instructional activities. GTAs provide students with the experience necessary to become successful instructors through guidance and hands-on training.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs)

Graduate students receiving GRAs are provided opportunities to work closely with faculty members in developing and producing research projects. In some cases, students may also have opportunities to pursue their own research interests. Depending on the needs of the department, experience gained may be relevant to writing grants, producing original research, and presenting research at conferences.

There are multiple funding opportunities beyond the department on campus.  PhD and MA sociology students have been awarded full-time and part-time GTA/GRA/GA positions in a variety of other campus units.

  • GTA positions in the Honors College, Women and Gender Studies, the School of Integrative Studies.
  • GA positions in various University Life offices (e.g. Residence Life, Student Activities) and The School of Integrative Studies' Social Action and Integrative Learning (SAIL)
  • GRA positions in the Institute for Immigration Research, Center for Social Science Research, Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence and Fenwick Library's Digital Scholarship Center (DiSC). 

A broad range of part-time teaching and research opportunities are available for graduate students on campus.