Graduate Assistantship Program

Each year, the Department of Psychology employs several graduate assistants. Graduate assistants are assigned to faculty members to assist with teaching, research, and a wide variety of additional duties. Depending on faculty needs and the assistant's skills and background, these additional duties may include: covering classes for absent professors; showing videotapes to classes; monitoring exams; grading homework and exams; entering, coding and analyzing data; testing subjects in experiments; tutoring students; scoring IQ record forms; keeping track of departmental test kits; conducting library searches and assisting in teaching laboratory sections of classes. No one graduate assistant is expected to be able to perform all of these duties. 

The Curriculum and Graduate Studies Committee in the Psychology Department selects graduate assistants from a pool of applicants each spring and fall. With the approval of the Department Chair, the selected students begin their assistantships the following semester, excluding summer. Several alternatives are also selected to fill any openings that occur during the academic year due to illness, resignations, etc.. Graduate assistants are evaluated each semester by the faculty members to when they are assigned and by the Curriculum and Graduate Studies Committee. If these evaluations are favorable (and if positions continue to be available), graduate assistants may serve in the department for up to 4 semesters (2 years).

Deadline to Submit Materials
To be a candidate for a graduate assistantship, please submit the following materials to:

College of Graduate Studies
MTSU, Box 42
Murfreesboro, TN 37132

GA and program applications should be submitted at the same time.  All Application materials are due by:
March 1 (Fall semester)
October 1 (Spring semester)

Failure to submit all these materials may jeopardize your chances for being accepted.

Required Application Materials & Financial Aid Info:

1. You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
2. You must complete the MTSU Graduate Assistantship Application
3. You must complete the Psychology Graduate Assistant Supplemental Application
4. You must submit a complete VITA (Sample)
5. You must submit a cover letter describing the skills you have which are relevant to the graduate assistantship. This letter should include the following:

   a. An explanation of financial need.
   b. Whether you prefer 10 or 20 hour a week assistantship.
   c. List your proposed classes for the next term.
   d. State what hours you have available during a typical week. Be sure to mention your availability for evening class assignments. (Be as specific as possible)
   e. Include whether you have outside employment and whether you will be doing an internship. If so, please explain how these will not interfere with your graduate assistantship and your availability.

Transcripts, GRE's, and Letters of Recommendation that have been submitted to Graduate Studies for program application will be retrieved by the Psychology Department per request of the student.  Please make this request by emailing Karen Nunley at Karen.Nunley@mtsu.edu.

Selected students will be notified by the department. Questions about the status of your application should be directed to James O. Rust at 615-898-2319 or by e-mail at James.Rust@mtsu.edu.

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*NOTE*: Non-Academic Graduate Assistantships