Graduate Assistantships

All Counseling Program graduate assistantships for the 2025–2026 academic year are filled. Applications for the 2026–2027 academic year will open later in the fall semester. 

The University of Northern Iowa Counseling Program typically employs multiple graduate assistants who work with program faculty in areas such as administrative assistance, student recruitment, teaching assistance, research assistance, and support at the Dementia Simulation House, among other responsibilities. The number of graduate assistant openings is dependent on allocation from the UNI Division of Graduate Studies.

Graduate Assistant Position Description

Dates of Employment
  • Graduate assistants are hired for the fall and spring semesters of the academic year.
  • For the fall and spring semesters: 10 or 20 hours per week, beginning on the first day of the semester and ending on the last day of finals week, for a total of 16 weeks of work. Exact start and end dates vary depending on the academic calendar and the graduate assistant’s schedule, which is arranged with their supervisor.
  • Graduate assistants do not work on university holidays, breaks (i.e., fall and spring breaks), or during the winter interim between semesters.
Graduate Assistant Compensation (2025–2026 rates; rates are subject to change each year)
  • 10-hours-per-week = $3,090.00 per semester
  • 20-hours-per-week = $6,180.00 per semester
  • Graduate assistants are paid through payroll biweekly during the semester in 9 installments.
Additional Graduate Assistant Benefits
  • Non-resident graduate assistants receive tuition billed at resident (in-state) rates.
  • Non-resident graduate assistants’ spouses (partners) receive tuition billed at resident rates.
  • Graduate assistants are eligible to purchase an “A” parking permit, which provides access to “A” lots, which are typically located closer to primary campus access points.
Assigned Duties and Tasks

Graduate assistants are assigned to work directly with a faculty member from the Counseling Program or an affiliated faculty member. The following are examples of some of the tasks a given graduate student may get to work on, depending on the needs and priorities of the faculty member with whom they are working:

Administrative Tasks

  • collect and analyze information for accreditation, assessment, and internal reports
  • update the program’s website
  • manage the program’s social media accounts
  • collect relevant information online
  • shoot and edit videos and take photos
  • create display boards and other materials related to departmental programs
  • represent the department at on- and off-campus events
  • help with schedules and meetings for visiting professors, job candidates, and prospective students
  • coordinate virtual information sessions for prospective students
  • meet one-on-one with prospective students
  • coordinate graduate assistants’ involvement in student recruitment events and prospective student group interviews
  • manage the program’s email inbox
  • create PowerPoint presentations
  • proofread documents
  • make copies and print documents

Teaching Assistant Tasks

  • give guest lectures
  • assist with the development of class materials
  • lead or participate in class discussions
  • act as a peer reviewer for students
  • screen and/or preliminarily evaluate student assignments

Research Tasks

  • conduct literature searches
  • write literature reviews or other parts of manuscripts
  • code articles (e.g., for meta-analyses)
  • design experiments
  • collect, enter, clean, and analyze data
  • Identify appropriate archival materials
  • design websites and online materials related to research
  • conduct field research activities off-campus
  • apply for funding for conferences
  • help to write grant applications
  • organize and maintain folders or drives that house articles, data, etc.
  • monitor and maintain equipment and materials
  • complete IRB forms and maintain and manage regulatory compliance
  • complete IRB training
  • recruit participants
  • conduct interviews
  • respond to participant inquiries
  • coordinate focus groups

Dementia Simulation House Tasks

  • lead individuals and groups through the dementia simulation experience
  • schedule simulations
  • coordinate and lead dementia friends training sessions
  • organize the house and its contents
  • represent the house with information booths at on- and off-campus events
  • lead support groups for caregivers
  • conduct research related to gerontology or dementia (see research tasks above)
Qualifications
  • Students must be enrolled for at least 9 qualifying graduate credit hours.
  • Students must have an official and final transcript on file, showing that their bachelor's degree has been conferred.
  • Students must be admitted without provisions to degree status in a graduate degree program.
  • Students admitted conditionally due to GPA reasons are not eligible.
  • Students must maintain a UNI cumulative graduate GPA of at least 3.00. A newly admitted graduate student must have at least a 2.75 GPA for undergraduate or previous graduate work of at least 8 graded credit hours.
  • Students must meet US employment eligibility.
Application Process and Deadline
Family, Aging & Counseling