Assistantships

Potential and current WGS graduate students may apply for graduate assistantships (paid salary positions) and graduate tuition scholarships.

Assistantships are competitive and are based on the applicant's academic record, recommendations, a statement of purpose, a writing sample, and experience. Applications from students who have pursued a variety of undergraduate majors are welcome and previous work in women's and gender studies is not required. Applicants who wish to be considered for an assistantship and/or scholarship should submit their applications by February 1. Applications for entering students who do not seek financial aid are reviewed on a continuous basis and students may enter the program in either the spring or fall semester. Both in-state and out-of-state tuition rates are reasonable.

The graduate assistantship application form can be found here.

Tuition scholarships are awarded as a half or as a full scholarship at the in-state tuition rate. It does not cover fees. No service or work is done in exchange for a Graduate College Tuition Scholarship. Students receiving this award will see their scholarship posted to their U-bill by the first day of the semester. A Graduate College Tuition Scholarship does not qualify a student for the resident tuition rate. Students are responsible for the amount of their tuition and fees that the scholarship does not cover. These scholarships are processed through financial aid and do not require any work or services to receive this award.

The graduate tuition scholarship application form can be found here.

**Students can (and are encouraged to) apply for BOTH an assistantship and a tuition scholarship. For frequently asked questions about either award, visit grad.uni.edu/faq-grad-assistantship-tuition-scholarship.

Assistantship Application Guidelines

The Master of Arts in Women's and Gender Studies program offers excellent opportunities for a variety of competitively awarded Graduate Assistantships.

What Are the Options in Assistantship Assignments?

Assistantships in Women's and Gender Studies do not generally entail teaching responsibilities; rather students work with faculty on research or curricular development projects. Students who assist in curricular development may conduct bibliographic research (books, slides, other media materials). Students who participate in faculty research projects also may have opportunities to serve as co-presenters at conferences, and to serve as co-authors of journal articles. Every effort is made to link students with faculty who express common research and curricular interests.

Graduate Assistant Job Descriptions

Please click below to view the job descriptions for our programs' assistantships.

Graduate Programming Assistant

Position Title:
Graduate Programming Assistant

Reports to:
A faculty member, to be assigned

Terms of Employment:

For the fall semester: 20 or 10 hours per week, beginning August 21, 2023 and ending December 15, 2023. Does not include the week of Thanksgiving Break.
For the spring semester: 20 or 10 hours per week, beginning January 16, 2024 and ending May 10, 2024. Does not include the week of Spring Break.

Compensation:

Full assistantship salary is $5476 per semester. Half assistantships may be awarded. Salary is prorated on a weekly basis for late start.
Graduate Assistants may qualify for in-state tuition and fees.
Graduate Assistants receive University holidays and do not work during Thanksgiving Break, Spring Break, or the interims between semesters.
Tuition scholarships are applied for and awarded separately.
For more information on the Graduate Assistantship System and procedures: grad.uni.edu/assistantships

Position Description:

Assists in development, planning and implementation of WGS programming, including such events as the Clothesline Project, Women’s History Month, SWAG forum, Take Back The Night and any other additional programming.
Represents the WGS program at a variety of events, including recruitment events, the Rainbow Reception and Campus Diversity Fair.
Is responsible for compiling and distributing WGS-related data and announcements to campus and the broader community. This includes working with marketing to create posters, writing a WGS Newsletter, WHM Calendar, and updating the WGS webpage and social media accounts.
Other duties can include: being a mentor to incoming students, interviewing students or others and grant writing.

Qualifications:

Must be a full-time, degree-seeking student in a UNI graduate program
Must be enrolled in 9 graduate credits each semester of assistantship.
Maintain a Plan GPA of at least 3.00. First semester graduate students must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00.

Application Deadline:

The WGS application deadline is February 1, 2023.

Graduate Teaching Assistant

Position Title:
Graduate Teaching Assistant

Reports to:
A faculty member, to be assigned.

Terms of Employment:

For the fall semester: 20 or 10 hours per week, beginning August 21, 2023 and ending December 15, 2023. Does not include the week of Thanksgiving Break.
For the spring semester: 20 or 10 hours per week, beginning January 16, 2024 and ending May 10, 2024. Does not include the week of Spring Break.

Compensation:

Full assistantship salary is $5476 per semester. Half assistantships may be awarded. Salary is prorated on a weekly basis for late start.
Graduate Assistants may qualify for in-state tuition and fees.
Graduate Assistants receive University holidays and do not work during Thanksgiving Break, Spring Break, or the interims between semesters.
Tuition scholarships are applied for and awarded separately.
For more information on the Graduate Assistantship System and procedures: grad.uni.edu/assistantships

Position Description:

As a teaching assistant, you will be assigned to help with a class taught in the Women’s and Gender Studies department. Your duties may include:

Attending class sessions and taking notes
Reading for class
Meeting with the professor on a regular basis
Submitting exam questions
Grading homework and in-class assignments
Entering grades and maintaining a gradebook
Preparing study guides
Leading study sessions
Proctoring tests
Grading tests
Meeting with students during office hours or as arranged
Emailing struggling or regularly absent students.
Emailing students/responding to their emails
Helping students with special needs (e.g., reading test to blind student or recording answers for someone with a motor disability)
Responding to student emails
Conducting lab sessions
Entering data for class projects/labs
Analyzing data for class projects/labs
Presenting data for class projects/labs
Helping with in-class and lab activities
Teaching class when the instructor is unavailable (no more than the total equivalent of one week of class per semester)
Giving a lecture or doing a demonstration for feedback when the instructor is there
Assisting with development of class materials
Showing a video (if the professor is gone)
Administering student assessments of teaching
Leading or participating in class discussions
Acting as a “peer reviewer” for students writing papers
Commenting on papers graded by the instructor, and assigning your judgment of the grade
Acting as a role model during class
Acting as a resource for undergraduates interested in exploring the nature of graduate school
Providing feedback and comments on class presentations or other projects, as augmentation of instructor feedback
Proof-reading student papers
Updating announcements on the course website and/or eLearning
Supervising/monitoring student training
Simulating individuals for assessment/therapy training or demonstrations

Qualifications:

Must be a full-time, degree-seeking student in a UNI graduate program
Must be enrolled in 9 graduate credits each semester of assistantship.
Maintain a Plan GPA of at least 3.00. First semester graduate students must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00.

Application Deadline:

The WGS application deadline is February 1, 2023.

Graduate Research Assistant

Position Title:
Graduate Research Assistant

Reports to:
A faculty member, to be assigned.

Terms of Employment:

For the fall semester: 20 or 10 hours per week, beginning August 21, 2023 and ending December 15, 2023. Does not include the week of Thanksgiving Break.
For the spring semester: 20 or 10 hours per week, beginning January 16, 2024 and ending May 10, 2024. Does not include the week of Spring Break.

Compensation:

Full assistantship salary is $5476 per semester. Half assistantships may be awarded. Salary is prorated on a weekly basis for late start.
Graduate Assistants may qualify for in-state tuition and fees.
Graduate Assistants receive University holidays and do not work during Thanksgiving Break, Spring Break, or the interims between semesters.
Tuition scholarships are applied for and awarded separately.
For more information on the Graduate Assistantship System and procedures: grad.uni.edu/assistantships

Position Description:

As a research assistant, you will help out with various activities that support the work of a professor in the department. Possibilities include:
Update webpages
Collect relevant information online
Create and organize files
Compile and distribute materials
Conduct reviews of the literature on specific topics and summarize results
Data collection with individuals or groups (e.g., conducting surveys, interviews, etc.)
Data entry and data management to make arrangements for meetings and events
Develop/manage mailing lists and study population contact information
Communicate professionally with students and faculty at UNI and elsewhere
Taking minutes of meetings

Qualifications:

Must be a full-time, degree-seeking student in a UNI graduate program
Must be enrolled in 9 graduate credits each semester of assistantship.
Maintain a Plan and Cumulative GPA of at least 3.00. First semester graduate students must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00
Demonstrated commitment to diversity and Women’s and Gender Studies
Excellent written and oral communication skills; strong interpersonal and organizational skills
Demonstrated ability to be self-motivated and to conduct oneself in a highly professional and ethical manner
Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Photo Shop, and knowledge of web page development is desirable

Application Deadline:

The WGS application deadline is February 1, 2023.

What is the Monetary Award?

Full time assistantships will pay a salary of $5476 per semester for the 2023-2024 academic year. Non-resident students that receive a graduate assistantship may qualify for in-state tuition and fees. Assistantships may be renewable but not guaranteed for the second year of the program. Half time assistantships may be awarded. Half time will pay a salary of $2738 per semester for the 2023-2024 academic year.

How do I Apply?

Applicants must be fully admitted to the Women's and Gender Studies Graduate Program which means that you must have fulfilled grade point average requirements and submitted all supporting documentation. Applications for graduate assistantships must be made by February 1.

All Tuition Scholarships and Graduate Assistantship applications forms will need to be completed on the funding page in the Graduate College website. You may also wish to attach a brief letter to indicate specific areas of expertise or skill which might make you particularly suited for an assistantship. To facilitate a strong faculty-student match, you may also indicate (in general) areas of research expertise or interest and the name of a faculty member (if known) whose focus for teaching and research most aligns with yours. You need not repeat information contained in your Statement of Purpose. Those receiving an assistantship are notified by the Graduate College with an offer sent via email. Assistantships begin in the fall semester.

What are the Requirements for Maintaining my Assistantship?

Students awarded assistantships must maintain full time student status in fall and spring semesters (9 graduate-level credit hours minimum). Graduate assistants must also maintain a grade point average in good standing with the Graduate College (minimum of 3.0). It is extremely important to complete your classes. If you receive an incomplete for a course, you may lose your assistantship, be subject to a prorated pay, and/or lose in-state tuition status.

Questions:

Please contact the Women's & Gender Studies office at wgs@uni.edu. For more information on graduate assistant positions, visit The Graduate College at grad.uni.edu/assistantships.