 GRADUATE
STUDENT FUNDING
Assistantships
The Department of Communication annually
awards graduate teaching and research assistantships
to qualified students who have been admitted to the graduate
program. All graduate assistants also
are eligible for an employee benefits package, including health insurance
coverage.
M.A. assistantships carry a nine-month stipend (September through May) and require 20 hours of assigned
work per week. Typically, master's-level teaching assistants
teach two recitation sections of COMM
203 ("Public
Speaking"), under the direct supervision of the course
director. Research assistants perform a variety of
tasks related to the ongoing research functions of the
department faculty. Summer teaching assistantships are
often available.
Ph.D. assistantships also carry a nine-month stipend (September through May).
Doctoral students in good academic standing can be assured of at least three years of
assistantship funding. The department strives to provide a fourth year of doctoral funding if
that proves necessary. Summer teaching assistantships are often available. Typically,
doctoral students are first assigned sections of COMM 203 (“Public Speaking”), either in
multi-section with mass lecture or self-contained section formats. A concerted effort is made
to provide doctoral students who perform well in teaching assignments with diverse
instructional experiences; in addition to public speaking, Ph.D. students have taught skills
courses such as argumentation and debate, small group communication, and interviewing.
Ph.D. students who have passed their comprehensive exams may have the opportunity to
teach lecture courses in such topics as organizational communication, interpersonal
communication, American oratory, and intercultural communication.
During the second and third year of the doctoral program, students can participate in
our doctoral mentorship program. In this program, the assistantship requirements are reduced
to 10 hours of work per week in assigned teaching research, or computer laboratory work.
The additional 10 hours per week is devoted to an individually-designed mentorship with a
specific faculty member. Mentorships are generally focused on research, with the goal of
producing substantive publication outcome for the student. In order to participate, students
and mentors must submit a proposal for a mentorship project that is reviewed and approved
by the Graduate Committee. During the spring semester, students in the mentorship program
must present their research for a departmental colloquium.
Graduate assistants in department of communication also typically receive a waiver of
their tuition from the University. The tuition waivers are granted to teaching assistants, and
most research assistants and non-teaching assistants. These waivers cover tuition for 9 credit
hours per semester and 3 credit hours per summer session. Student fees are not be covered in
this program, however.
Fellowships
In a highly competitive process, the University awards Graduate
Merit Fellowships and Regents Fellowships to select
students for their first year of study. In general, these awards are made primarily
on the basis of academic merit; in addition to test scores
and grade point averages, recommendations and previous
applicant achievements such as publications, awards,
activities, research projects, etc., are taken into consideration.
Each fellowship carries a stipend from $3,000 to
$20,000 per year (12 months). Some of the smaller award
stipends may be combined with assistantships.
In addition, Texas A&M University supports several
programs designed to enhance diversity within graduate
programs and within the university community. These
programs - including Diversity Assistantships and the Pathways
to the Doctorate programs - may be available to qualified
applicants. Check with the graduate
director for
more information about these programs.
Other Forms of Funding
Students may also seek graduate assistantships with other
offices at Texas A&M University. For example, graduate
students in Communication have secured graduate assistantships
in the College of Liberal Art's Undergraduate Advising
Office, in the University's Off-Campus Housing Office (Off-Campus
Center), and the former Department of Journalism.
Texas A&M University also sponsors Academic Excellence
Awards, student loans, and other specialized forms of financial
aid. For more information concerning the forms of aid available
contact:
Director of Student Financial Aid
2nd Floor, The Pavilion
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843
Phone: (979) 845-3236
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