Research Assistantships

A research assistantship (RA) can also be an ideal appointment for graduate or doctoral students. It gives you a chance to focus on your passion, researching in your field of study, as you complete your graduate or doctoral degree.

Faculty RAs
Faculty RAs are the most common type of appointment for graduate students. With a faculty RA, you work closely with a faculty member on their research, assisting them in tasks like gathering and organizing data or sources, writing and publishing articles, and processing data. Graduate RAs typically work part-time in addition to their studies, and are paid a stipend or awarded tuition reimbursement.

Working as a graduate RA allows you the opportunity to form a working relationship with an established faculty member, which can benefit your career through recommendation letters, contacts, and publications.

Research Fellowships
Doctoral students often have more freedom with research projects, though many still work under faculty on advanced research projects. Graduate and doctoral students in certain fields may secure research fellowships, wherein the student is solely responsible for research on a part-time basis. For example, a graduate or doctoral student in Literature may be assigned one author to fully research and study. Over the course of their appointment, the student could be required to compile a biography, publish papers on the author, and attend or organize conferences related to the author.
 

Like faculty RAs, research fellowships often come with tuition waivers and additional stipends. Students chosen for research fellowships can work with a team of other graduate or doctoral students, or they can work alone.

RA Requirements
Though RAs vary from school to school, a few general requirements can apply. Students must continue to make significant progress in their graduate or doctoral program. There may be publication or research requirements. If the assistantship comes with a stipend, the money can be awarded once a month, year, or semester.

You should view a RA as a job, and expect to be held to certain performance standards. It can be the perfect opportunity to gain experience in your chosen field as you make connections with faculty and other research assistants.