Assistantships give you the opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge while providing financial support. There are three types of assistantships at UB.
Teaching assistants (TA) assist instructors in with their courses.
Graduate assistants (GA) serve as a support-person at their university of study.
Research assistants (RA) help faculty conduct their research.
Teaching and graduate assistantship appointments are typically made by individual departments, usually on an annual basis. The minimum stipend for these assistantships is established by the GSEU. Research assistant awards are provided by departments and/or faculty members holding research grants or contracts.
Assistantships can be awarded to graduate students at a full or half-time work oblication. A full-time assistantship carries a 20-hour weekly work expectation, and a half-time assistanship carries a 10-hour weekly work expectation. In return for this commitment, students are paid a stipend and may also receive a full or partial tuition scholarship. Recipients are still responsible for school fees.
For more information about policies regarding the award and use of graduate tuition scholarships, please see the General Guidelines for UB's Graduate Tuition Scholarship policy.
Traineeships are supported by federal training grants from agencies like NIH and NSF, and typically include tuition/fee remission, stipend and health insurance. They are awarded upon admission to a doctoral program. To inquire about traineeships, check with your graduate program.
Fully funded PhD students receive an assistantship upon admission. Funding packages include tuition, fee waiver and a stipend of at least $23,000 for 10-month appointments and $29,900 for 12-month appointments. Full-time, fully funded PhD students are eligible for central funding to cover the cost of broad-based fees charged in fall and spring semesters only. Covered fees include the comprehensive fee, academic excellence and success fee, student activity fee and the international student fee, where applicable. Read more about the Broad-Based Fee Coverage for Fully Funded PhD Students policy.
Contact your department about available assistantship opportunities, including deadlines and criteria for assistantship awards.