This article will help you
provide all relevant information regarding the types of assistantship offered
in the US Universities. The most common assistantships are the Teaching
Assistantships (TA), Research Assistantships (RA) and Graduate Assistantships (GA).
The following article will provide all the details about these assistantships
and how to apply for them.
What are assistantships in US Universities and
what is the difference between assistantships and scholarships?
Assistantships are
basically on campus employment for students who are providing some service to
the University functioning. Scholarships on the other hand are fee waivers
offered to students without any student service. Scholarships are usually
awarded to students during their application process itself. Assistantships may
be awarded during applications or after 1 or 2 semesters. Scholarships
available for international students are very less at US Universities compared
to the scholarships given to the US citizens. For more about scholarships for
international students at US Universities, visit the following article: What scholarships are available for Indian studentsfor
higher education in US Universities?
What is an RA (Research
Assistant) at US Universities?
RA is short for Research Assistant to a Professor. Every
University in US has experienced Professors working for some or the other
project. The grants are provided by the University funds which are in turn
sponsored by the government of USA or other private agencies. Each Professor
requires assistants who can help out in the research work and generally these
assistants are students preferably graduate students. The duties of the
research assistants in US Universities generally includes performing
experiments, simulations, setting up labs, setting up experiments, writing research
papers and writing programming codes. Most professors in US look for a
dedicated and eager student who wishes to work long hours and give the desired
results to the Professor.
How to apply for an
RA at US Universities?
You can apply for research assistantship during your
application itself. Some RA positions are available after your 1st
semester of education and you can then apply for an RA position at your
respected field of education. The general guidelines to be followed for
obtaining an RA are as follows:
- Study the profiles of the professors at the University very carefully and shortlist the professors who are working in the fields that interest you.
- Study about the professor and the research area that he/she is currently working on in depth.
- Schedule an appointment with the professor to discuss about possible opportunity to work on the particular research area.
- Explain in detail your experience and all relevant work you have performed in this area.
- The professor will make a decision regarding your employment as a research assistantship and the compensation provided.
What is a TA (Teaching
Assistant) at US Universities?
TA is short for Teaching Assistant to a Professor. Every
University in US has a number of experienced Professors working for some or the
other project. Each Professor requires assistants who can help out in the teaching
course work duties of the professors and generally these assistants are
students preferably graduate students. The duties of the teaching assistants in
US Universities generally includes assisting students, checking assignments,
helping professor with daily activities and other similar responsibilities .
Most professors in US look for a dedicated and eager student who wishes to work
long hours and give the desired results to the Professor.
How to apply for a TA
at US Universities?
You can apply for teaching assistantship during your
application itself. Some TA positions are available after your 1st
semester of education and you can then apply for a TA position at your
respected field of education. The general guidelines to be followed for
obtaining a TA are as follows:
- Study the profiles of the professors at the University very carefully and shortlist the professors who are currently working in your department.
- Study about the professor and the research area that he/she is currently working on in detail.
- Schedule an appointment with the professor to discuss about possible opportunity to work as a teaching assistant.
- Explain in detail your teaching experience, if any, and all relevant work you have performed in teaching.
- The professor will make a decision regarding your employment as a teaching assistantship and the compensation provided.
What is an GA (Graduate Assistant) at US Universities and how to apply for this assistant-ship
GA or Graduate Assistant is same as Research Assistant or RA, but only for graduate students. The duties of a GA are same as that of an RA. The process of applying for a GA at US Universities is also same as that to apply for an RA. Refer the above details for an RA assistant-ship.
