Graduate Assistantships

Graduate Assistantships are awarded to students on an annual basis, without regard to financial status, race, sex, age, color, religion, disability, national origin or ethnic origin. Our assistantships (teaching or research) not only provide you with valuable training and experience, they also come with a tuition waiver and a stipend for two semesters (contact us for the current amount). Over 90% of our students are fully supported with assistantships.  
 

Graduate Assistantships
Almost all WVSU Biotech graduate students are supported by either a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) or a Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA).  In Spring 2021, we will have five GTA positions and four GRA positions.  Our GTAs teach half-time, which (for a team of two GTAs) means four sections of teaching labs (eight teaching hours, plus 12 hours of preparatory time) per week.  Our GRAs are also half-time (20 hours per week), and the nature of each GRA varies with the particular lab in which the GRA works.
 
Graduate Assistantships include full tuition coverage and stipends of $12,000 per academic year.  Currently, there are about $400 per year of fees that are not covered by WVSU; however, the Program often has ways to help with these fees.
 
The Biotech faculty expect that most graduate students will complete their degree in about two years.  Although we do not guarantee support for both years, we make every effort to do so, provided you are making acceptable progress through the Program.  
 
Graduate Assistantships are awarded to students without regard to financial status, race, sex, age, color, religion, disability, national origin or ethnic origin.  In order to be eligible for assistantships, you must be enrolled in the Program full-time (9 credit hours).
 
You do not need to apply for a graduate assistantship, you must simply apply to the Program.  We assume that you want to be considered for a graduate assistantship, unless you tell us otherwise.
 
Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) awardees are chosen by the Biotechnology Graduate Faculty, based on such factors as the number of assistantships available and the academic preparedness of the candidates.  Once a graduate student has been awarded a GTA, the Faculty make every effort to continue supporting the student for four (4) contiguous semesters, not counting summers.
 
The teaching performance of GTAs is to be evaluated each semester by the faculty member with whom the GTA has taught.  In addition, The Coordinator  will observe teaching by new GTAs, as well as any other GTAs who bear further observation.  Graduate Teaching Assistantships are awarded on a single-semester basis, but are renewable.
 
Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) are available through various funding sources.  Some Biotechnology Graduate Faculty are able to employ GRAs through their individual grants monies.  For details, contact the faculty member who sponsors the assistantship.  Graduate Research Assistantships are awarded on a single-semester basis, but are renewable.
 

Graduate Research Assistantships are not usually awarded to new, first-semester graduate students.