Graduate Assistantships
Dakota State University is pleased to award Graduate Assistantships to outstanding candidates. Assistantships give students an opportunity to work with some of our faculty in course delivery, disciplinary research, or as administrative assistants. These experiences become rich resume-builders for our students. The assistantships also provide full tuition benefits to students, as well as a monthly stipend for students which can be used for housing, meals, and/or personal expenses. The number of assistantships awarded is limited.
Students may apply for an assistantship by designating an interest in their graduate program application. Students are notified if they are awarded an assistantship, and all students remain on the assistantship eligibility list until an assistantship is received or graduated. If selected, master's level students receive a one-year assistantship, doctoral students receive a three-year assistantship. The process is competitive.
Students applying for Athletic assistantships must follow all application procedures as well as completion of the GRE or GMAT. Students receiving Athletics funded assistantships can be awarded up to two years.
*Assistantship Applicants should not contact DSU faculty or departments for assistantship information. All assistantships are managed by the Graduate Office. Please contact GradOffice@dsu.edu for questions regarding assistantships.
Eligibility
DSU awards assistantships to graduate students with strong skills, abilities and record of performance. To qualify for an assistantship, you must:
- Be a regular/admitted full-time student who can devote their full attention to the program
- Be registered for a normal course load concurrent with the assistantship
- Not be employed full-time outside of DSU. Graduate students with other full-time employment are ineligible
- Complete the GRE and then send to the Graduate Office
*Students with conditional or special student status are not eligible for assistantships until their status changes to regular admit.
International students must hold an F-1 visa and have (or be in the process of obtaining) a Social Security number. Students with non-student visas are not eligible for an assistantship until they have obtained the F-1 visa.
Types of assistantships
- Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA): Teach or assist DSU faculty in teaching
- Graduate Research Assistant (GRA): Conduct research and assist DSU faculty with their research
- Graduate Administrative Assistant (GAA): Provide administrative assistance to various offices and programs on campus
Responsibilities and Requirements
As a graduate assistant, you must:
- Work part-time (up to 19.5 hours per week) at DSU
- Maintain a 3.25 GPA, in order to have your assistantship renewed each semester
- Perform duties as designated by a faculty supervisor
Assistantship Deadlines
Applications for assistantships must be submitted along with your admissions application. Once you are admitted to your graduate program, you will then find out if you've been accepted for a graduate assistantship.
- April 15: Fall Semester
- October 15: Spring Semester
Scholarships
The DSU General Scholarship Application deadline is December 15, 2023.
Reduced Tuition
Many graduate students are eligible for tuition reduction, including South Dakota-certified teachers, members of the National Guard, state employees, and students who teach on campus as a graduate assistant.
National Guard Members
If you're a member of the SD National Guard, you're eligible for reduced tuition equal to one half of the resident state-supported tuition rate on any hours not covered by federal education benefits.
The graduate benefit is limited to 32 credit hours. Students are billed at the full rate with the benefit paid by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
SD Teachers (K-12)
If you are an elementary or secondary teacher or vocational instructor who meets certain criteria, you're eligible for a 50% tuition reduction for certain courses. This benefit is limited to six credit hours per year. Off-campus and distance courses are not eligible for tuition reduction.
If you are taking eligible courses during the fall and spring terms, you must be under a current teaching contract. If you're taking courses during the summer term, you must be under a teaching contract for the succeeding school year to qualify for tuition benefits.
To apply for reduced tuition, simply complete Form 250-97 and submit it at the time of registration.