Physics & Astronomy

The Department recognizes that students may require financial assistance in order to remain in school, and attempts to make as much financial assistance available to each graduate student as is possible within the Departmental and university guidelines and resources.

During the fall and winter semesters, the Department offers half-time (20 hours) Teaching Assistantships (TA) with pay scales according to the student's experience and progress:

Many graduate teaching assistants serve in the Departmental tutorial labs, and some teach undergraduate physics labs or do grading for upper level undergraduate courses. During Spring and Summer terms the first year student (and others who do not qualify for a Research Assistantship) will be hired as half-time teaching assistants. They must register for a minimum of 2 hours but we encourage them to take a 3 hour class at least one of the terms. All graduate students receiving financial support from the Department must be available to work as teaching assistants according to Department needs and assignments.

In order to be hired as a Teaching Assistant the department needs to have information about each student, their preferences about type of assignment, and the number of hours they will be working. To enter this information go to the link below and fill out the graduate version of the department employment application.

• TA Application
• Enter or Modify Schedule
• Check TA or Grading Assignments

The Department also offers a limited number of Research Assistantships and/or Internships with pay scales according to the student's experience and progress:

Typically, more Research Assistantships are offered Spring/Summer than in Fall/Winter. The purpose of these sources of funds is to provide students with some financial support while they pursue the research associated with their degree. Thus, MS thesis students and PhD dissertation students nearing graduation will be given priority for research assistant positions. Students that desire a research assistantship must have their prospectus approved and make arrangements with a faculty member doing research in the area of their interest.

Many students with assistantships will receive additional awards to defray some tuition costs. The amount of the awards will generally depend upon the program the student is in and the level of progression toward completion of the students degree. All graduate students in good standing will receive full tuition for all courses that appear on their study list. Provisional students in general receive half of the above amounts.

Departmental funding of graduate students will be guaranteed only for 2 years plus one semester for Masters students and for 5 years for a PhD student. Advisors with external funds may support a student for longer than this, but it is also expected that tuition will be included in this support.

The financial support discussed above is not automatic and the department can reduce or terminate support if a student does not satisfactorily perform the duties required for the assistantship. Support for research may also be reduced or terminated if research funds become unavailable. A student who does not meet assigned teaching obligations or who is unprofessional in interacting with their students is not satisfactorily functioning as a teaching assistant. A student who does not give full measure of time and effort in achieving the research goals as outlined by his or her major professor is not functioning satisfactorily as a research assistant or an intern. A student who does not take sufficient classes from their study list to make adequate progress toward their degree will be denied a tuition award.

The University does make available short term loans and has information about government approved loans. No loans are available through the Department. To obtain information about a loan, contact Student Financial Aid, Scholarships and Loans A-41 ASB.

If a student wants to defer payment on a loan, they will need proof of full-time status from the Office of Graduate Studies. If a student's course work is finished, and they are registered for a minimum of two credit hours, they must fill out and return this form to the Office of Graduate Studies.

There may be circumstances in which outside employment is appropriate, but receiving TA or RA support while working outside the department requires clearance from the graduate coordinator.