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Graduate Assistants

A graduate student enrolled in an MS or PhD degree program can be appointed as a Graduate Assistant (GA) by the Graduate College. The primary responsibility of a GA is participation in the research and teaching effort of the department or program. The work must contribute to the graduate/professional education of the student and to fulfillment of requirements for the graduate degree. 

 

Eligibility 

To be appointed as a Graduate Assistant, the student must meet the following requirements:

1. Enrolled full-time in an MS or PhD program of the OU Health Sciences Graduate College. Full-time enrollment for a GA is defined as 6 credit hours for fall and spring semesters and 3 credit hours for the summer term.

2. Appointed to work 10 - 20 hours per week (0.25 to 0.50 FTE).

3. Work appointed for must be related to the program of study.

4. Graduate Students from the OU-Norman Graduate College must meet the OU-Norman enrollment requirements and have approval for an inter-campus graduate assistantship.


If the GA eligibility requirements are not met, the hiring department could consider hiring the student as a Student Assistant. For international students, consult with the OU Office of Immigration Services. Student assistants are not eligible for the tuition waivers allocated from the Graduate College, as those are reserved for Graduate Assistants.  

 

Compensation

  • Graduate assistants must receive a minimum stipend of $500 per calendar month, at an FTE concordant with the current minimum wage. 
  • Graduate Research Assistants who are enrolled full-time in a  PhD program of the OU Health Sciences Graduate College, and hold an FTE of 0.5 or higher, will receive an annual stipend of $36,000 + fringe.

 

 

Graduate Assistant Policies

Final Support Date for Graduating GAs/GRAs/GTAs

Graduate Assistantships should be terminated on the day of the defense, unless the Final Support Date Form is submitted to the Graduate College Business Manager. 

 

Please submit the form 10 business days before the defense. If this form is submitted, the final day of the Graduate Assistantship will be the earliest of the following: 

  • For international students, the I-20 expiration date. International students with F-1 status must have a current I-20 to be eligible for a graduate assistantship, and cannot be paid as a graduate assistant beyond the I-20 expiration date.
 
  • The day the final copy is submitted. The final copy is due no more than 60 calendar days after passing the defense. After the final copy is submitted, they are no longer considered a student and thus not eligible for an assistantship.
 
  • The date listed on the Final Support Date form.
 
  • The last business day before the upcoming semester. Graduating students are not eligible for a graduate assistantship in the semester following the defense, unless they have enrolled in a new graduate program.
 
The Final Support Date form is available at https://graduate.ouhsc.edu/Information-For/Current-Students/Academics.

Graduate Assistants with an External Internship

Please refer to the policy on Off-Campus Internships for policies affecting GA work hours and pay while the student has an external internship.

Graduate Assistants with Teaching Responsibilities

Graduate Assistants are not allowed to serve as the instructor of record for any course at OU Health Sciences. Graduate Assistants shall not have teaching responsibility in 5000- or 6000-level courses. Graduate Assistants shall not participate in grading or evaluation of other graduate students.   

 

English Proficiency Requirements

State law requires certification of English proficiency for international Graduate Assistants who will participate in direct teaching of students via classroom/laboratory interactions and/or office hours. The hiring department is responsible for certifying English proficiency when necessary.

Examples of responsibilities that require certification of English proficiency include:

  • Holding office hours
  • Leading discussions
  • Helping or answering questions in the classroom
  • Substituting for the instructor of record
  • Delivering content to the class

The following activities do not require certification of English proficiency:

  • Grading assignments or tests for an instructor of record but having no discussion of the grades with students
  • Preparing labs and/or classrooms but having no direct teaching of students
  • Preparing Canvas materials for a course

 

Certification Exemption Pathways

If an international teaching assistant meets one of the following certification exemption pathways, the department should attach evidence to the ePAF:

  • Achieving iBT TOEFL subscores of 28 speaking and 28 writing on the test used for admission to OU, or a more recent test
  • Achieving IELTS subscores of 8.0 speaking and 8.0 writing on the test used for admission to OU, or a more recent test
  • Completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the US and moving directly into a graduate degree at OU
  • Completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the US and working in the US between finishing prior degrees and beginning a graduate degree at OU
  • Providing proof of 7+ years of continuous academic and/or professional experience in an OU Exempted English-Speaking Country

 

Certification Process

English proficiency requirements and certification options are described at https://www.ou.edu/gradcollege/student-life/etcs