Research Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships Explained

For many graduate students, the funding that matters most is not a scholarship at all. It is an assistantship: a paid role inside the university that funds your degree while you work. An assistantship is a job and a funding package at the same time, and understanding how it works can change which programmes you can afford. This guide explains research assistantships and teaching assistantships, what they cover, and how to win one.

Assistantships are most common at masters and doctoral level, and they are a normal part of graduate funding in many countries. They are competitive, they are tied to departments and individual professors, and they are awarded on merit and fit. If you are applying for a graduate degree, you should be looking for assistantships alongside scholarships, not instead of them.

What an Assistantship Is

An assistantship is a contract between you and the university. You work a set number of hours each week, and in return you receive a stipend, usually paid monthly, and often a waiver of some or all of your tuition. The work is academic: research, teaching, or both. The funding comes from the department, from a professor’s research grant, or from the university itself.

The key point is that an assistantship is earned work, not a gift. You are expected to deliver, and your performance is reviewed. That is also its strength: because you are working, the funding is usually stable for the length of the contract, and it comes with experience that strengthens your CV. Graduate funding pages such as the Cornell graduate funding pages explain how assistantships sit alongside scholarships and fellowships in a typical funding package.

Research Assistantships

A research assistantship, often shortened to RA, pays you to work on a research project led by a professor or a research group. The work varies by field. In the sciences it may mean lab work, data collection or running experiments. In the social sciences and humanities it may mean literature reviews, data analysis, interviews or drafting. In every field, the work is closely tied to your own subject, which is part of its value.

Who Funds Research Posts

Research posts are usually funded by a grant the professor has won from a government body, a foundation or an industry partner. That means the number of posts depends on the grants a department holds, and it changes from year to year. A department with strong grant income can fund many research assistants; one without it may fund none. When you research a programme, look at the faculty pages to see who holds active grants in your area.

Because the funding follows the project, your RA work will usually relate to your thesis topic, at least in part. That is an advantage: you are paid to do work that also advances your degree. It also means the professor hiring you cares about your research skills and your interest in their project, not just your grades.

Teaching Assistantships

A teaching assistantship, or TA, pays you to help teach. Typical duties include running tutorial or discussion groups, supervising lab sessions, marking assignments and exams, holding office hours, and helping prepare course materials. TAs are the backbone of undergraduate teaching in many universities, and the role is a genuine introduction to academic work.

Typical Teaching Duties

The exact duties depend on the course and the department. A first year TA might mark problem sets and run weekly tutorials, while an experienced TA might design lab exercises or give guest lectures. The hours are usually fixed in your contract, and the department provides training. Good TAs are valued and remembered, and the experience counts if you later apply for academic jobs.

Teaching takes time and energy, and it can compete with your own study if the load is heavy. Before you accept a TA post, ask how many hours it involves, whether the hours are spread evenly across the term, and what support you get. A well run department protects your study time; a badly run one does not, and that is worth knowing before you sign.

What Assistantships Usually Cover

A standard assistantship package includes a monthly stipend and a tuition waiver. The stipend is meant to cover living costs, and its value varies widely by country, city and university. The waiver may cover full tuition or only part of it. Some packages also include health insurance, which matters a great deal in countries where medical costs are high.

Always get the offer in writing, with the stipend amount, the waiver, the hours, the start and end dates, and any conditions. Compare offers on the total package, not just the stipend. A high stipend with no waiver can be worth less than a lower stipend with full tuition covered. The Oxford graduate fees and funding pages show how one major university presents the full cost picture, which is a useful model for comparing offers anywhere.

How to Find and Apply for One

Assistantships are rarely advertised on scholarship databases. They are advertised on department websites, on faculty pages, and sometimes only by word of mouth. The most reliable route is to contact the department directly and ask what assistantships are available for incoming students in your field, and whether you need to apply separately from your programme application.

For research posts, contact the professor whose work matches your interests. Write a short, specific email: who you are, what you have studied, why their project interests you, and what skills you bring. Attach your CV. Professors receive many generic emails, so a message that shows you have actually read their work stands out. For teaching posts, the department usually runs a separate application, often after you have been admitted, so ask about the timeline early.

What Committees Look for in Applicants

For research posts, the deciding factors are your academic record in the relevant subject, your research experience, and your fit with the project. A strong final year project, a publication, or experience with the methods the project uses all help. For teaching posts, communication skills matter as much as grades: committees want people who can explain clearly, manage a room, and mark fairly.

References carry real weight for both types. A referee who has seen you do research or teach, even in a small way, is far more useful than a referee who only knows your grades. Our guides to PhD scholarships and masters scholarships explain how assistantships combine with other funding at each level.

Balancing Assistantship Work and Study

An assistantship is a job with a contract, and your degree is the reason you are there. The two can support each other, especially in research posts, but they can also compete. Protect your study time by knowing your contracted hours, tracking them, and speaking up early if the work grows beyond them. Most supervisors respect a student who manages their time well.

Plan your week around both commitments. Block time for your coursework and thesis first, then fit assistantship hours around it, not the other way round. If you are struggling, talk to your supervisor and to the department before the problem grows. Our guide to other funding paths puts assistantships in context with loans and sponsorships, so you can see the full range of options if one route does not work out.

• Check department and faculty pages, not just scholarship databases
• Contact professors directly for research posts, with a specific email
• Ask the department about teaching posts and their timeline
• Get every offer in writing, with stipend, waiver and hours stated
• Compare offers on the total package, not the stipend alone
• Track your hours and protect time for your own study