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Teaching Assistants

Teaching Assistants are appointed on an academic year basis. They are paid in 22 installments. The time frame is set to be 22 equal pay periods and can vary year to year. Typically, pay starts in early to mid August and ends in early June. The Teaching Assistant scales are set annually by the department. This occurs during the budget process (typically during April/May) and goes into effect July 1. There are 3 steps in the scale:

1. New student with no prior graduate experience
2. Student with a year of prior experience (at UMD or elsewhere)
3. Admitted to candidacy

Teaching Assistants are expected to work approximately 20 hrs/wk. Most of the assignments are in ASTR 100 or 101. Because of uncertainty in schedules, it is difficult to make these assignments much before classes start. All students are expected to act as Teaching Assistants for the first two years in graduate school. Release from this obligation must be requested and will be determined by departmental needs. (This does not apply to students on fellowships.)

Research Assistants

Most students working on their thesis research are appointed as Research Assistants and funded by their advisor. These are 12 month appointments and can be started and ended at any time during the year. They are again paid in a 3 step scale. (See the discussion on Teaching Assistants for details.) Many students opt for a summer Research Assistantship during their first two summers in the department. This is understood as covering the 3 summer months (June, July and August). This would normally be a 12 week appointment. However, because of the way that the University determines the pay for Teaching Assistants, there are only 8 weeks (4 pay periods) "open" during the summer. As a result the summer Research Assistantships are scaled to 1.5 times the regular rate. Thus, the individual is paid for 12 weeks but this is paid out in an eight week period.

Fellowships

Students awarded fellowships are paid through student financial aid. Funds are transferred to the student's University account and may be withdrawn from there. Previously lodged charges e.g. mandatory fees have first claim on these funds. Typically, fellowships are paid in 2 installments at the start of each regular semester. It is generally possible to combine a fellowship with a 1/2 time Teaching Assistant or a 1/2 time Research Assistant position.

NOTE: Some fellowships preclude this. If allowed and opted for, the assistantships are paid through payroll. Details are as given above.

NOTE: International students on fellowships are handled differently and such individuals should check with the payroll office for details.

Benefits

Students on a Teaching or a Research Assistantship are entitled to join the same health insurance plan as the faculty and staff. Information is available through the benefits office. Tuition remission for up to 10 credits per semester is available for all students on a Teaching or Research Assistantship. Additional tuition remission is available over the summer if you have funding.

NOTE: This does not happen automatically. You must submit an on-line request for this. Check with the benefits office for details.

It is strongly recommended that you request the total 10 credits of tuition remission. If you actually register for fewer credits, the actual number taken is what the grants will be charged. If you register for more credits than you originally requested, the correction process is complex. Students on a fellowship are not entitled to join the health insurance plan unless they have also opted for a 1/2 time assistantship.

There are numerous deadlines which come up in the course of a graduate career. This is an attempt to list them. There will be an effort to update this as more deadlines become available.

1. Incoming students. There is a deadline for payroll forms to be completed in order to be paid on time. This varies from year to year but can be as early as July. Information about this is sent out to incoming students in June. Please note that you will receive full pay even if you are late in submitting the forms. However, the checks will come late.
   NOTE: There is a serious problem for international students. If you enter the US after the official start of the semester, it is not possible to pay you for the period between the start of the semester and the date you entered the US.
2. Second Year: There are formal deadlines governing the selection of a topic for the second year research project, submission of drafts and final papers. The details can be found in the department's Graduate Program booklet which is available on line.
3. Qualifier: This written exam is taken in the summer of the second year of graduate study. It is traditionally the Thursday and Friday prior to the start of Fall classes.
4. Admission to the PhD program: This is based on a student's performance in class work, the second year project and the qualifier. It is decided by the Teaching Faculty at a meeting which is typically in early to mid September.
5. MS degree - You need to submit an Approved Program Form in order to obtain an MS degree. The deadlines are published on the Graduate School WWW site. Typically they are mid-October for a Fall degree and mid-March for a Spring degree.
6. Candidacy - This requires selecting a thesis advisor and developing a thesis topic which is defended before a committee. Once the thesis topic is defended, the student files an application for candidacy. Once this is approved, there is a pay raise.
7. PhD - There are deadlines for approval of a thesis committee and for submission of the final thesis. These can be found on the Graduate School WWW site. Please check in the department to be sure that all relevant materials have been filed.