Financial Support
Financial support for graduate students is most commonly available in the form of either a teaching assistantship or research assistantship. If you have arrived at WSU without funding and wish to be considered for future funding opportunities, you should submit a written request to the Graduate Coordinator.
Teaching Assistantships
If you have been awarded a TA position, you will have already received a letter stating the terms of that appointment. Teaching assistantships are state-supported half time, nine-month positions available to students with strong academic records. Graduate students on teaching assistantships work approximately 20 hours per week in teaching laboratory sections, grading homework, or answering questions during office hours. Teaching assistants may aid in courses that are in their sub-discipline areas.
Teaching assistantships normally cover only the nine-month academic year; graduate students on teaching assistantships should work closely with their mentor to identify a research project and to move toward a research assistantship that releases departmental funding so that new incoming graduate students can be supported.
Research Assistantships
Stipends are also available for graduate research assistantships, in which the work conducted is on an externally funded research project. Research assistantships have been funded by external agencies such as the National Science Foundation or the Environmental Protection Agency to name a few. If you have been awarded an RA position upon admission, you will have already received a letter with information regarding the terms of that appointment and the faculty member who has agreed to provide funding. Graduate research assistantships are half-time appointments, and may, but not always, cover the summer months in addition to the academic year. In many cases, the results of the work are applied to the research assistant's thesis.
Hourly Wage Positions
The selection process for awarding graduate teaching and research assistantships is highly competitive. For students who are not awarded research or teaching assistantships, hourly wage positions may be available to provide partial financial support through the Department of Natural Resource Sciences and the College of Agriculture and Home Economics. Work closely with both the graduate coordinator and your academic mentor to keep abreast of future funding opportunities.
Scholarships/Fellowships
The department maintains a scholarship file and also posts information regarding job opportunities on the department bulletin boards and in room 130. Talk with Marlene if you wish to pursue scholarships.
For highly qualified applicants, graduate fellowships are available from such agencies as the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Graduate fellowships are highly competitive, but provide graduate students with a high degree of freedom to pursue creative research while in graduate school. Graduate applicants should work with the faculty to apply for such fellowships.
Registration Requirements Based Upon Level of Financial Support
- Half-time employment (including all Teaching and Research Assistants, plus any half-time hourly wage students)
- Minimum of 10 credits.
- Students using departmental facilities during the summer are required to enroll for at least three graduate credits.
Helpful Links
Student Employment Center
The Student Employment Center have opportunities for students seeking on and off-campus employment, non-students seeking temporary on-campus employment, and employers looking to fill their work-study and non-work-study jobs.
» Learn More
Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarship Services
The Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarship Services provides information regarding financial support and available scholarship opportunities for students. » Learn More
NEW
PhD Graduate Fellowships available through NSF IGERT Program
Nitrogen Systems: Policy-oriented Integrated Research and Education (NSPIRE)
Interdisciplinary research focused on nitrogen cycle processes in the environment integrated with experiential learning of public policy
