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Current Students

Funding Opportunities

The Graduate School at Ohio State offers a list of financial support available to graduate students and administered by the Graduate School.

Funding and Appointments

All graduate students admitted to the Department will be considered for departmental support as Graduate Teaching Associates (GTAs), Graduate Administrative Associates (GAAs), or Graduate Research Associates (GRAs) for the "normal progress" period needed to complete their degrees. Most of our students work as GTAs. These associateships provide valuable teaching, research and academic experiences as well as financial support.

Requirements for Appointment

To be eligible for a Graduate Associate appointment, funded by the Department of Sociology, a student must meet the minimum requirements set by the Graduate School. In addition, the Department requires that students enroll for a minimum of 10 graduate credit hours not including the Pro-Seminar, Sociology 800, in each quarter of their appointment. (Some exceptions are made for first year students who need more undergraduate grounding in particular areas.) It also requires that students achieve satisfactory levels of academic and teaching performance, and adequate progress toward the degree.

Training Requirements

All newly appointed Graduate Associates, including those appointed to the Sociology Research Laboratory (SRL), those appointed as GRAs, and those who expect to teach at some point in their graduate training are required to complete certain sessions of the Workshop for Teaching Associates sponsored by Faculty and TA Development (FTAD) during the week before Autumn Quarter. You are also invited to attend any additional sessions that seem useful to you. For additional help with developing teaching skills, a new GA may elect to take College Teaching (ED:P&L 851) for 3 credit hours during the first year. To complement the University-wide Workshop, the Sociology Department provides sessions during the same week to acquaint new GAs with departmental policies related to teaching sociology. Also, prior to teaching an independent section, graduate students must take a course on teaching in the department. This course will be offered once each academic year.

Compensation

Compensation for Graduate Associate duties are based on level of graduate studies completed and percent of time employed. With few exceptions all appointments are for 50% time. Three levels of compensation exist: pre-M.A., post-M.A. (pre-Candidacy Exam), and Ph.D. Candidate (post-Candidacy Exam). A student who completes the MA or Candidacy Exam during the year may expect to advance to the next level of pay at the beginning of the following quarter. In addition to the basic salary, a Graduate Associate receives a waiver of academic fees, including resident and non-resident tuition. Income tax on the salary of GAs is withheld from paychecks. GAs are responsible to pay fees for health insurance and parking permits. Graduate Associates who complete three consecutive quarters of service are eligible for a tuition waiver without a Graduate Associate appointment during the next consecutive quarter (generally summer). Students using the "fourth quarter fee authorization" must be registered for at least 7 hours of graduate credit; credits should reflect actual work undertaken in that quarter. This tuition waiver lapses if not used in the next consecutive quarter. Please visit the Office of Human Resources web site to learn more about GA and Student Employee Benefits.