Criteria for Appointment of Graduate Assistants

  1. Admission to the Graduate School and enrollment in graduate courses must precede an appointment to a graduate assistantship. 
  2. The student must meet the minimum enrollment requirements to hold a graduate assistantship: 
    1. Semester Enrollment Requirements - The minimum course load for which graduate assistants must be enrolled during long semesters is five (5) semester credit hours for both a .25 and .50 FTE. Departments may require a greater minimum number of hours. For enrollments less than five (5) hours, a letter from the dean or program component leader to the Graduate School requesting approval to enroll for fewer hours and explaining the reason for the request is required. Students in thesis, dissertation, practicum, or internship hours may register for a minimum of three (3) hours. (Note: Students enrolled for less than 5 hours must pay FICA tax unless enrolled in their last semester.)
    2. Summer Enrollment Requirements - The minimum course load for which graduate assistants must be enrolled for summer is five (5) semester credit hours for a 0.50 FTE and three (3) semester credit hours for a .25 FTE.  Summer enrollment includes enrollment any time during summer I, summer II, and/or summer III terms (6/1-8/31). The summer must be 5 semester credit hours of graduate coursework.​
    3. Graduate assistant appointment assignments for students who do not meet the minimum requirements will not be approved and will be returned through Oracle to the academic component for appropriate action. All approved graduate assistant appointments will be forwarded to the Office of Academic Financial Services.
  3. The student must be in good academic standing at TWU. A student who is on academic probation may not hold a graduate assistantship.
  4. A student may not hold a graduate assistantship at TWU concurrently with an assistantship at any other college or university.
  5. Graduate Assistants may not hold a full-time job at TWU.
  6. Graduate Assistants may not be appointed concurrently as adjunct faculty.
  7. Graduate Assistants may not be appointed concurrently as student assistants/student workers. In rare cases, the Dean of the Graduate School may approve an exception when the academic component leader submits a request in writing via email with a rationale explaining why an exception should be made. (Not to exceed .50 FTE cumulative.) 
  8. A student is not permitted to work more than .50 FTE (20 hours per week) at TWU in any combination of graduate assistantship (wages or salary), graduate teaching assistantship, or graduate research assistantship.
  9. Request for In-state Tuition: An out-of-state student holding a graduate assistantship is entitled to register by paying the tuition and other fees or charges required for Texas residents without regard to the length of time the assistant has resided in Texas. Requirements for In-State Tuition include:
    1. The graduate assistant is employed at least one-half time (.50 FTE).
    2. The graduate assistant has enrolled in the minimum required graduate course load.
    3. The graduate assistant is working in a position that relates to their degree program.
    4. The student must complete the Request for In-State Tuition form, have it signed by the department chair, and send it to the Graduate School each semester (Fall, Spring, Summer) by the Census Deadline. If approved, the Graduate School will forward the Request for In-State Tuition form to the Registrar. Once approved and processed by the Registrar, the Request for In-State Tuition form will be forwarded to the Bursar, who will be responsible for applying the In-State Tuition rate to the student's account.
  10. Special criteria for Graduate Teaching Assistantships assigned primary responsibility for teaching a course for credit and assigning final grades to include the following:
    1. The student must have completed at least 18 semester hours of graduate credit in the teaching field. Please note that the hiring department must digitally complete and submit the Certification of Graduate Teaching Assistant Academic Preparation form, listing the coursework that qualifies the student to teach the course/s they are assigned. This form must be submitted to the Graduate School before the student's graduate assistantship assignment as a GTA can be approved and processed.
    2. In order to hold a graduate teaching assistantship, international students must present a TOEFL iBT Speaking score of 26 or higher, an IELTS Speaking Test score of 7.5 or higher, a Pearson Test of English (PTE)-Academic score of 53 or above, or a MELAB Speaking Test score of 4 or higher. Visit the International Student and Scholar Services website for a list of English-speaking countries and exemptions.
    3. The component leader (chair, dean, associate dean, director) must complete the Certification of Graduate Teaching Assistant Academic Preparation form and send it to the Graduate School at the time of appointment.
    4. Each GTA must be assigned a mentor. The mentor is responsible for guiding the GTA in their assigned teaching duties and assessing the GTA's teaching performance each semester. Component leaders should ensure that each GTA is evaluated by the mentor each semester. 
    5. Preferably the student will have had teaching experience in the specialty area. 
    6. The student whose primary language is not English should have demonstrated proficiency in English as described below and as mandated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. 
  11. International students must demonstrate English speaking proficiency through one of the following in order to hold a graduate teaching assistantship
    1. A score of 26 or higher on the TOEFL iBT speaking section
    2. A score of 7.5 or higher on the IELTS Speaking Test
    3. A score of 53 or above on the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic
    4. A score of 4 or higher on the MELAB Speaking Test
  12. International students must also follow the guidelines of International Student and Scholar Services.