Assistantships
The Graduate School publishes these guidelines for appointment of assistantships, but most assistants are appointed by academic departments. Contact your graduate program if you are interested in an appointment.
Contents
Teaching Assistants
A teaching assistant is an enrolled graduate student who is regularly assigned teaching and related responsibilities (other than manual or clerical responsibilities) under the supervision of a faculty member. Students with senior-graduate status are also eligible for teaching assistant appointments.
At UWM, only units offering credit instruction can appoint TAs. Other units, such as research centers, appoint research assistants or project assistants. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services requires employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all employees. TAs must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) form before starting their UWM employment.
Since TAs are counted as instructional staff in academic workload measurements applied to departments, it is important to observe the distinction between TAs and PAs.
Teaching Loads
Each school/college determines the relationship between percentage of appointment and teaching load. Department chairs and graduate program unit coordinators/directors review graduate assistant assignments to ensure equity in each TA's responsibilities and adherence to the MGAA agreement.
A TA's workload ordinarily requires 360-380 hours per semester for a half-time academic-year appointment and 240-254 hours per semester for a one-third (33%), academic-year appointment. A proportional number of hours will be calculated for other durations or percentages of appointment.
Credit Loads
- TAs employed at 33% or more must enroll for and complete at least 6 graduate credits (not including audit courses) in any one semester; the graduate program unit may require a higher credit minimum.
- TAs employed less than 33% must enroll for and complete at least 8 graduate credits in any semester; the graduate program unit may require a higher credit minimum.
- While preparing to take doctoral preliminary examinations, a TA may enroll for 1 graduate credit for one semester only. This option requires Graduate School approval before the start of the semester. The Assistant Justification form must be used by the student to request this exemption, and the application for the doctoral preliminary examination must be on file in the Graduate School To request this exemption, submit the Assistant Justification form. You must have already submitted the Application for the Doctoral Preliminary Examination to the Graduate School.
- A TA who has achieved dissertator status must enroll each semester for 3 graduate credits at the current per-credit dissertator rate.
- TAs who do not maintain the minimum graduate credit requirements for an assistantship appointment lose eligibility for an assistantship and tuition remission in the next academic term.
Pay Basis
TAs are appointed on an academic-year appointment, consisting of the fall semester (4-1/2 months) and the spring semester (4-1/2 months).
Percentage of Appointment
TA appointments are at least 33%, except as provided in the MGAA contract. Appointments of more than 50% are permitted only under exceptional circumstances and with the advance approval of the Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Programs and Student Services.
To request approval, the appointing graduate program unit director must submit the Personnel Action form and a Assistant Justification form to the Graduate School Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Programs and Student Services, before the beginning of the appointment period.
Appointments of more than 75%, including concurrent appointments, are not permitted.
Term of Appointment
A TA appointment is for a specific period up to one year. Departments may make informal commitments for financial support beyond one year.
Concurrent Appointments
Concurrent appointments totaling more than 50% require Graduate School approval, and total appointments in excess of 75% are not permitted. The Personnel Action Form, completed by the appointing graduate program unit director, must list all concurrent UWM appointments and employment and must be approved by each appointing authority.
Pay Scale Classifications
There are four pay scale classifications for teaching assistants:
Non-doctoral
Teaching Assistant with less than two full semesters experience at UWM and who is:
- A student in a master’s program, OR
- A student without a master’s degree in a doctoral program that requires the master’s, OR
- A student who has completed fewer than 24 graduate credits in a doctoral program that does not require a master’s degree.
Non-doctoral Year 2
A graduate student who has completed Teaching Assistant appointments of 33% or greater at UWM for two full academic semesters, and who is:
- A student in a master’s program, OR
- A student without a master’s degree in a doctoral program that requires the master’s, OR
- A student who has completed fewer than 24 graduate credits in a doctoral program that does not require a master’s degree.
Being appointed at lower levels of appointment (less than 33%), in other combinations of appointments (graduate PA, academic staff, fellowship, etc.), or during other calendar sessions (summer, UWinteriM) will not qualify an employee for the Non-doctoral Year 2 rate.
The Non-doctoral Year 2 pay rate will not begin with a summer session; it will be applicable with the academic semester following the requisite two-semester TA appointment of 33% or greater.
Doctoral
A student in a doctoral program who holds a master’s degree. If the doctoral program does not require a master’s degree, a student must complete at least 24 graduate credits in the program to advance to the doctoral pay classification.
Dissertator
A graduate student in a Ph.D. program who has achieved dissertator status.
Salary Levels
Salary levels are negotiated as part of the MGAA agreement. Income and Social Security taxes are withheld. Earnings are reported on a W-2 form.
TA pay-scale changes from non-doctoral to doctoral are effective only at the beginning of the semester following the semester in which an assistant qualifies for a change in pay-scale classification.
Teaching Assistant Salary Schedule
The figures in the schedule are salaries only, and do not reflect the accompanying tuition remission. View the complete assistantship stipend and salary schedule.
Summer Appointments
Credits
Continuing TAs may be appointed in the summer without minimum registration, provided they were appropriately registered in the spring. However, graduate program units may require a minimum summer credit load. Check with your graduate program unit and the MGAA contract about summer registration requirements for continuing TAs.
If your first appointment as a TA is for a summer session, you must enroll for a minimum of 2 graduate credits during the summer; 3 if a dissertator. Graduate program units may require a higher credit minimum.
Salary Basis
Salaries for a summer-session appointment are based on the salary schedule approved for the preceding year.
Percentage and Length of Appointment
Faculty, staff, and students should consult the MGAA contract for guidance on how to calculate summer appointment percentages based on the length of the particular summer session for which the graduate student is appointed and the duties expected of the student. In general, appointment percentages should not exceed 50% unless the compacted nature of the summer session requires hours of work that exceed a half-time appointment. Under no circumstances may a student be appointed for more than 100% at any given time or receive total compensation over all summer sessions that exceeds 2/9 of the full-time academic year salary for students in his or her classification. Department and school/college representatives are encouraged to consult with the Graduate School Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Student Services regarding the need for advanced approval for particularly high and/or complex summer appointments.
Project Assistants
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services requires employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all employees. PAs are required to complete an Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) form before beginning their UWM employment.
A project assistant is an enrolled graduate student assigned to conduct research, training, administrative responsibilities, or other academic or academic support projects or programs—except regular preparation of instructional materials for courses, or manual or clerical assignments—under the supervision of a member of the faculty or academic staff.
Departmental chairs and graduate program unit coordinators/directors review graduate assistant assignments to ensure equity in each PA's responsibilities and adherence to the MGAA agreement.
Appointment Level
The appointment level is based on the graduate program unit's determination of the time required to perform the assigned duties. For PAs, satisfactory performance of duties normally requires 1,040 hours for a half-time, annual appointment. A proportional number of hours will be calculated for other durations or percentages of appointments.
Credit Loads
- PAs employed at 33% or more must enroll for and complete at least 6 graduate credits (not including audit courses) in any one semester; the graduate program unit may require a higher credit minimum.
- PAs employed less than 33% must enroll for and complete at least 8 graduate credits in any semester; the graduate program unit may require a higher credit minimum.
- While preparing to take doctoral preliminary examinations, a PA may enroll for 1 graduate credit for one semester only. This option requires Graduate School approval before the start of the semester. To request this exemption, submit the Assistant Justification form. You must have already submitted the Application for the Doctoral Preliminary Examination to the Graduate School.
- A PA who has achieved dissertator status must enroll each semester for 3 graduate credits at the current per-credit dissertator rate.
- PAs who do not maintain the minimum graduate credit requirements for an assistantship appointment lose eligibility for an assistantship and tuition remission in the next academic term.
Pay Basis
PAs are appointed on the following pay basis:
- Academic-year appointment. This is a 9-month appointment consisting of the fall semester (4-1/2 months) and the spring semester (4-1/2 months).
- Annual appointment. This is a 12-month appointment beginning on July 1 (the beginning of the fiscal year) and ending June 30 (the end of the fiscal year).
Pay Scale Classifications
There are three pay-scale classifications for PAs:
- Non-doctoral: A graduate student with a master's or non-degree classification, or a doctoral student without a master's degree and who has completed fewer than 24 credits of graduate work.
- Doctoral: A graduate student with a doctoral classification who has a master's degree, or who has completed 24 credits or more of graduate work.
- Dissertator: A doctoral student who has applied for, and meets the Graduate School requirements for dissertator status.
Percentage of Appointment
PA appointments are at least 33%, except as provided in the MGAA contract. Appointments of more than 50% are permitted only under exceptional circumstances and with the advance approval of the Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Programs and Student Services.
To request approval, the appointing graduate program unit director must submit the Personnel Action form and a Assistant Justification form to the Graduate School Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Programs and Student Services, before the beginning of the appointment period.
Appointments of more than 75%, including concurrent appointments, are not permitted.
Term of Appointment
A PA appointment is for a specific period up to one year. Departments may make informal commitments for financial support beyond one year.
Concurrent Appointments
Concurrent appointments totaling more than 50% require Graduate School approval, and total appointments in excess of 75% are not permitted. The Personnel Action Form, completed by the appointing graduate program unit director, must list all concurrent UWM appointments and employment and must be approved by each appointing authority.
Salary Levels
Salary levels are negotiated as a part of the MGAA agreement. Income and Social Security taxes are withheld. Earnings are reported on a W-2 form.
Project Assistant Salary Schedule
The figures in the schedule are salaries only, and do not reflect the accompanying tuition remission. View the complete assistantship stipend and salary schedule.
Summer Appointments
Credits
Continuing PAs may be appointed in the summer without minimum registration, provided they were appropriately registered in the spring. However, graduate program units may require a minimum summer credit load. Check with your graduate program unit and the MGAA contract about summer registration requirements for continuing PAs.
If your first appointment as a PA is for a summer session, you must enroll for a minimum of 2 graduate credits during the summer; 3 if a dissertator. Graduate program units may require a higher credit minimum.
Pay Basis and Length of Appointment
Salaries for a summer session appointment are normally based on the salary schedule approved for the preceding year, unless the appointment is an annual-basis appointment effective July 1.
An annual-basis summer appointment is usually for two months for the purpose of continuing appointments. For new appointments, it is generally for the months of July and August, at the new rate established for the new fiscal year beginning July 1.
An academic year-basis summer appointment is generally for four weeks or eight weeks.
Percentage of Appointment
Faculty, staff, and students should consult the MGAA contract for guidance on how to calculate summer appointment percentages based on the length of the particular summer session for which the graduate student is appointed and the duties expected of the student. In general, appointment percentages should not exceed 50% unless the compacted nature of the summer session requires hours of work that exceed a half-time appointment. Under no circumstances may a student be appointed for more than 100% at any given time or receive total compensation over all summer sessions that exceeds 2/9 of the full-time academic year salary for students in his or her classification. Department and College representatives are encouraged to consult with the Graduate School Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Student Services regarding the need for advanced approval for particularly high and/or complex summer appointments.
Research Assistants
A research assistant (RA) is a UWM graduate student working toward a master's or Ph.D. degree. An appointment as an RA is appropriate if the activity performed by the RA is primarily for the benefit of the student's course of study and directly applicable to the student's research, thesis, or dissertation. An RA may be supported by federal research funds if it can be documented that the objectives of the sponsored research project providing the funding can be accomplished within the RA's established academic program. Tasks that are irrelevant or unnecessary to the student's academic program or repetitive beyond that necessary to achieve excellence in the activity are not appropriate for RA appointees.
An RA is required to register for a full load of graduate courses and research. A maximum RA stipend is established annually on an institution-wide basis, although the amount of each individual stipend may vary, depending on the appointment percentage. RA appointments for a stipend equivalent to an appointment of less than 33% are not permitted. RA appointments for a stipend equivalent to an appointment of greater than 50% require approval of the Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Programs and Student Services. Appointments for a stipend equivalent to an appointment at greater than 75% are not permitted.
RA appointments may not be combined with TA or PA appointments.
The degree of supervision of RAs is limited to that which normally exists between a teacher and student.
Appointment Of Research Assistants
The completion of an Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) form is not required for RAs; RAs are not considered employees and are not governed by the MGAA contract.
Credit Loads
- RAs must enroll for and complete a full load of graduate courses each semester of their appointment. A full load is 8-12 graduate credits (not including audit courses).
- While preparing to take doctoral preliminary examinations, an RA may enroll for 1 graduate credit for one semester only. This option requires Graduate School approval before the beginning of the semester. To request this exemption, submit the Assistant Justification form. You must have already submitted the Application for the Doctoral Preliminary Examination to the Graduate School.
- An RA who has achieved dissertator status must enroll each semester for 3 graduate credits at the current per-credit dissertator rate.
- RAs who do not maintain the minimum credit requirements lose eligibility for an assistantship and tuition remission in the next academic term.
- To be eligible for tuition remission in the summer, an RA must have a summer appointment with a stipend equivalent to an appointment of 33% and register for 2 graduate credits (3 credits if a dissertator).
Length of Appointment
The graduate program unit may set a maximum length of time for reappointments.
Appointment Basis
RAs are appointed on one of the following bases:
Academic-year appointment
This is a 9-month appointment and consists of the fall semester (4-1/2 months) and the spring semester (4-1/2 months).
Annual appointment
This is a 12-month appointment which begins on July 1 (the beginning of the fiscal year) and ends June 30 (the end of the fiscal year).
Stipends
Stipends for RAs are set annually by the University Administration. Stipends are reported on an IRS Form W-2 earnings statement. Income tax, but not Social Security tax, will be withheld. Appointees may be able to deduct the cost of tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment on their annual tax return; a tax expert should be consulted. For non-resident aliens, the full stipend is subject to income tax withholding. View the complete assistantship salary schedule.
Appointments for a stipend equivalent to an appointment of more than 50% are permitted only under exceptional circumstances and with the advance approval of the Graduate School. To request approval, the appointing department chair or graduate program unit director must submit a Personnel Action Form and the Assistant Justification form to the Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Programs and Student Services, before the beginning of the appointment period.
RA appointments for a stipend equivalent to an appointment less than 33% or greater than 75% are not permitted for graduate students.
Summer Appointments
Credits
Students holding an RA appointment during the summer session must enroll for and complete a minimum of 2 graduate credits; 3 credits if a dissertator.
Stipend Basis and Terms
Academic-Year Basis: This is a four-week or an eight-week appointment, and the stipend for an academic-year basis summer appointment is based on the stipend established for the preceding academic year ending June 30.
Annual Basis: This is a 2-month appointment for the purpose of continuing appointments on an annual basis, or for new appointments, and is generally for the months of June and July or July and August.
The stipend for the months of July and August for continuing or new annual-basis appointments is at the new stipend established for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
Percentage and Length of Appointment
Summer appointments for stipends equivalent to an appointment of more than 50% are permitted only under exceptional circumstances and must have the advance approval of the Graduate School Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Programs and Student Services.
Summer appointments for stipends equivalent to an appointment of more than 75%, including concurrent RA appointments, are not permitted.
Summer appointments of 12 weeks or three months at a stipend equivalent to an appointment of between 33% and 50% are permitted without Graduate School approval.
Graduate Assistants with Senior-Graduate Status
If a student with senior-graduate status is appointed to a teaching or project assistantship during the one semester of concurrent registration, the student is treated as a graduate student with regard to salary/stipend levels and eligibility for benefits. The student also is awarded the same salary/stipend as a graduate student and is eligible for a non-resident tuition remission and appropriate insurance benefits.
Fee Payment
RAs can arrange for the payment of mandatory fees with a three-installment-per-term deduction plan. A Graduate Assistant and Fellowship Certification and Payroll Deduction Authorization form should be submitted to the Bursar's Office, Mitchell Hall, Room 285. Subsequent fee assessment charges do not change the deduction (Additional assessments are to be paid by the student). Specific procedures are announced each term by the Bursar's Office. This information can be found at http://www.bfs.uwm.edu/fees. This deduction plan does not apply to the summer term.
Health Insurance and Other Insurance Options
If you have at least a one-semester or six-month, 33% appointment as a graduate assistant (TA, PA, or RA), you may be eligible for health or other benefits.
If you are interested in applying for health insurance or other fringe benefits, you must call the Benefits Office at 229-4925 within 30 days of your first contractual day in your initial UWM appointment.
International students must have health and accident insurance. To apply for health insurance through UWM, contact the Benefits Office. ISSS will require a copy of your completed health insurance application.