Research and Teaching Assistantships for Graduate Students

Most teaching and research assistants at Cornell receive a stipend, a full tuition fellowship, and health insurance through Cornell's Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP).

Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA)

A student whose research interest coincides with a supported research project may receive a graduate research assistantship, with the understanding that the dissertation research will contribute to the project. Because a student devotes considerable time to dissertation research, the time spent on research connected with the project is expected to be significant. GRAs may also be available during the summer for students who are working on their theses.

Teaching Assistantship (TA)

A teaching assistantship in the Mathematics Department involves teaching recitation sections in one of the basic calculus courses or grading papers for an advanced undergraduate course. Teaching assistants may work up to twenty hours a week but usually work about fifteen. Approximately one-fourth of all graduate students hold a teaching assistantship. For many years the field of Mathematics has been able to provide a Teaching Assistantship to all students entering without a fellowship award.

The International Teaching Assistant Program (ITAP) summer orientation is mandatory for international students. The program offers language, pedagogical, and cultural training and is required for all first-time international teaching assistants who come from countries where English is not the native language.

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Last modified:June 3, 2010