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Assistantships

In 2008-2009, full-time graduate tuition for Georgia residents is $2,861/semester and for out-of-state residents it is $11,439/semester. In addition, all students must pay a flat fee of about $600/semester.

FAQ: What sorts of assistantships are there and what do they involve?

The Philosophy Department offers, on a competitive basis, several types of fellowships, scholarships, and assistantships. All of them include a full waiver of tuition and subsidized health insurance. Each student granted a fellowship, scholarship, or assistantship, whether a resident or nonresident, pays only the flat fee mentioned in the previous paragraph.

The department offers lucrative fellowships and scholarships in each of its three areas of strength: Neurophilosophy, Legal and Political Philosophy, and Kant and post-Kantian German philosophy. These fellowships and scholarships each come with an annual stipend of $15,000. Applicants who wish to be considered should do the following: (i) send along a writing sample that's in the appropriate area, and (ii) check off in the on-line application that they wish to be considered for the particular fellowship or scholarship. Neurophilosophy Fellows have no teaching assistantship or research assistantship duties, and they are expected to enroll in the Neurophilosophy track of the graduate program. The Graduate Scholars in Legal and Political Philosophy and in Kant and post-Kantian German Philosophy receive a combination of fellowship (for the first two semesters) and assistantship (teaching Criticial Thinking in the following semesters).

Please note that the deadline for applying for one of these specialized 'area' aid slots is March 15: by this date we should have received all application materials.

We offer many more assistantships, in addition to our specialized 'area' fellowships and scholarships. Assistants typically receive a stipend of $4,000 to $10,000 per year. Assuming that they remain in good academic standing and make satisfactory academic progress,* students admitted with assistantships can usually expect to receive four semesters of stipend support. Support past this time is possible but should not be expected.  We consider for assistantships all applicants, but our initial round of admission and assistantship decisions are made considering all people those files are complete by March 15. People applying after this time are more likely to go initially onto our assistantship wait list.

While the specific tasks asked of assistants vary, what follows should provide some sense of what an assistant might expect to do:

  1. Some assistants work with professors doing such things as seeking research materials, proofreading, indexing books, and writing summaries of literature on a specific topic.
  2. Others proctor exams, help with grading, and sometimes attend undergraduate classes.
  3. Some assistants are the primary instructors of classes of Phil 1010, Critical Thinking.

Graduate students will become the primary instructors for Critical Thinking only after completing most of their coursework. Before teaching Critical Thnking, a student must have successfully completed Phil 8970 (Teaching Philosophy). In addition, every graduate student teacher will take Phil 8980 (Teaching Philosophy Practicum) during their first semester of teaching. Both Phil 8970 and 8980 are taught by the Coordinator of Graduate Teaching, and the philosophy department takes pride in the training and support it gives to its graduate student teachers.

FAQ: How do I apply for an assistantship?

There is no special application form. Students indicate in their electronic applications that they wish to be considered.

FAQ: When do assistants get paid?

On the last business day of the month. Note that the first paycheck of an academic year is paid on the last business day of September.

* Defintion of "in good academic standing and make satisfactory academic progress"

Students who are admitted to the M.A. program with aid are usually promised continued assistance for a period of time, contingent on remaining in good academic standing and making satisfactory academic progress. Meeting any of the conditions below will make a student subject to review by the department and may lead to discontinuation of an assistantship.

  1. Being on academic warning.
  2. Receiving a grade below B in a letter-graded graduate level philosophy course, or a U in an S/U - graded graduate level philosophy course.
  3. Having more than one I (Incomplete) in a graduate level philosophy course at the start of any semester.
  4. Having any Incompletes in a graduate level philosophy course that have been outstanding for more than one semester.
  5. Taking less than a full class load (9 credit hours, excluding Phil 8900-8999) each semester during the regular academic year prior to starting work on one's thesis (indicated by being enrolled in Phil 8999).

Note: Wherever the above policy refers to 'philosophy courses' it also includes any courses taken outside the philosophy department used towards the satifaction of the philosophy MA degree (e.g., courses for the B&B track).

"Letter-graded" classes in the above refers to classes which are graded on an A-F basis.