Assistantships

PAS Graduate Assistantships

DESCRIPTION OF ASSISTANTSHIP

To be eligible for an assistantship, applicants must be in good standing in the Master of Arts program in Pan-African Studies. Graduate assistants are expected to maintain a full-time graduate course load, work twenty-hours (20) per week in one of the programs/projects of the Department and make normal progress toward graduation. Assistantships will be awarded initially for one year, renewable for a second year. Present or prior service as a graduate assistant will not automatically insure renewal of appointment, but current or past assistants may apply for reappointment for one additional year. In very special circumstances a recipient may apply for an assistantship for a third year. All graduate assistants will be evaluated on their academic performance and job performance annually. Recipients will receive nine (9) hours of tuition remission per semester, a stipend paid in ten (10) equal installments for MAs and twelve (12) for doctoral candidates, beginning in August of the year of the appointment, plus medical insurance. Assistantships are provided so that students can focus fully on their academic performance and be responsible in meeting this objective.  They will be assigned to appropriate projects, supervisors and mentors to whom they must report, in addition to the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).  The same rules and policies apply to graduate assistants as they do for employees of the University of Louisville.

To download the online application for the PAS Graduate Assistantship, click here. Please note, this form is to be mailed directly to the department at the address indicated below.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION:

A combination of criteria will be used in selecting successful candidates. The criteria include but are not limited to the candidates’ academic qualifications (e.g., GPA, GRE scores), application letter and statement, letters of recommendations, and performance in a personal interview. Consideration will also be given to candidates’ skills and experiences in relation to the needs of the Department and its programs.

PROCEDURES FOR APPLICATION AND SELECTION:

In addition to the online application submitted to the Graduate School, applicants to the  graduate programs must also submit the following materials:

• A letter of application
• Official transcripts of undergraduate work and of any graduate work already completed
• Official GRE Scores
• (3) Letters of recommendation

The application letter must include: a statement from the student describing his or her academic achievements; skills and work experiences; academic strengths and weaknesses: professional goals; and reasons for pursuing graduate work in Pan-African Studies. At least two letters of recommendations must be from professors familiar with the candidate’s academic performance. Entering students may use their two admissions application letters of recommendations but will need a third letter which speaks to the student’s potential for success in advanced studies and research in Pan-African Studies. Continuing students must have at least one, and preferably more than one, letter(s) of recommendation from a faculty member at U of L certifying that the applicant is making reasonable progress toward the degree.

All application materials should be mailed to the following address: