Teaching Assistantships

The Geography Graduate Program offers a number of competitive teaching assistantships to students each year. These assistantships include both a stipend and a tuition waiver:

Stipend

$15,750/9 mo. for doctoral students
$13,350/9 mo. for masters students

Tuition Waiver

$5,612/year for residents of West Virginia
$16,270/year for out of state students

Teaching assistantships begin in the fall semester and are awarded annually. Up to two years of funding may be awarded to MA students, and up to three years for Ph.D. students. Ph.D. teaching assistants who meet all comprehensive exam and dissertation proposal deadlines, have made excellent progress towards the completion of their dissertation research, and have applied for at least one external research grant, may request an additional year of funding. Teaching assistants are evaluated at the end of each semester. Renewal of awards is based on performance with respect to both assistantship duties and academic progress. If you wish to apply for a teaching assistantship, send a letter indicating your interest to the Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Geography.

Research Assistantships

Research assistantships are half-time appointments in support of faculty research projects, with funding from research grants. Funding includes a competitive stipend and a tuition waiver. Usually, but not always, the research assignment is closely related to the student's thesis research. Research assistantships are awarded by the individual faculty members, and are not coordinated by the Geography program. Faculty sometimes select research assistants from the list of students who have recently applied to the program; however, applicants for research assistantships are encouraged to contact the faculty members with whom they are interested in working with to enquire about possible funding. Faculty may receive notice of a new project award at any time of the year, and therefore there are no deadlines for research assistantship applications.

Tuition Waivers

A number of competitive tuition waivers are also available to academically meritorious students who do not receive assistantships. These waivers pay the cost of your tuition, whether you are in-state or out-of-state. The number of hours awarded varies each semester. If you wish to apply for a tuition waiver, send a letter to the Graduate Studies Coordinator expressing your interest. Application for tuition waivers must be made by March 15 for the summer and fall semesters, September 1 for the spring semester.

Other University Awards and Scholarships

West Virginia University has a number of scholarships that pay full tuition and provide a monthly stipend. These scholarships are highly competitive and are designed to attract outstanding students. The department deadline for application for these scholarships is January 15. Please contact the Geography Graduate Coordinator for more information about the scholarships described below:

DuBois Scholarship This scholarship is open to black graduate or professional students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Swiger Fellowships This scholarship is open to doctoral students who are U.S. citizens.

Provost Graduate Fellowship Program To attract high quality graduate students and to establish them early in their graduate programs, the Office of Graduate Education and Life provides fellowships to recruit tomorrow’s academic and professional leaders to West Virginia University.

The Graduate Enrichment Fellowship Program Recognizing the importance of diversity across the university community and curriculum, the Office of Graduate Education and Life provides the Enrichment Fellowship Program to foster diversity at West Virginia University.

The Dissertation Fellowship Program Support during the development of the written dissertation is critical to the timely completion of students’ graduate programs of study.

The WVU Advising Center offers a number of graduate assistantships for students who serve as advisors to undergraduates. These positions are generally only offered to students who graduated with undergraduate degrees from WVU or other US colleges and universities.