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Communication Assistantships, Scholarships and Financial Aid

Every year, the Department of Communication awards competitive assistantships to students who will teach or coach debate for about 20 hours per week while pursuing their master’s degree in communication. These assistantships are called assistantships. They include a tuition waiver—meaning, the student pays no tuition for graduate classes—and a stipend—meaning, a paycheck to help the student cover living expenses.

Most of our assistantships are for teaching. These are called graduate teaching assistantships. Teaching assistants serve as the stand-alone instructor for two sections of an introductory communication course each semester (e.g., COM 101). Sometimes we can also offer full or partial assistantships for assisting with our CMU debate team.

The tuition waiver covers up to 10 credit hours per semester (20 per year) over two years to complete the program —enough to cover the tuition expense associated with getting your masters.

How Do I Apply for a Graduate Assistantship?

The Graduate Teaching Assistant Application is separate from the online program application that you submit to the College of Graduate Studies. To complete the Department’s GTA Application, you will need the following:

    Step 1

    Complete paper application, which you may mail in hard copy or email an electronic copy to the Director of Graduate Studies. Access the document above.

    Step 2

    If you have not submitted transcripts with the online program application, please include official or unofficial transcripts with your GTA Application. [note: For anyone who's completed the program application, we already have these.]

    Step 3

    Two completed recommendation forms (found within the application document above). These may be mailed in hard copy or scanned and emailed.

    Step 4

    International students may also be asked to submit TOEFL scores if these were not already submitted with the online program application.

    The assistantship application deadline is March 15. Assistantships offered in the spring cover the coming fall-spring academic year. Assistantships can be renewed for a second academic year, pending good standing in the program and adequate performance as an instructor.

    Mail a copy of materials to:

    Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Communication

    333 Moore Hall

    Central Michigan University

    Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859