Graduate Student Financial Support

TEACHING AND RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS

Most environmental sciences graduate students are supported through teaching assistantships (TAs), managed by the Department of Biological Sciences, or research assistantships (RAs), funded through research grants to faculty.

Assistantships are limited to 20 hours per week, which is considered as half-time employment. Nine-month stipends range from $14,000 for entering master's students and up to $19,000 for PhD candidates. In addition, out-of-state and international students who are supported at least one-half time are eligible for in-state tuition.

A limited number of Teaching Assistantships are available each semester, based on undergraduate enrollment within the Biological Sciences. The Scholarship Application and Teaching Assistant Information Form must be completed to be considered. NOTE: TA applications do require GRE scores. This form requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to be viewed. You can download Acrobat Reader. TA applications should be submitted to the Biology Department; instructions are on the forms. If you have any questions, please contact the Biology Department at Biology@unt.edu.

If you are interested in a Research Assistantship, you should check with your major professor concerning availability.

All students who request either an RA or a TA are required to attend an orientation at the beginning of their first semester on campus. International students are required to pass the Test of Spoken English "Speak Test" in order to be eligible for a Teaching Assistantship. If you do not take the Test of Spoken English, you will not be eligible for consideration for a TA until the next offering of the test during the next semester. It is very important to arrange your arrival so that you are in Denton early enough to attend the orientation and take the Test of Spoken English. The test is usually during the first part of the week before classes begin.

FELLOWSHIPS

There are a limited number of scholarships and fellowships offered through the Department of Biological Sciences and the Toulouse Graduate School. A list of available awards is on the TSGS website at Fellowships, Scholarships, Grants & Awards.

These awards are usually available for applicants wishing to start in the Fall semesters. If you are interested in these, you should make note that application deadlines are very early, often in early February. It is strongly suggested that you begin your application process 2-3 months before this deadline to make sure that your application is in order in time to apply. Most scholarship and fellowships will require separate applications and separate letters of recommendation. If you are interested, please make sure to indicate this to your major professor once accepted in order to learn about the requirements and forms.

HOW TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Students can find more information about UNT financial support options by contacting the Financial Aid Office.

Contact the the Student and Program Coordinator in the Biology Advising Office at 940-565-3627 for further information about Departmental financial support.

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

You may work in a job related to your major through the UNT Career Center. More than 4,000 employers work with the office to provide excellent learning opportunities and real-world work experience.

Internships can last for one full semester or summer. Co-op employers pay extremely well, and the jobs usually last several semesters, often until graduation. Some of these opportunities may become full-time positions upon graduation.

Learn more about Internship Opportunities at the UNT Career Center.