Graduate assistant positions are part-time staff appointments to help promising students financially while they pursue advanced business degrees. Graduate assistants work a specific number of hours each week, usually anywhere from six to twenty hours. Cash stipends are awarded based on hours worked. Graduate assistants are also eligible for tuition scholarships.
Responsibilities vary with each assistantship.
Some work with faculty on research projects by reviewing literature in the library or by designing primary research surveys. They may actually collect data, code it, and perform statistical calculations with computer programs. Others perform administrative functions such as building a database or working on a promotional campaign. Still others may lead discussions or laboratory sessions, grade papers, proctor exams, or if qualified, teach undergraduate courses. The exact number of positions varies with each year's budget, but twenty has been a recent average.