EIU Master of Business Administration

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS: AN OVERVIEW

(Available After You Completed Your First Semester)

Would you like to work closely with one or more of the distinguished faculty at EIU, gaining invaluable professional references?

What if you were paid a monthly stipend and given a tuition waiver in the process?

That is what a graduate assistantship as an MBA candidate in EIU's School of Business can offer you!

A GA in EIU's School of Business is assigned to work with faculty members based on the student's skills, expertise, experience, and future goals. The selection process is, no doubt, a competitive one, but the benefits of being selected are tremendous.

Graduate assistantship applications can be sent with the application for admission. 

GA’s tasks in general:

• Research Support Responsibilities may include:

Assisting faculty in conducting data collection, entering of data and data analysis, obtaining and summarizing literature for faculty research, preparing research presentations, or conducting a collaborative study with a faculty member.

• Teaching Support Responsibilities may include:

Provide assistance in the classroom of undergraduate courses, grading or proctoring exams of undergraduate courses and providing tutoring or supplemental instruction of undergraduate courses.

• Service Support Responsibilities may include:

Technical support by assisting with classroom computers and laptops, providing support to faculty in short-term or long-term projects, and assisting in the recruitment of prospective MBA students.

BENEFITS OF A GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIP

There are many benefits to having a graduate assistantship:

• Monthly Stipend Fall and/or Spring semester
• Tuition Waiver of up to 4 classes Fall or Spring semester and 3 classes in the summer semester. The scholarship waives tuition only. Payment of applicable fees is the responsibility of the graduate assistant. Please note that the tuition waiver may not be applied to some courses offered through the School of Extended Learning and study abroad courses.
• Working up to 18 hours per week
• Flexible work schedules
• Opportunity to gain experience while working closely with distinguished faculty. (GA's provide teaching support, research support, and service support (most GA positions are a combination of at least two of the three)
• 24/7 access to the MBA graduate assistant office and resources in Lumpkin Hall

How to Apply:

Only MBA students are eligible to apply for a GA position in the MBA program. MBA students who are interested in applying for a GA position must have completed their first semester in the MBA program, which means that an incoming MBA student is NOT eligible for a Graduate Assistantship.

The GA positions are awarded based on applicants' GPA in their first semester and their on-campus activities.

Factors that influence selection for a GA position include undergraduate/graduate academic record, GMAT/GRE or other test scores, professional work experience, references, personal qualities and background, statement of goals, and MBA program need.

GA positions at EIU are typically awarded for a period of nine (9) months and usually begin in the fall semester. It's important to understand that securing a GA for one year does not guarantee that your GA will be renewed for the following academic year.

We hope that this information provides clarity and guidance on the graduate assistantship application process at EIU.

For more detail information read the Graduate Assistant Handbook.