APPLYING FOR DEPARTMENTAL TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA's) awarded by the Department of Communication Studies are competitively selected from among students accepted for admission by the Graduate School at The University of Alabama. Those students interested in applying for a GTA must complete the following two steps, by 1 March, to be considered eligible for the following academic year.

1. Officially apply for admission to graduate study with the Graduate School.
2. Be accepted into the Master of Arts program in the Department of Communication Studies.

How to Submit an Application

To be considered officially for a departmental assistantship, the student must write a letter of application for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship. It should be addressed accordingly:

Graduate Program Director
Department of Communication Studies
The University of Alabama
Box 870172
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0172

These assistantships all involve teaching responsibilities, so letters from applicants that indicate the applicant's experiences and/or interests in teaching speaking activities will be given preference.

Benefits and Responsibilities

GTA's are generally awarded for a single academic year, and the stipend is paid over a period of nine months. GTA's include a waiver of both in-state and out-of-state tuition.

Beginning M.A. candidates are only eligible for one of three positions:

1. Assisting in the Alabama Forensic Council, a nationally competitive forensic program, coaching in the area of individual events
2. Assisting in the Alabama Forensic Council, coaching in the area of debate
3. Assisting in the instruction of the department’s large enrollment courses:
   
   • COM 100, Rhetoric and Society
   • COM 101, Principles of Human Communication

Those interested in applying for either of the forensic assistantships should make inquiries directly to Dr. Frank Thompson, Director of Forensics.

Only M.A. candidates who have successfully completed 18 hours of study in the program are eligible to apply for one of three assistantships teaching COM 123, Public Speaking, under the general supervision of its coordinator, Dr. Mark Nelson.

All students holding GTA’s with the department must be working toward their M.A. degree, taking 6-9 credit hours per semester, and maintaining a B average, or better, in their course work.

Further Information

To inquire about the graduate admissions process, please refer the information provided by the Graduate School of The University of Alabama.

To address any other questions about the nature of the Master of Arts Program in Communication Studies, please feel free to write to the Graduate Program Director or to call the department office, 205-348-5995, for assistance.