PhD in Communication Financial aid at North Carolina State University
Thursday, March 26th, 2009Financial aid
Teaching Assistantships
The CRDM Program offers six to eight Teaching Assistantships each year to newly admitted students, with a stipend of $14,500 and payment of health insurance and tuition (but not fees, which the student must pay; see Cashier’s Office for current fees). Some appointments for Research Assistantships may also be available. The financial support, through the Graduate Student Support Plan, requires the student to be registered for 9 credit hours each semester. Teaching Assistants in the doctoral program are eligible for the tuition support and health insurance for a maximum of eight semesters.
Duties for Teaching Assistants will be assigned by the director of the program in which they work, usually the First-Year Writing Program, the Professional Writing Program, the Campus Writing and Speaking Program, or the Basic Course in the Department of Communication. Other teaching assignments may be given to advanced students. Work assignments are 8-9 credit hours or approximately 20 hours a week.
NC State’s regional accrediting association requires that Teaching assistants have 18 credit hours of graduate coursework in the department in which they teach in order to be given responsibility for their own course. TAs who do not meet this requirement will be assigned other duties until they have enough coursework. TAs may also be required to take a training course to prepare them for a specific teaching assignment (this course usually fulfills the Professional Preparation requirement).
Research Assistantships
Faculty may have grant support for their research projects, and such grants may include support for a graduate Research Assistant. A Research Assistantship pays a stipend determined by the sponsoring faculty member or the granting organization and also provides payment of health insurance and tuition through the Graduate Student Support Plan. Fulltime RAships require the student to be registered for 9 credits each semester. Like TAs, RAs are eligible for tuition support and health insurance for a maximum of eight semesters.
The availability of RAships will vary from year to year. Applicants who indicate interest on their application forms by checking the “Research Assistantship” box will be contacted by the sponsoring faculty member or by the Director of the CRDM Program if they are eligible for any available RA positions.
SAS Institute Research Assistant: The SAS Institute Distinguished Professor of Rhetoric and Technical Communication provides support for one or more Research Assistantships each year, with a stipend matching that of TAs, along with tuition support and health insurance provided by the Graduate Student Support Plan. RAs will provide support for the Professor’s ongoing research and have the opportunity to develop their own related research projects. Contact Dr. Carolyn R. Miller, SAS Professor.
Digital Libraries Intern: The NCSU Libraries supports one CRDM student each year to work with library staff on projects to support the instructional and research mission of the library. The library is a leader in digital library services and has a staff of innovative professionals who are actively interested in supporting student learning and faculty research.
PCOST (Public Communication of Science and Technology): PCOST supports research on the factors that affect the public perception and acceptance of scientific and technological developments in the 21st century. One current project is the Nanotechnology Interdisciplinary Research Team (NIRT), exploring intuitive toxicology and risk perception associated with nanotechnology. Contact Dr. David Berube, Director.