African Studies offers funding in the form of a limited number of Graduate Assistantship (GA) and Associate Instructor (AI) positions. These student academic appointments (SAAs) require a 20-hour per week employment commitment throughout each of the Fall and Spring semesters (including exam weeks). These awards are contingent upon receipt of funds from the U.S. Department of Education and/or instructional needs in the Hamilton Lugar School and African Studies.
Eligibility: Must be a graduate student in the African Studies program (pursuing an MA or the PhD Minor). Incoming student applicants are not as competitive for graduate assistantships as returning students unless they have had significant previous experience.
Position announcements are usually the semester before need of coverage. Positions are announced through the weekly African Studies News + Events bulletin.
Areas of coverage include: assisting in the teaching of specific African languages, grader for large lecture courses, outreach assistance, managing editor for the academic journal Africa Today, assistant to special projects such as Windows to the World online education resource or Plant Resources of Tropical Africa (PROTA) database.
Students are also encouraged to apply for scholarships and awards both in the program and across IU Bloomington.
Award: Stipend of $15,750, a College of Arts and Sciences fee remission towards 30 hours of College of Arts and Sciences credit per year, and health insurance.
Application: Applications must include:
- Graduate assistantship application.
- Three letters of recommendation. Two new recommendations should address the student’s abilities to meet the demand of the assistantship. The remaining reference may be one already on file if written by an IU faculty member within the last 18 months.
- Current transcript of IU graduate work (may be obtained from your home department graduate secretary. OneStart transcripts are acceptable).
- Current CV/resume.
- Statement of 1,000 words or less, describing educational goals, career interests and plans.
- Writing sample, 350-500 words in length.
Applications are available online.
Application deadline is March 1.
Applicants for GA positions may be contacted to arrange for an interview with the African Studies senior staff.