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Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships

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Graduate Scholarships

Thank you for your interest in the Graduate Assistantship positions at St. John’s University. 

A limited number of Graduate Assistantships and University Fellowships are granted to various academic departments within each school and college of the University. Graduate Assistantships are also available in administrative departments. Below are the current available Assistantship/Fellowship opportunities listed by department. Please note, to be considered for a GA or Fellowship position, new students should first apply through the application portal, and continuing students should apply via the form below. Then, you can view open positions via Handshake using the instructions below:

  • Students who are currently enrolled in a graduate program at St. John's University should apply to each individual position via the Handshake app chiclet found in the St. John's Signon dashboard.
  • Students who are currently enrolled in a combined degree program at St. John's University, should apply to each individual position via the Handshake app chiclet found in the St. John's Signon dashboard. 
  • New students with a stjohns.edu email address can register for Handshake online.
  • Students not currently enrolled at St. John's University can create a Handshake profile online.
  • Please note, when searching for employment opportunities at St. John's University, apply the following filters:
    • Employer: St. John's University
    • Job Type: Fellowship

Graduate Assistantships and Doctoral Fellows Forms

Academic Criteria

Awards are given on the basis of academic merit. Applicants for Doctoral Fellowships and Graduate Assistantships are only expected to submit GRE or GMAT scores if they are required to do so within their primary department of study.

All awardees are expected to have an undergraduate overall GPA of at least 3.20. Graduate Assistants will be expected to show evidence of a 3.20 GPA or above in any previous graduate work. Doctoral Fellows will be expected to show evidence of 3.5 GPA or above in any previous graduate work. Graduate Assistants who do not maintain these minimum GPAs will not be eligible to keep their assistantships.

The Graduate Admissions Assistance Program (GAAP) oversees graduate student applications to external scholarships. The staff of the GAAP Office will assist you in determining your eligibility for scholarships and in completing the application process. In addition to our regular Graduate Assistantships and Doctoral Fellowships, several additional scholarships are available including the Pope Paul VI Scholarship Program and the Catholic School Teacher Scholarship.

Graduate Assistantship and Doctoral Fellows Position Descriptions

There are two main types of academic graduate assistantships available: Graduate Assistantships for master’s students, and Doctoral Fellows for doctoral students. Students must be enrolled in a program of study affiliated with the department or program offering the assistantship. The number of Graduate Assistantships and Doctoral Fellowships may vary from year to year.  

Graduate Assistantships

There are two types of Graduate Assistantships. The first type of Graduate Assistantship is an academic assistantship. Graduate Assistants with academic assistantships are assigned to their home departments and are expected to assist in teaching and/or to conduct research within their disciplines. Academic Graduate Assistants work up to 20 hours per week. Teaching duties cannot include being the instructor of record. It is recommended that Academic Graduate Assistants should devote on average up to 5 hours per week engaged in assisting in the teaching or mentoring of students.

The other type of Graduate Assistantship is a non-academic assistantship. Graduate Assistants with non-academic assistantships are assigned to offices throughout the University and are not directly affiliated with their home departments. Non-Academic Graduate Assistants are not expected to teach or conduct research, but their learning experiences should have relevance to their fields of study. Non-Academic Graduate Assistants are expected to work up to 20 hours per week for an administrator and are not expected to engage in the assistance of teaching or mentoring of students.

Both master’s and doctoral students are eligible for Graduate Assistantship positions.

Doctoral Fellowships

Doctoral Fellowships are awarded to doctoral students only; these fellowships reside only in academic departments, with the exception of the Institute for Writing Studies (See “Other Program Descriptions,” below). Doctoral Fellows conduct research and may teach. Teaching activities might include lab supervision, serving as instructor of record for select undergraduate courses, or tutoring students. Research must be confined to the needs of the program, faculty, or student.  Doctoral Fellows work up to 20 hours per week. It is recommended that Doctoral Fellows should devote on average up to 5 hours per week engaged in the teaching or mentoring of students.

Other Graduate Assistantships (Non-Academic)

Other types of Graduate Assistantships are assigned to non-academic departments throughout the University, which are not directly affiliated with the student’s home department. These Graduate Assistantships do not require teaching or research in an academic discipline but administrative Graduate Assistants are expected to work up to 20 hours per week for an administrative unit. 

Assistantship/Fellowship Opportunities

Job Title: Athletic Compliance, Graduate Assistant

Job Description: The Athletic Compliance Graduate Assistant primary responsibilities are:

  1. Annually prepare the data entry of the Academic Progress Rate report (APR) into the NCAA system for submission with the Associate Athletic Director for Compliance to the NCAA.
  2. Assist the Associate Athletic Director for Compliance with preparing the Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) and Graduation Success Rate (GSR) Reports annually for submission to the NCAA.
  3. Responsible for assigning senior athlete exit interviews through Teamworks for an annual overall exit interview survey report.
  4. Assist the Associate Athletic Director for Compliance with preparing the NCAA Sport Sponsorship and Demographic Report annually for submission to the NCAA.

For more information and/or to apply, please visit Handshake.

Job Title: Graduate Assistant - Mission Assessment

Job Description: ​The Graduate Assistant for Mission Assessment will be able to utilize research and statistical analysis skills learned through their coursework to evaluate the impact of Mission programs on the campus community and external community partners.

Responsibilities include:

DATA GATHERING: Assist in the data collection and data cleaning process; assist with creating and updating resources related to data collection (e.g., evaluations and surveys); input data into various platforms (e.g., Qualtrics, GivePulse, Formstack).  

DATA ANALYSIS: Assist in the development of statistical models to evaluate the outcomes of Mission sector programs.

REPORTING:  Run data reports and audit data platforms’ usage for the Mission sector; synthesize collected survey data and present in reports (e.g., written, graphics); assist in assessing campus-wide awareness, knowledge, and usage of the GivePulse platform.

RESEARCH & TRAINING: Support the campus community’s usage of GivePulse by facilitating trainings, workshops, and hosting Open Office Hours; assist in identifying relevant research articles and independent studies related to (but not limited to): retention and persistence, community engagement and impact on student success.

For more information and/or to apply, please visit Handshake.

Job Title: Graduate Assistant for Media Relations

Job Description: This position reports directly to the Director of Media Relations. This person should be an outgoing, energetic, and creative student who is a clear self-starter. The ideal candidate should want to develop skills and training in the field of public relations, media relations, marketing, broadcast, or print journalism. The graduate assistant will also have the opportunity to promote events and work with the media in a fast-paced environment. The Graduate Assistant will gain a wealth of real-world experience that can be applied to the business world. 

For more information and/or to apply, please visit Handshake.

Job Title: Graduate Assistant for Pre-Enrollment/Special Programs

Job Description: Under the direction of the Associate Provost of Pre-Enrollment Programs, the Graduate Assistant will be responsible for supporting various aspects of multitude projects and initiatives within the Office of Pre-Enrollment/Special Programs in addition to supporting initiatives affiliated with larger unit of Enrollment Management. The position requires an array of skills, specifically: digital content creation, editing, digital design and event planning.

For more information and/or to apply, please visit Handshake.

Job Title: Graduate Assistant: Division of Computer Science Mathematics and Science

Job Description: The Graduate Assistantship in the Division of Computer Science, Mathematics and Science will work with faculty on research projects and take on the role of tutor for undergraduate students in the Division for computer science courses such as Java programming, data structures, and upper-level computer science courses. Applicants must have programming experience in Java and an undergraduate degree in Computer Science. This assistantship will give the GA the research experience to help with further studies and working as the tutor will help with leadership and reinforcement of skills needed in the work place.

For more information and/or to apply, please visit Handshake.

Job Title: Graduate Assistant - Division of Mass Communication - Institute for International Communication

Job Description: The Graduate Assistant will:

  • Assist in research support for faculty and doctoral students
  • Develop podcast for website of the Institute for International Communication
  • Engage in publicity of the graduate and doctoral programs and academic activities of the students and faculty 
  • Support student journal Scholarium – send out CFP, edit, etc.

For more information and/or to apply, please visit Handshake.

Job Title: Graduate Assistant: Division of Criminal Justice and Homeland Security

Job Description: The Graduate Assistant responsibilities include:

  1. Assist faculty in research projects to include co-authorship if research is published and co-presenting if accepted for conference presentation.
  2. Conduct research in connection with, and help administer the proposed Institute for Border Security & Intelligence Studies
  3. Help increase the Division’s social media presence, including developing and maintain a Linked In group for the Division to link alumni, faculty and current students

By engaging in faculty led research, the student will be able to apply the research knowledge and skills developed in their course work while also develop sought-after skills and expertise needed to develop organizational policies and plans.

For more information and/or to apply, please visit Handshake.

Job Title: Doctoral Fellowship - Division of Mass Communication - Institute for International Communication

Job Description: The Doctoral Fellow will:

  • Assist in research support for faculty and doctoral students
  • Assist Teaching
  • Engage in publicity of the graduate and doctoral programs and academic activities of the students and faculty
  • Support student journal Scholarium – send out CFP, edit, etc.

For more information and/or to apply, please visit Handshake.

Job Title: Graduate Assistant - Office of Assessment & Accreditation, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

Job Description: The graduate student assistant will provide ongoing support for the Office of Assessment, under the direction of the Executive Director of Assessment. Primary responsibilities include assisting with administration of computer-based testing platforms, data collection, data entry, and updating training material. The graduate student assistant will support the team in maintaining databases and timeline of activities.


For more information and/or to apply, please visit Handshake.

Job Title: Graduate Assistant for Education Specialties

Job Description: The Graduate Assistant will:

  1. Assist chair in department management, meetings, recruitment and research. 
  2. Research assistance for department/program faculty 
  3. Assist faculty in implementing Projects and Special Events 
  4. Manage Social Media and Outreach Activities  
  5. PD/Workshop/Teaching Facilitation

For more information and/or to apply, please visit Handshake.

Job Title: Doctoral Fellow, Department of Curriculum & Instruction

Job Description: In collaboration with the program coordinator, this Doctoral Fellow will support initiatives, events, and social media updates for the student and faculty experience as it relates to research and professional development in the department. Responsibilities include:

  1. Assist the program coordinator with collecting, entering, and organizing data
  2. Monitor and facilitate the social media presence on LinkedIn and Instagram
  3. Assist with program-related events in person or online.
  4. Assist the program coordinator in supporting student success initiatives (e.g. tutoring, mentoring, conferences/events, compiling student handbooks)
  5. Other department-related tasks as assigned

For more information and/or to apply, please visit Handshake.

Job Title: Graduate Assistant for the Undergraduate Division, School of Education

Job Description: We work with all undergraduate students in the School of Education. Services are advisement, meeting with parents and students, recruiting students, putting together events and running the events.  Helping students.

Responsibilities:

  1. Help oversee the office.
  2. Help oversee advisement.
  3. Help oversee student workers.
  4. Assist in planning events and running events.
  5. Assist students with any questions about their TEACH account, Degree Works, Workshops etc.

For more information and/or to apply, please visit Handshake.