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M.A. Graduate Assistantships and other Financial Help
The UNC Charlotte Department of Geography MA Program currently offers
three principle types of financial support for full-time graduate
students assistantships, internships and tuition fee waivers. The
Department of Geography at UNCC makes a formal distinction between
assistantships and internships and some of the differences in these
two options are outlined below A limited number of students receive
tuition fee waivers in addition to their assistantships or internships.
Assistantships
Assistantships are more like a part-time job for the student. Since
we try to find work settings that fit the student's academic interest,
these "jobs or assistantships" can also offer valuable
training opportunities and work experience. The nature of the work
will depend entirely on the needs of the client and the training
and background of the student. UNCC faculty are seldom involved
in directing the student working in an assistantship. The student,
in effect, works for the client.
Graduate assistantships are arranged for either one entire semester
or for an entire academic year (2 semesters or 9 months). They are
normally scheduled for 16 weeks per semester and the student works
20 hours per week.
The student's final work schedule is a matter of juggling needs
of the client and the student's class schedule. The only extra consideration
we like to give our students is that they are able to take semester
breaks. Normally we try to give our off-campus students the same
days off as those working on campus receive. It makes them happier
people.
Regardless of the breaks, the student is still responsible for completing
the 20 hours per week for 16 weeks. Assistantships are funded at
the rate of $4,500 per semester or $9,000 per academic year. In
recent years virtually every full-time graduate student accepted
into the Geography Program has received some type of assistantship.
In the past four semesters somewhere between 30-35 students per
semester have worked on assistantships.
Internships
The MA in Geography at UNC Charlotte emphasizes the application
of skills, methods and theory to problem solving. Given this focus,
the Internship often is a critical, capstone element of many student's
programs. The Internship normally replaces the traditional thesis
as the capstone project of a graduate program. As such, the nature
of internship tasks normally involve the students in a higher level
of independent, problem solving than the normal assistantship might.
Assistantships are more like part-time jobs. Internships are somewhat
like consulting contracts for students in their final semester.
An internship project normally involves a student in the execution
of a substantive research task for a private or public sector client.
While a research project always involves some oversight and direction
from UNC Charlotte faculty and the client, the student is the primary
investigator and has the major responsibility for a specific "real
world" research task or research question.
Internships may involve work executed within the client's work setting
requiring the intern to report for work at pre-established schedule
or they may be less structured and more task oriented. The type
of work setting will depend entirely on the client preference and
the nature of the internship problem or task.
Internships normally last 3 to 5 months. In the Internship the student
can work more than 20 hours per week. The student normally is paid
somewhere between $1,200 and $2,000 per month depending on the nature
of the task undertaken and the estimated time involved. The student
can be paid directly by the client or the client may contract with
the university to pay the student.
Normally somewhere between 8-10 students are involved in internships
at any given time. Some students opt for more traditional, thesis
style capstones to their academic program.
Given the applied thrust of the Department it is our intent to have
as many graduate students as possible complete an internship--either
funded or unfunded. However, for a variety of reasons it may not
always be possible or advisable to arrange an internship. It may
be in the best interests of the student, given individual career
goals and program interests, to complete a thesis; it may not be
possible to locate a sponsor whose needs fit the interests of the
student; a student's advisor may recommend against placing a student
in an internship; a special situation may not allow a student to
be employed.
Tuition Fee Waivers
Currently UNC Charlotte offers a limited number of tuition fee waivers.
In the fall semester of 1998 a North Carolina resident would have
paid approximately $900 in tuition and fees for a full time academic
load of 9 semester hours or more. A student who was not a resident
would have paid approximately $4,500 for the same 9 semester hour
schedule.
Since there are relatively few tuition waivers available at UNC
Charlotte, students who receive them are normally among the top
students in our program. Fewer than 10 graduate students receive
any time of tuition waiver each year. A comparable figure for assistantship
and internships is would be 30-40 per semester.
Applying for Funding
Prospective graduate students who are interested in applying for
funding can obtain applications from the Department of Geography
and Earth Sciences or the Graduate Studies Office of the University.
These application forms should be completed and returned with the
Graduate Application Packet to the Graduate Admissions Office as
early as possible prior to the semester for which the student has
applied for admission. Those planning to begin their work during
the fall semester should submit their applications before March
l, especially if they wish to be considered for funding; for entry
in the spring semester applications should be submitted by November
l. Only those students admitted to full standing are eligible for
funding, and anyone receiving funding must enroll for at least six
semester hours during each semester they hold the assistantship.
Because of the availability of non-traditional funding such as off
campus assistantships, grants and contract work, UNC normally is
able to offer funding fairly late in the summer. It is possible
that funding opportunities might be available as late as June or
July for those entering in the fall semester and December for the
spring semester. Thus even those applicants filing fairly late might
still be eligible for funding. Applicants are encouraged to call
Dr.Tyrel Moore to explore admissions and funding opportunities.
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