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M.S. Graduate Assistantships and other Financial Help
The UNC Charlotte Department of Geography and Earth Science MS Program
currently offers three principle types of financial support for
full-time graduate students - assistantships, internships and tuition
fee waivers. The Department of Geography and Earth Science at UNC
Charlotte 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 much like a part-time job for the student. As
we try to find work settings that fit the student's academic interest,
these assistantships can also offer valuable training opportunities
and work experience. The nature of a research assistantship depends
entirely on the needs of the supervising faculty member. Teaching
assistantships are assigned on the basis of the student's academic
background.
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 is
expected to work 20 hours per week. The Department makes every effort
to provide funding to every full-time student in the program.
Internships
Charlotte is located within short driving distance of classic geologic
features including pristine barrier islands and the impressive relief
of the Blue Ridge Escarpment and the Great Smoky Mountains. Continued
growth in the Charlotte region has also resulted in numerous student
opportunities for environmental, mining and water-resources research.
Students can pursue research experiences that are appropriate to
departmental faculty resources, individual student's programs, and
the availability of opportunities that exist to work with allied
agencies or clients on or off campus. One of three options will
be available:
1) a nine credit hour traditional academic thesis;
2) a nine credit hour research experience which involves either
a paid or unpaid internship arranged with a public or private agency
or client; or
3) two research projects of 3 to 6 credit hours each. The research
projects will be supervised by individual faculty members and will
total a minimum of 9 credit hours. Each of these options fulfills
program requirements equally. In all cases, students must
work closely with their advisor and program committee to choose
the option which best fits both their particular program and prevailing
circumstances.
Thesis Option: The thesis option allows the student to
pursue a single research problem in an area of his/her individual
interest. Students who ultimately plan to pursue a Ph.D. degree
might be more inclined and encouraged toward that option. The same
is true of students who wish to complete their master's program
with that kind of individual research activity. Completion of the
thesis includes adhering to the requirements of the UNC Charlotte
Graduate School as well as the requirements of the Department of
Geography and Earth Sciences.
Internship Option: Students may opt to complete
a research option that involves working on an applied project as
an intern for a consulting firm or a government agency. Not every
student can expect to engage in a paid internship because the number
of students frequently exceeds a matching number of opportunities
funded in that manner. Unpaid internships provide the same caliber
of experience and training in an applied environment. In some cases,
that experience may link students with non-profit agencies that
simply do not have the resources to fund an internship. In either
case, the topic of the internship is defined by the client's problem
or needs.
Directed Research Option: Students may choose to
complete two faculty directed research projects, usually one three
credit and one six credit project. These research projects must
be based in at least two of the three program concentrations (i.e.
Solid Earth, Climatology and Hydrology, and Environmental Systems
Analysis). See the Earth Sciences Graduate Handbook for more details.
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. In order to be considered for financial
aid, applications should be complete and received before February
1 for the fall semester. All other applications must be received
by university deadlines. For entry in the spring semester applications
should be submitted by September 1. 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. Craig Allan
to explore admissions and funding opportunities.
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