There are a limited number of assistantships, primarily in the form of Teaching Assistantships (TA’s), which are department funded, and Research Assistantships (RA’s), which are grant funded. The number of assistantships varies from year to year, but there are more available beginning in the fall semester than in the spring semester. Assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis using GPA, GRE scores, and letters of recommendation. Most TA’s are assigned to teach in freshman or sophomore level laboratory sections with 3 two hour sections or 2 three hour sections per week. International applicants whose native language is not English must submit an acceptable score (45 or higher) on the Test of Spoken English (TSE), a minimum score of 23 on the speaking portion of the TOEFL iBT exam, or a minimum score of 7 on the speaking portion of the IELTS exam before being considered for a Teaching Assistantship. It is essential to apply early. You should have your application materials submitted by 15 Feb., if you wish to be competitive for the following fall semester.