Graduate Assistantships

Assistantship Philosophy

Beginning in 2005, all full-time students in the College Student Affairs (CSA) program at Penn State University were required to have graduate assistantships in student affairs or related areas within the University. CSA faculty members made this change in recognition of 1) the professional nature of the CSA degree and 2) the vital importance of practical training in CSA professional preparation. The faculty operate under the assumption that classroom education is only half the necessary training for a CSA graduate student—practical education in the form of significant and sustained professional experience is also imperative.

This philosophy places the graduate assistantship experience directly within the "curriculum" of our graduate program. As such, we encourage assistantship supervisors to view graduate assistantships as educational experiences. While CSA students should be held accountable for professional expectations in their graduate assistantships, supervisors should also recognize these students are learning, often assuming a professional role for the first time in their careers. We encourage supervisors to consider themselves as teachers in the assistantship experience. Expectations for supervisors include 1) being familiar with the CSA Learning Outcomes, 2) intentionally designing opportunities for students to gain competency in those outcomes, and 3) providing constructive feedback for students throughout the assistantship.

Graduate Assistantships—General Information

All students accepted for full-time admission to the College Student Affairs program are required to hold a Graduate Assistantship (GA), typically within The Division of Student Affairs at Penn State. Positions include a salary based on hours worked each week, full tuition, and student health insurance. (Individuals who are currently working in student affairs or student affairs-related positions may be admitted to the CSA program on a part-time basis.)

Applicants to the College Student Affairs program are automatically entered into a pool and need not submit a separate application for an assistantship. Those invited to Interview Day will have an opportunity to meet and interview with potential assistantship site supervisors.

Position Descriptions

The following is a list of offices which are funded to support Graduate Assistants.

PLEASE NOTE: Because only some of these positions represent openings in any given academic year, we discourage applicants from contacting these offices directly. Applicants invited to Interview Weekend will be provided a list of open assistantships and recommended procedures for communicating with offices.