Students do not have to apply separately for departmental assistantships. We assume that most, if not all graduate students are interested in funding.

The Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology will nominate students for assistantships during the review process. The top 100 applicants will be interviewed during a daylong open house. The interview will be for both admittance into the program and for assistantships.

Following the interview, the Department, within their admittance letters, will notify students whether they are being offered an assistantship, on a waiting list for an assistantship or being offered admittance only, without an assistantship.

Over the past 2 years, approximately 80% of our students have received some type of assistantship/fellowship funding for at least one year of their graduate studies.

Departmental Assistantship Opportunities

The number of departmental assistantships that we are able to offer is determined annually by the College of Arts and Sciences. Please see the information below about financial support and work responsibilities. 

• The assistantship is either a 25% or 50% award. This would include either a 25% or 50% tuition waiver for two semesters.
• The assistantship also includes a monthly stipend.
• The assistantships are only offered on an annual basis and are not automatically renewed for the second year of study.
• Responsibilities accompanying the assistantships will include 5 (25% award) or 10 (50% award) hours of work per week. Typically, a student is paired with a faculty member(s) to assist with research, teaching responsibilities, or administrative duties. Specific assistantships will require special skills or particular strengths, including:
  • Students with specialty skills in sign language who will serve as teaching assistants (TA)
  • Clinic/materials room assistantship requires strong organizational and administrative abilities. Students will be responsible for managing and maintaining the material/supply room in the MU clinic, scheduling preschool screenings, and other administrative tasks.
  • Students who have an interest in traumatic brain injuries (TBI) will work in partnership with Miami athletics to assess student athletes, who experience TBI during competition or practice. Responsibilities include assessment of concussed athletes, data collection, data management and organization.

First-Year Non-Departmental Assistantship Opportunities

Non-departmental assistantships that allow for flexible scheduling and have been a good fit for past Speech Pathology graduate students are listed below. Please be aware, other departments not listed below may also have assistantships for which you can apply. However, recipients' schedules may be more rigid and may not be the best fit for everyone. You can search for additional departments by typing "graduate assistantships" into the search box on the home page of Miami University's website.

Rinella Learning Center

Qualifications vary depending on area but generally require good organizational skills, computer skills, and the ability to supervise undergraduate students while working cooperatively with staff of the Rinella Learning Center. Interest in teaching large and small groups is desired.

Second Year Assistantships/Awards

During the 2nd year of the program, most students will be completing a full-time externship during their second semester that will be off-campus at a school. However, many students have found that they are able to hold a part-time job.

Some students will be offered a departmental graduate assistantship for their second year, particularly if the student has advanced skills (i.e., American Sign Language). 

The Grant-in-Aid Program, which offers combined merit and need based assistantships, will provide a tuition/fee waiver (at 87%). No stipends are awarded as part of this program.

Specialty Graduate School Awards

Select students will be nominated by the Department to compete for University-wide awards after the interviews and application reviews. Students will be notified during the review process by the Department if they receive one or more of the awards listed below.

Graduate Student Scholarship Assistantship (GSSA)

Students are nominated during the application process based on undergraduate research skills and an expectation of completing a thesis (i.e. those wishing to obtain a MA).

McNair Scholar Awards

The Graduate School will also offer a McNair Fellows Assistantship Program, which will extend the prestige of the federally funded undergraduate McNair Scholarship to the graduate level.

Diversity Enhancement Program (DEP) Awards

This program provides financial, cultural, and social support to graduate students of color and underrepresented populations. Financial support is in the form of graduate assistantships. Graduate assistantships carry stipends that vary in amount by department, remission of instructional fee and out-of-state tuition, half of the general fees and summer scholarships.