Graduate Assistantships
ANSC graduate students have opportunities to participate in both research and teaching; for those who wish to invest in these duties while they pursue their education, we offer a limited number of graduate assistantships each year. Assistantships provide students with a stipend, tuition remission for up to 10 credit hours per semester, and health insurance benefits. We appreciate our students commitment to the function of the department, and strongly encourage applicants to apply within the "best consideration" period for an opportunity to be awarded an assistantship.
Please note the following:
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Registration: Graduate students with assistantships must be registered for at least 24 units (review FAQs page) of coursework each Fall and Spring semester.
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Time Commitment: Your responsibilities will require an average of 20 hours per week.
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Work Expectations: Your services will be required during the entire period of your appointment, with the exception of official University holidays.
Students interested in being considered for a departmental assistantship should submit their application by the early application deadline in early January for Fall Term. Departmental assistantships include both research and teaching responsibilities.
International Teaching Assistants (ITAs) who are non-native speakers of English should have a speaking sub-score of 24 (iBT TOEFL), 7.5 (IELTS), or 76 (PTE) on their admission English proficiency exam. Sub-scores in other categories should meet the minimum requirement for Full Enrollment into the Graduate School. For more information about assistantships please visit the Graduate Catalog's Policies for Graduate Assistantships page.
Fall/Spring Assistantship
Note: Most of our students receive both a Fall/Spring (9.5 month) assistantship and a summer research stipend.
| Step | Stipend |
|---|---|
|
Step 1 (MS graduate students) |
$26,958.00 / Fall & Spring |
|
Step 2 (Pre-candidacy PhD students) |
$27,486.00 / Fall & Spring |
|
Step 3 (PhD students advanced to candidacy) |
$28,014.00 / Fall & Spring |
Summer Assistantship
Note: Most of our students receive both a Fall/Spring (9.5 month) assistantship and a summer research stipend.
| Step | Stipend |
|---|---|
|
Step 1 (MS graduate students) |
$6,688.08 / Summer |
|
Step 2 (Pre-candidacy PhD students) |
$6,891.15 / Summer |
|
Step 3 (PhD students advanced to candidacy) |
$7,319.47 / Summer |
Financial Aid & Awards Information:
Dean’s Fellowships (Graduate School):
Each year the ANSC Graduate Program receives a limited number of the Graduate School's Dean's Fellowships to use as recruitment tools for prospective students or as awards for currently enrolled students. In either case, the fellowships are intended to supplement a graduate assistantship stipend, and the funds are distributed through the student’s account at the beginning of the academic year and are not recurring. Primarily used as a recruitment incentive, these fellowships are awarded to eligible graduate students typically in their first semester ($2,500 or $5,000), as a student may have added costs associated with moving to Maryland. Although all prospective students are considered for the Dean's Fellowship (no separate application is required), students with a strong graduate school application (relevant experience and/or coursework in animal sciences, strong GPA, etc.) are more likely to be the recipients, as only a limited number of fellowships are available each year. If sufficient funds are available, the Dean’s Fellowships may also be awarded to currently enrolled students who have contributed significantly to the ANSC program (e.g., exceptional performance as a TA for one of the more difficult teaching assignments).
Outstanding Graduate Student Awards (Graduate School, College, and Departmental Awards):
Each year the Graduate School and College (AGNR and AGNR-Alumni Awards) typically announce that nominations are being accepted for Outstanding Graduate Student Awards. The names and due dates for these awards often vary, so faculty should keep an eye out for the announcements. In some cases, the department or college must make the nomination. If you have a graduate student either working in your lab (RA award) or as a TA for your course whom you would like to be nominated by the department for a Graduate School or College award, please let us know (ansc-gradprogram@umd.edu). Provide the student’s name, the course/research project, and a brief description why the student is deserving. For the ANSC Outstanding Graduate Student of the Year (MS and PhD) award, please include the nomination with your annual review statement.
Please note: some awards are honorary in name only (no monetary award).
ARPAS-ANSC Travel Award:
In order to promote networking with academic and industry scientists, ANSC graduate students are encouraged to apply for the ARPAS (American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists) supported travel award. Each calendar year two graduate students will be awarded a $500 scholarship to support the costs of presenting an abstract (oral presentation or poster) at a national and/or international conference related to the animal sciences. Examples of meetings include the annual conferences of the American Society of Animal Sciences, American Dairy Science Association, International Embryo Technology Society, the Poultry Science Association, International Plant & Animal Genome Conference, and other scientific societies. See application form for more details and deadlines.
Rummel Scholarship (ANSC Undergrad & Grad Students - $1000):
Awarded by the department to one student currently enrolled (Undergraduate or Graduate Student) with a demonstrated interest in conducting research in Avian Ethology. The recipient of the Rummel Scholarship will complete a research project directed by a faculty member within the ANSC Department. Students interested in applying for this scholarship should also include a proposal for the research project. See the Departmental Scholarships section in Undergraduate Scholarships for application information.
