Assistantship

Overview

Merit-based assistantships have been awarded to a select number of professional degree students during their first year of study to assist Nicholas School faculty and staff with teaching, research, professional and other projects. It is expected that students will work for eight hours a week throughout the academic year for a total of 224 hours. Students who receive assistantships are paid by the Nicholas School on the monthly payroll.  Students should follow the schedule provided with the assistantship listings to ensure they get on payroll in time to be paid in September. Assistantships require a regular work schedule to be arranged between the student and the faculty or staff member to whom he or she is assigned. During the second year of study,  provided the student has met the obligations of the assistantship, are in good academic standing and return in the fall for their second year, the assistantship converts to scholarship and is applied directly to their bursar account, half in the fall and half in the spring.


Overview of Assistantship Expectations and Payroll Process 

Students will be notified over the summer of a virtual assistantship presentation that they should view carefully. Listings of available positions will be provided prior to the presentation. During Orientation there will be scheduled times  for assistantship students to bring their identification documents for copying; staff will be present  to answer questions that may arise regarding the assistantship application, interview and assignment process. Students who were not awarded an assistantship should not plan to attend. All assistantship awards are final and it is not possible to be awarded or apply for an assistantship if you have not already been awarded one.  It is important that all payroll documents are submitted as soon as possible in order to be paid in September.

When you apply for a position, be sure to include your resume and any other details that you wish to share with the supervisor (and/or contact person). Please make sure your resume includes your current contact information and Duke email address. Supervisors may not commit an assistantship position to a student before assignments are confirmed.


Contact/Questions

More details to come in August. Be on the lookout for an email from Cindy Peters, Assistant Dean, Office of Student Services.