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Apply for a graduate assistantship

Graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs) provide students with valuable professional experiences. Depending on the assistantship assignment, responsibilities may include preparing and facilitating undergraduate laboratory experiences, facilitating physical activity, planning and implementing outreach programs, delivering short lectures, grading, and assisting with administrative tasks. Graduate assistants are required to perform 20 hours per week.  All assistantships include a stipend intended to offset costs accrued during graduate school.

Stipends for GTAs are set by the University and include full tuition waivers.  Current stipend rates can be found on The Graduate School webpage.  All Kinesiology GTA positions are paid as “teaching assistantships”.  Students must maintain their eligibility to retain their GTA position and funding, including maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA throughout their program. 

Possible Kinesiology Graduate Assistantship Opportunities

Lifetime Fitness and Wellness (KIN 100)

KIN 100 is a large general education course that includes both lecture and physical activity sessions each week.  Full-time faculty deliver the lecture materials, while GTAs are primarily responsible for instruction in the 25-30 student physical activity sections of the course. Day to day responsibilities include communication with students, grading, and leading physical activity.  GTAs are expected to deliver thoughtful, evidence-based physical activity programming that helps all students in their course achieve improved physical fitness. Preference will be given to applicants with a nationally recognized group exercise or personal training certification (AFAA, ACE, ACSM, NASM, NSCA) and applicants with leadership experience in commercial fitness, sports performance, campus recreation, or residence life.

Physical & Health Education Teacher Education (PHETE)

The GTA will engage with the PHETE faculty in a variety of professional teacher education experiences that include teaching, service, and scholarship. The teaching experiences involve assisting in classes, providing support during practicums, grading, digital video recording, and supervising undergraduate students. Service includes providing assistance with equipment, representing the program, and promoting public relations. Scholarship entails supporting faculty and student on-going projects. This position provides opportunities to engage in all aspects of teaching at the undergraduate level in the PHETE program.

Exercise Physiology Laboratory (KIN 302L)

GTAs will be expected to provide autonomous instruction for multiple laboratory sessions per week, with direction and feedback from faculty teaching the corresponding laboratory course. Responsibilities include: reviewing the lecture material delivered online by the faculty member each week, learning and adhering to proper operation of common laboratory equipment, leading interactive data collection sessions with undergraduate students, ensuring appropriate safety protocols are followed, and reviewing and grading student assignments. Common laboratory experiences in this course include heart rate and blood pressure responses to exercise, muscle function testing, lactate threshold assessment, oxygen uptake responses and VO2max, and effects of various ‘modifying influences’ (environmental conditions, ergogenic aids, etc.) on responses to exercise and human performance.  Most 302L GTAs will also teach at least one section of KIN 100.

Human Biomechanics Laboratory (KIN 306L)

GTAs will be expected to provide autonomous instruction for multiple laboratory sessions per week, with direction and feedback from faculty teaching the corresponding laboratory course. Responsibilities include: reviewing the lecture material delivered online by the faculty member each week, learning and adhering to proper operation of common laboratory equipment, leading interactive data collection sessions with undergraduate students, ensuring appropriate safety protocols are followed, and reviewing and grading student assignments. Preference will be given to applicants who have taken a biomechanics course, or have a strong interest in biomechanics, anatomy or physics. Most 306L GTAs will also teach at least one section of KIN 100.

Exercise Testing Laboratory (KIN 321L)

GTAs will be expected to provide autonomous instruction for multiple laboratory sessions per week, with direction and feedback from faculty teaching the corresponding laboratory course. Responsibilities include: reviewing the lecture material delivered online by the faculty member each week, learning and adhering to proper operation of common laboratory equipment, leading interactive data collection sessions with undergraduate students, ensuring appropriate safety protocols are followed, and reviewing and grading student assignments.  Common laboratory experiences in this course include blood pressure assessment, assessment of VO2max, body composition and anthropometrics, muscular strength/endurance and flexibility testing, and utilizing fitness information to create evidence-based exercise prescriptions. Most 321L GTAs will also teach at least one section of KIN 100.

Morrison Bruce Center

The Graduate Student Director (GSD) will be expected to take charge on multiple programs and mentor teams of undergraduate students from Kinesiology and other majors. As part of these teams, the GSD will plan and implement outreach programs dedicated to promoting health and physical activity to girls and women across the lifespan (current participant ages span 3 years old to over 80 years old). This assistantship allows the opportunity to directly apply your academic knowledge, while also experience significant personal growth. The GSD will work closely with Drs. McKay and Lassiter through every part of the planning process, ultimately becoming largely autonomous in overseeing programs. Additionally, students interested in research will have the opportunity to be integrally involved in MBC-related projects.