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• Accept an offer of unconditional admission into a master's degree program at 51�Թ� (required). Graduate certificates do not fulfill this requirement.
• Enrollment in at least six graduate credits each semester (required).
• Minimum 3.0 undergraduate or 3.5 graduate GPA (preferred).
• Students may not have more than one assistantship position at a time.
• Current 51�Թ� employees are not eligible for assistantships.  

Assistantships are awarded for one academic year — fall and spring semesters — and may be renewable for a second year.   

Applications for assistantship positions must be submitted for each academic year. 

Consideration for renewal is contingent on timely application, position availability, prior academic year’s evaluations and compliance with assistantship requirements. Graduate or research assistantships may be held for a maximum of two academic years.

Activities and responsibilities vary; each position has a different description.   

Graduate and research assistantships are awarded to different departments, programs, and faculty, providing opportunities for many disciplines. We do our best to match students and positions. Prior to awarding a position, each candidate has the opportunity to interview with the supervisor of a prospective assistantship to learn all about the position — schedules, expectations, tasks, and other information. Final offers are based upon the supervisor and applicant agreeing that the assignment is mutually beneficial.

Deliverables

Assistantship positions are designed to offer students mentoring and hands-on professional experience in projects and/or research applying theory to practice. To help ensure that we achieve this goal, assistants and their supervisors will be asked to complete an evaluation and survey each semester.

Application Materials

Before you , please complete the following steps: 

Prepare to upload PDF files of:

- Your undergraduate or graduate transcript

• If you are an SSU student,

- Your updated resume (maximum of two pages).

- A personal statement (maximum of two pages).

• This is an opportunity to present your interests, career goals, and reasons for applying for an assistantship.
• Include your five strongest skills.
• Describe how you plan to apply your strengths and experience to the type of assistantship you are
  applying for (graduate or research).

For new graduate students: to a graduate degree program. You will need to be unconditionally admitted and accept the offer of admission to apply for the assistantship program; this will provide you access to an SSU account, so you can
 

Caution: Some of our forms require you to verify that you are an SSU graduate student. To do this, please follow these steps: 

1. Sign in to the Salem State Website.
2. After signing in, come back to this page and open the form again.

The priority deadline to apply for a graduate or research assistantship for the 2026-2027 academic year is March 2, 2026

Assistantships are generally awarded by May 30.

All new and current students of a graduate degree program are encouraged to apply for an assistantship at any time. Applications will still be accepted after the priority deadline, although late applications will be placed on a waiting list to be considered for any assistantship positions that may become available. Candidates on the waiting list may be considered for other opportunities within the university.

New applications for assistantship positions are to be submitted each academic year.

Salem State faculty and staff applications are reviewed by an ad hoc group of faculty and staff using the criteria listed in the Supervisor Application Evaluation Rubric.

Assistantship positions should offer students mentoring and hands-on professional experience in projects and/or research. Consequently, supervisors are expected to have regular (e.g., weekly, biweekly) meetings and contact with assistants. Additionally, some positions may require closer and more regular supervision to ensure the duties are completed correctly.

Supervisors are the primary source of information concerning details of the assistantship requirements for the student, and they must outline the criteria of the duties and responsibilities for the assistant within the framework of university policy (e.g., Student Employment) and the scope of the awarded project.

Additionally, supervisors are responsible for confirming hours worked each week.

Before you , please prepare a PDF version of a recently updated curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé.

The deadline for potential supervisors to submit is February 2, 2026. New applications are to be submitted each year.

The Office of Student Success and the First Year Experience offers success coaching opportunities throughout the academic year, with two types of positions:

• General Coaches
  • Assist academically at-risk, first-year students
  • Manage First Year experience initiatives and events
  • Support execution of campus-wide office events (e.g., Day of Service, Student Success Summer)
• Program-Specific Coaches
  • Manage a small caseload of 30 to 50 undergraduate students
  • Provide consistent and individualized support
  • Support execution of campus-wide office events (e.g., Day of Service, Student Success Summer)

Tuition Remission for Fall and Spring Semesters

These opportunities include tuition remission for up to 9 graduate credits (excluding directed studies and thesis courses). Recipients are responsible for fees, and they will need to cover remaining tuition costs above the 9 credits.

Stipend Work Hours

Success Coaches typically work Monday – Friday, 20 hours per week, and on campus.

Success coaching opportunities are open to students in any graduate program but for those in the Higher Education Student Affairs (HESA) program, please first contact your program coordinator about your interest.   

To apply email a cover letter and resume to firstyear@salemstate.edu. For more information .

The McKeown School of Education and the Community of Inclusive Scholars offer an opportunity to serve as an Executive Functioning Coach throughout the academic year. The Community of Inclusive Scholars is a grant-funded program through the MA Department of Higher Education and provides a supported inclusive college experience for students with intellectual, developmental, or autism disabilities. 

Executive Functioning Coaches support Salem State Community of Inclusive Scholars students in classes, internships, and campus activities. Coaches work with one to two undergraduate students per semester, providing consistent, individualized support.  

Tuition Remission for Fall and Spring Semesters

These opportunities include tuition remission for up to 9 graduate credits (excluding directed studies and thesis courses). Recipients are responsible for fees, and they will need to cover remaining tuition costs above the 9 credits. Functioning coaches also receive the SSU block 2 meal plan.

Stipend Work Hours

Executive Functioning Coaches work up to 20 hours per week. All opportunities are in person and on campus. 

Executive Functioning coach opportunities are open to students in any graduate program. Those enrolled in the Higher Education Student Affairs (HESA) program, please first contact your program coordinator about your interest. 

For further information, contact Rachel Connary, Assistant Director, Community of Inclusive Scholars (rachel.connary@salemstate.edu), or see their website. 

Students enrolled in the HESA graduate program can apply for HESA Assistantships. For more information, please contact the HESA program coordinator.