Assistantships

The Department provides financial assistance for its graduate students primarily through Graduate Assistantships. Assistantships may involve teaching, assisting with teaching, research, working in the Child Development Laboratories, Adult Day Services, the Center for Family Services, grant related activities, or administrative work in the Department or Dean's offices.

To be eligible for an assistantship, a student must be admitted to the Graduate School on a "Regular" full-time basis as defined in the graduate catalog. To retain eligibility, a student must maintain a quality credit average of 3.0 or higher and make satisfactory progress toward completion of degree requirements.

Although assistantships are normally made for the academic year, the Department may reassign a student to a different responsibility at any time, depending upon Departmental need, the student's performance, or unanticipated circumstances. If the student demonstrates inability to carry out the work required by an assistantship, the position may be withdrawn at the discretion of the Department Head.

To apply for assistantship give special attention to questions 15-23 on the Supplementary Departmental Graduate Application, which are used in determining awards and assignments. You must also complete the Graduate School Application for Assistantships, Scholarships, and Department Placement.

Please call the Human Development Department (540-231-6149) if you have questions, or you may e-mail our Enrollment/Program Specialist, Kathy Surface, at ksurface@vt.edu. Our web address is http://www.humandevelopment.vt.edu.