GRADUATE STUDENTS QUESTIONS (back to MAIN FAQ LIST page)

• Who handles graduate student related administrative issues?

• What are the rules and regulations governing Graduate Students in the CSE department?

• What does it mean to be a graduate student with "guaranteed support"?

• If a Graduate Student does not have guaranteed support, can they still be a GTA or GRA?

• How much do graduate students get paid?
  

• Can I hire a current TA as an RA?

• Can I hire anyone I want to be an RA?

• What is the SPEAK test?

• Who needs to pass the SPEAK test and why?

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GRADUATE STUDENT ANSWERS (back to top)

Who handles graduate student related administrative issues? (back)

• The Graduate Secretary.  Following are examples of some of graduate student related administrative issues:  initial assignment or change of advisor; credit hour concerns; signing up for the qualifying exam; signing up for graduation, etc.

What are the rules and regulations governing Graduate Students in the CSE department? (back)

• Obtain a copy of the Faculty and Graduate Student Handbook from the Graduate Student TA assignment coordinator.
  

What does it mean to be a graduate student with "guaranteed support"? (back)

• Some, but not all, graduate students are accepted as CSE students with "letters of offer".  These letters of offer include a GUARANTEED (1) tuition waiver, also called a fee authorization, and (2) an offer of monthly support, also called a monthly stipend for a 2 year period not necessarily including summer quarter.  These letters of offer can be given for Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA), Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) or Fellowships (Fellow). 
  

If a Graduate Student does not have guaranteed support, can they still be a GTA or GRA? (back)

• Yes.  A professor can hire anyone they choose to be a GRA; guaranteed support or not.  However, in the TA pool, all guaranteed support students will be hired first, and only if any positions are still available can students without guaranteed support be considered.
  

How much do graduate students get paid? (back)

• Contact the Human Resource department representative for more information since this information changes from year to year.
  

Can I hire a current TA as an RA? (back)

• Most of the time, a TA can be released from the TA pool when requested as an RA prior to the start of any quarter.  However, there are a few positions where training is necessary and replacements are not easily found.  I will do everything possible to grant the TA to RA request, howver, every once in a while, a suitable replacement can not be found.  If this should happen, the TA will definitely be released the following quarter.
  

Can I hire anyone I want to be an RA? (back)

• Yes, as long as they are a graduate student as OSU.
  

What is the SPEAK test? (back)

• The SPEAK test, which is administered by the ESL (English as a Second Language) department  is a verbal examination which tests the student's English proficiency and ability to communicate with the student population at OSU.  Passing the SPEAK test is an OSU requirement for all international GTAs.  A score of 60/60 on the TSE (Test of Spoken English) will be accepted in place of the SPEAK test.
  

Who needs to pass the SPEAK test and why? (back)

• All international graduate students that are hired to be GTAs must pass the SPEAK test (or its equivalent) in order to teach.  If a guaranteed support student with a GTA position does not pass the SPEAK test, they can be hired as a graduate grader (still includes tuition waiver and monthly stipend) while they take the appropriate ESL courses to improve their English proficiency.  However, it is a department policy that ALL guaranteed support CSE students must pass the SPEAK test by the end of their first spring quarter.  If they do not, they are no longer considered to have "guaranteed support".