Assistantships

The department often has funds available for half-time assistantships. Currently (2004-2005), students on assistantships receive $17,555 per year, health benefits, and 14 credits of tuition per semester. You should indicate whether you are seeking an assistantship when you apply for admission at the University of Minnesota Graduate School. (See Admissions.)

The department head is responsible for the assignment of support funds to graduate students, but the department head consults with the student's advisers before assigning or removing student support. With respect to Graduate School Fellowship funds, the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) provides the department head with graduate student nominations and appropriate nomination support information.

Most of the department's funds for graduate assistantships are provided by the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station or by individual research grants. Assistantships are not scholarships; they are reimbursement for half-time work on the research project that provides the funds. Students are expected to work an average of 20 hours per week on the research project that provides the funds even during semesters when they are taking classes. In most cases, students are able to use the research project that provides their assistantship for their thesis or M.S. Plan B project work. In some instances, however, where funding sources do not match the student's interest, the student will need to work 20 hours per week on a research project that is different from his or her own thesis or Plan B project research.

The Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering's goal is for master's students to finish their degrees within 21 months and students should expect assistantship support for no more than 21 months. The department's goal is for Ph.D. students to complete their degrees within 33 months and students should not plan on more than 33 months of assistantship support. Also, students who come to the department without financial suppqrt should not expect that the department will supply an assistantship later on.

Assistantship Guidelines