Explore the financial support options available to graduate students in the department. This includes information on assistantships, fellowships, and other funding considerations.
If you have any questions about the information provided here, please contact your advisor or a member of the administrative staff: Viola Bryant (Administrative Assistant), Vicki Snively (Grant Administrator), or Miranda Heitz (Academic Program Assistant II).
Graduate Scholarships and Awards
Assistantships
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs)
GTAs are expected to spend no more than twenty hours per week teaching undergraduate laboratories and grading for lecture courses, e.g., teaching three sections of introductory physics laboratory and help with grading in the larger lecture sections.
International students working as GTAs are also required to meet minimum English language proficiency requirements in order to teach. Please consult WVU Global Affairs for further information.
Based on evaluation in early 2023 and again in Fall 2024, the department proposes to increase the GTA salary by 3% each year, subject to external factors. In 2024-2025, the GTA salary was increased by 3.2% from the previous year to $28,100. The table below shows the expected escalation of the GTA salary in line with the department recommendation.
| Year | Expected Teaching Assistant Salary |
| 2024-2025 | $28,100 |
| 2025-2026 | $29,000 |
| 2026-2027 | $29,900 |
| 2027-2028 | $30,800 |
Re-evaluation shall occur every 3 years. The next evaluation will be in 2027-2028; the faculty will vote on a plan that will take effect no later than 2028-2029.
Comparison with Peer Institutions
As of Fall 2024, the mean equivalent annualized salary paid by similarly ranked Physics and Astronomy programs is $26,530, which is 94% of the WVU GTA salary at that time.
Data was collected from program websites and converted into equivalent salary to account for differences in cost of living. School ranking follows the U.S. News and World Reports listing. Moreover, these external numbers do not consider the additional fringe benefits that students receive as graduate assistants.
Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs)
GRAs are awarded by individual professors to students who have decided on their field of research. GRAs are expected to spend no more than twenty hours per week in a research capacity in addition to research credit hours. Although students typically become GRAs in their second or third year, students who advance rapidly into research may begin RA appointments sooner.
GRA salaries are determined by research advisors. Because they depend on the availability of grant funding, the department does not mandate GRA salaries. However, the department recommends:
- a salary floor equal to the current GTA salary,
- an additional 5% raise to be given after passing the oral candidacy exam,
- no ceiling on GRA salaries.
Fellowships
Fellowships can be obtained from the university or external sources. Fellowship amounts are determined by the University or other entities and not by the WVU Department of Physics and Astronomy. Some are less than the GTA salary. If the amount is less than the GTA salary, it is recommended that the research advisor provide the difference to bring it up to at least the GTA salary, if external factors allow.
Applicants for university fellowships must be nominated by the Department; students may not apply directly. The Department of Physics and Astronomy will select nominees for these fellowships from the set of applications it has received prior to January 1. GRE scores and U.S. citizenship are used as selection criteria.
Please contact the Chair of the Graduate Admissions Committee, Dr. Ned Flagg, for more information.
University FellowshipsWorkload Expectations
- Teaching/Research Assistantship: 20 hours/week
- Coursework (9 credits or more): Approximately 20 hours/week