The School of Journalism and Mass Communications invites master’s degree applicants to be considered for an opportunity to teach our undergraduate Writing for Mass Communications course. Master’s students who are appointed to teach the course will receive a stipend of $10,400 per year plus other benefits outlined below for teaching two sections of the course during the semester.
This opportunity is open to On Campus SJMC master's students who have a degree from a U.S. college.
Recipients will be required to be enrolled in at least six credit hours (two courses) per semester while teaching two courses.
The SJMC's estimated financial package for a maxium of two years:
- A graduate assistantship stipend for teaching two course sections ($10,400)
- 50% of tuition (approximately $6,000 for in-state students; $11,000 for out-of-state students)
- 50% of required student fees (approximately $833 for domestic students; $1,058 for international students)
- The full cost of the university-required student health insurance plan (approximately $4,000)
Total annual value of financial package for in-state student, $21,233: for out-of-state student, $26,458 a year.
Estimated Total Annual Cost
The estimated total annual cost for attending an On Campus master's program in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina is outlined in the tables below.
Full-Time Master's Student Enrolled in 12 Credit Hours Per Year:
| Expenses |
In-State/Resident Rate* |
Out-of-State/Non-Resident Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $6,867 | $14,880 |
| Required Fees | $5,478 | $5,478 |
| Books and Supplies | $762 | $762 |
| Housing | $11,432 | $11,432 |
| Food | $5,902 | $5,902 |
| Personal | $4,790 | $4,790 |
| Transportation | $2,670 | $2,670 |
| Total | $37,901 | $45,914 |
Full-Time Master's Student Enrolled in 18 Credit Hours Per Year:
| Expenses |
In-State/Resident Rate* |
Out-of-State/Non-Resident Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $10,301 | $22,320 |
| Required Fees | $6,036 | $6,036 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,143 | $1,143 |
| Housing | $11,432 | $11,432 |
| Food | $5,902 | $5,902 |
| Personal | $4,790 | $4,790 |
| Transportation | $2,670 | $2,670 |
| Total | $42,274 | $50,293 |
Expenses for Part-Time On Campus Master's Students
For master's students taking less than six credit hours per semester, tuition and required fee costs per credit hour are outlined below:
| Expenses | In-State/Resident Rate | Out-of-State/Non-Resident Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $572.25 per credit hour | $1,240 per credit hour |
| Required Fees* | $92 per credit hour | $92 per credit hour |
Expenses for Part-Time On Campus Master's Students
| Expenses | In-State/Resident Rate | Out-of-State/Non-Resident Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $572.25 per credit hour | $692.25 per credit hour |
| Required Fees* | $92 per credit hour | $92 per credit hour |
Other Expenses for Master's Students
* All graduate students must pay a one-time Graduate School matriculation fee of $80. International graduate students are required to pay an International Student and Scholar Support (ISSS) fee of $225 per semester.
Expenses are calculated from the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships with adjustments where needed for our program.
To be considered, the master’s applicant:
- Must be admitted to either the Master of Arts or Master of Mass Communication On Campus graduate programs as a full-time student. This opportunity is not available to part-time or Online M.M.C. students.
- Must be a graduate of a U.S. college or university.
- Must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale.
- Must submit an appropriate mass media writing sample with the application.
- Must be a full-time student.
Applicants with professional media experience are preferred.
Requirements of the student:
-
Teach two sections of JOUR 291 Writing for Mass Communications course each semester.
-
Maintain full-time enrollment – minimum of six credit hours each semester.
-
Maintain a GPA of 3.0 (B);courses must be at the 500-level or higher.
-
Receive satisfactory supervisor’s evaluation in teaching role each semester.
To apply for a teaching assistantship, please complete this Jotform. Apply separately to the master’s program through our Graduate School here. To discover more about our master’s programs, see here.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact Sam Beals, SJMC Graduate Student Services Manager, via email (beals@mailbox.sc.edu).
More Graduate Assistantships for Full-Time On Campus Master's Students
Full-time On Campus Master of Arts and Master of Mass Communication students may be considered for a limited number of SJMC graduate assistantships during the fall and spring semesters. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours to be considered full-time for this opportunity.
Recipients are required to work 10 hours per week typically with a professor each semester. They are assigned as a graduate teaching/instructional assistant or graduate research assistant.
Graduate teaching/instructional assistants may be asked to observe the courses in which they are assigned, maintain office hours, grade papers, create tests, set up exams in our Blackboard system and perform service assignments. Graduate research assistants typically find relevant research studies, develop annotated bibliographies, run experiments, clean or code data and manage research labs.
These assistantships are awarded one semester at a time.
Financial package estimate each semester for a maximum of two years:
-
Student will receive a stipend to serve as a teaching/instructional assistant or research assistant ($2,550)
-
SJMC will pay $750 toward tuition (for student enrolled in nine credit hours) or $500 (for student enrolled in six credit hours)
- Student will be eligible for in-state tuition rate (if an out-of-state student)
- SJMC will pay fee for university-required student health insurance plan ($4,000); health insurance is mandatory.
Graduate assistantship positions are eligible for renewal subject to satisfactory academic progress, successful performance as a graduate assistant, positive supervisor evaluations, faculty needs, and the availability of funds.
Interested applicants should check the designated graduate assistantship box on their Graduate School application. There is not a separate application process to be considered for graduate assistant positions.
Admitted students who are selected for assistantships will be contacted by the Associate Director of Graduate Studies or SJMC Graduate Student Services Manager.
These assistantships are not available to part-time or online master's students.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact Sam Beals, SJMC Graduate Student Services Manager, via email (beals@mailbox.sc.edu).