GA Days
Applications for admission to the Master's (M.Ed.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) programs are due by December 1 each year for those who wish to be included in our annual graduate assistantship placement process, GA Days. Applications for those not seeking graduate assistantships are accepted on a rolling basis.
What is GA Days?
GA Days is a two-day event held each year during the spring semester. During this event, all students admitted to the M.Ed. program, as well as those admitted to the Ed.S. and Ph.D. programs who are seeking graduate assistantships, come to Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State University, meet our faculty and current students, learn more about the program, and interview for prospective graduate assistantship positions. The assistantship placement process is competitive; participation in GA Days does not guarantee that you will receive an assistantship offer. International students who are unable to travel to Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State for GA Days have the option to participate in virtual interviews with graduate assistantship employers. Students who need financial support to attend GA Days are encouraged to consider their eligibility for the Graduate Dean’s Travel Award offered by Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ State’s Graduate College and reach out to the Higher Education Administration program coordinator, Dr. Tara Hudson, for nomination consideration.
Students admitted to the M.Ed. program for fall 2024 or later are not required to be placed in a graduate assistantship for admission to the program. However, we strongly recommend that all M.Ed. students who are not already working full-time in higher education seek placement in a graduate assistantship to realize the full benefits of our program’s theory-to-practice emphasis. Graduates of the M.Ed. program consistently point to the importance of the experience and networks gained through their assistantship and internships for securing a professional position in the field after completing the degree.
Information for admitted students:
If you are admitted to one of our degree programs (MEd, EdS, or PhD), we expect you will want to know about whether you’ve been placed into a graduate assistantship and if so, where that placement is, prior to making a decision about whether or not to enroll. Additionally, graduate programs nationwide have a shared agreement (via the Council of Graduate Schools) to give students until April 15, each year to make a decision about whether to accept an offer of financial support. We encourage you to accept your offer of admission as soon as you feel that you’re ready to do so, but you have until April 15, if you need that time to make a decision about your offer of admission and graduate assistantship placement offer, if you receive one after participating in GA Days.
For questions, please contact Dr. Tara Hudson at thudso15@kent.edu.