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“Dr. Bill” was a faculty member in SIS for over 35 years. This endowment was created in Dr. Bill’s memory to support MSIS students.

Dr. Estes served in SIS for nearly 30 years, focusing on children’s and young adult literature and school/ public libraries.

As an advocate of education and libraries, Carmen would be proud that funds given in her name help students attain their dreams.

Dr. Purcell was a founding faculty member in SIS, teaching for nearly 20 years. He encouraged students to reach further and climb farther.

Jane Ray is a retired Knox County Schools librarian. She and her husband, Rich, value the important role librarians play in their schools and communities., especially in rural communities.

Dr.  Tyson was a founding member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and former associate professor in SIS.

This scholarship is used to support MSIS students working in a public library.

The H.W. Wilson Scholarship will be open to all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age or veteran status with the restrictions below. Applications will be sent to students in January and the deadline is February 15.

1. The scholarship will be available to all distance education or part-time students who are currently enrolled or have been admitted to the University of Tennessee School of Information Sciences.
2. The scholarship will be available to those students who demonstrate academic potential.

Created by CCI alum Chris Grabenstein (‘77) and his wife, J.J. Grabenstein, aim to support MSIS students with an interest in young adult literature.

Created by MSIS alum Marcellus Turner (’88) to support MSIS students.

An assistantship is a form of work study for graduate students that typically awards a tuition waiver and stipend in exchange for part-time work. While departments and offices at the University of Tennessee offer a number of different types of graduate assistantships and associateships, SIS positions are Graduate Teaching Assistantships. Most SIS GTA positions are one-quarter or one-half time, meaning they require either 10 or 20 hours of work per week. Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) may be 9-month appointments or 12-month appointments. Nine-month appointments serve for two consecutive semesters beginning in the fall semester of an academic year (fall, spring). Twelve-month appointments serve for three consecutive semesters beginning in the fall semester of an academic year (fall, spring, and summer).

GTAs offer a tuition waiver and stipend. Quarter-time stipends are monthly with payments occurring on the last working day of each month for the duration of the appointment. Half-time GTAs’ stipend is roughly double the quarter-time stipend.

In addition to the stipend, the graduate teaching assistantship provides a waiver of in-state or out-of-state maintenance/tuition fees for the appointment term and, for on-campus students, health insurance benefits. (DE students are not eligible for student health insurance.) The assistantship also covers mandatory fees, such as in-state or out-of-state charges for the programs/services fee, the health fee, the facilities fee, the technology fee (or online support fee for DE students), the transportation fee, and the library fee. Charges not covered include books and materials needed for courses, housing, or graduation fees. The student is responsible for these costs.

The School of Information Sciences (SIS) awards a limited number of graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs), typically to begin in the fall semester, to on-campus and distance education students. These opportunities are highly competitive. Applicants may indicate interest in a GTA position as part of the application process, and continuing students are invited to apply at the beginning of the spring semester for positions that will begin in the following August.

Most SIS GTA positions are attached to either individual faculty members or administrative tasks. SIS partners with various organizations for a small number of additional opportunities, such as the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) Assistantship.

Assistantship positions are awarded for one academic year, though continuing students are encouraged to apply for the second year of study. SIS awards some 9-month and 12-month positions; GTA’s with 9-month appointments serve from August 1 to July 31 and work in the fall and spring semesters of an academic year, although their tuition is waived and they continue to receive the stipend for the summer term. Twelve-month appointments also serve from August 1 to July 31, but have work responsibilities in the summer as well.

While most positions will begin in August and continue through July, SIS occasionally fills openings at other points during the academic year. In these cases, GTA recipients’ award also concludes on July 31.

Applicants who begin the program prior to the appointment must have a minimum of 18 semester hours remaining to complete the degree at the effective date of the appointment.

• 10-hour GTA’s are required to maintain full-time enrollment (minimum of 9 hours) and a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 during the appointment.
• 20-hour GTA’s are required to enroll in a minimum of 6 credit hours and maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 during the appointment.

SIS GTA’s primarily perform various duties associated with faculty preparation for instruction or assist with research or service tasks. Some 12-month GTA’s are assigned to complete more administrative tasks. Other duties may be assigned upon approval/direction of the Director and/or Director of Graduate Studies.

Application Instructions for Admission Applicants

Indicate your interest in an assistantship on the admissions application. No additional form is needed.

Application Instructions for New and Continuing Students

The application for new and continuing students will be available early in the spring semester. All students who wish to be considered for a GTA position must complete the application, even if they have been awarded a one in a previous year. Applications and all supporting materials, including reference letters, are due February 17, 2023. The application link below will only work when the period to apply is open.

All MSIS Students Apply Here

While we try to make the application and award process as short as possible, the review committee considers a number of factors when making selecting students for GTA positions. Finalists may be contacted for an interview as part of the review process.

While, we try to make our first round of GTA offers in March; subsequent offers are made as positions come available. Consequently, students are sometimes offered GTA positions as late as July.