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Title: GA Research - Economics - Academic Year: Fall 2025 and Spring 2026
Division Name: Academic Affairs
Department: Economics
Campus Location: Normal, IL

Job Summary

Graduate research assistant are generally assigned to individual faculty members to assist with their research, and the majority of the assigned duties are tied to this research. The nature of the assistance varies by discipline and can involve a variety of activities such as:
1. Data gathering
2. Data analysis
3. Participate in departmental seminars, workshops and other professionally-related activities
4. Assist other faculty-specific academic activities as needed

Additional Information

Benefits for Graduate Assistants can be found in the Graduate Assistant Handbook.

Salary Rate / Pay Rate

$756 half time, $1510 full time

Required Qualifications

1. B.S. degree in Economics or related fields.
2. GPA of 3.0 or better.
3. Minimum score of 300 (computer-based) on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE.
4. International students must have minimum TOEFL score of 79 (internet-based - iBT.)
5. Eligible for appointment as per the requirements in the Graduate Assistant Handbook which can be found at http://hr.illinoisstate.edu/downloads/GA_Handbook.pdf
6. Must be a degree seeking graduate student at Illinois State University.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Preference given to degree seeking graduate students in Applied Economics
2. Strong background in Economics and Quantitative Methods.

Work Hours

TBD

Proposed Starting Date

8/16/2025

Required Applicant Documents

Resume, Statement of Purpose

Please Note: These documents are required to be submitted online in order to complete the application process. Please have these documents ready prior to clicking on "Apply"

Special Instructions for Applicants

Priority is given to those with complete applications as of March 1, 2025.

Each application must be accompanied by a statement of purpose explaining the following: (1) The applicant's professional goals and how a master's degree in Applied Economics will help the applicant achieve those goals; (2) The applicant's interest in any sub-field of Economics and preference for working with any of the faculty within the Department of Economics; (3) The Applicant's professional experience (work, international, volunteer/community service); (4) Computer and statistical skills, special courses/training, courses in economics, statistics, econometrics, and research methods.

Approximately 15 assistantships are available in the department for both first and second year students. There are no assistantships for summer.

Note: If you have not yet been assigned a University ID, but are interested in applying for this graduate assistantship, please proceed with the graduate assistant application process. For the first question regarding your University ID, simply enter in nine (9) zeros (e.g., 000000000).

You must be eligible for employment in the United States and at Illinois State University and/or for the number of hours required for the position.

Illinois State University student employees are restricted to no more than 28 hours per week of on-campus employment for all positions held. International students are restricted by their visa status to no more than 20 hours per week of on-campus employment when the university is in session but may work up to 28 hours per week when the university is not in session. Please contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services for guidance on visa restrictions on work hours. The University cannot grant exceptions to visa status rules/laws.

Contact Information for Applicants

grad.economics@ilstu.edu

Important Information for Applicants

This position is subject to a criminal background investigation and if applicable, an employment history review, based on University Policy 3.1.30 and any offer of employment is contingent upon you passing a satisfactory criminal background investigation and/or an employment history review. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.

Illinois State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or other state or federal law you may request an accommodation by contacting the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at (309) 438-3383. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access will hold any confidential information you provide in confidence.

If you are having difficulty accessing the system, please call Human Resources at (309) 438-8311.