Graduate Assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis with continuance depending upon satisfactory progress toward degree requirements and performance of assigned duties. Priority for funding is: 1) Option A (thesis) students who have completed coursework and are making satisfactory progress toward completing the thesis; 2) Students who are making satisfactory coursework progress and have filed a Graduate Program Form declaring Option A; and 3) New applicants to the program who have no coursework deficiencies. Consideration of applicants with coursework deficiencies will be conditional upon the availability of graduate assistantship funds. Each semester on assistantship, students are assigned to a specific faculty member (usually their advisor) to assist with ongoing research and/or teaching activities. Specific duties will vary among the faculty, and from semester to semester. The chairperson of the Department's Graduate Affairs Committee coordinates assignments.

The Department's Graduate Affairs Committee reviews student progress at the end of each semester. Two grades less than a "B-" will lead to non-renewal of an assistantship. Students should be aware, however, that there are qualitative as well as quantitative dimensions to satisfactory progress. The student's graduate committee chair and/or other members of the faculty must attest to satisfactory performance toward meeting the thesis requirements.

Continuation of an assistantship beyond the first two semesters requires satisfactory coursework progress, submission of a Graduate Program Form declaring Option A (thesis) by the middle of the second semester, and a report of satisfactory progress toward the thesis objective from the student's graduate committee. With continued satisfactory thesis progress, the assistantship will be continued in the second year. Usually, assistantship support is limited to a maximum of eighteen months. All those on assistantships are expected to attend departmental seminars. Continued awarding of assistantships will be based on performance at a meritorious level (in coursework and thesis projects, rather than only on GPA).

A limited number of graduate assistantships include a non-resident fee waiver. University policy limits the number of semesters to two that a non-resident U.S. student may receive a non-resident fee waiver. Therefore, U.S. citizens from states other than Montana are expected to either establish residency in Montana, or be willing to assume the non-resident portion of university fees after two semesters.