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Project Assistantships
In their first year of graduate study, students acquire many of the analytical, quantitative, and managerial skills to prepare them to work competently and professionally. After the first year, they seek challenging experiences that will connect them with individuals and organizations to further their career goals while pursuing their studies.
The La Follette School partners with agencies and organizations in all sectors, linking them with highly qualified students eager to supplement knowledge learned in the classroom with practical experience. Employing La Follette School project assistants is a cost-effective means to accomplish special projects and increase productivity. Career Development Coordinators work to create project assistantships that meet specific needs of employers.
Project assistantships may be ongoing: some agencies employ a La Follette School project assistant on a regular basis. Assistantships may also be arranged for one semester or one year only, to meet project needs that arise. We encourage employers to explore this opportunity in a timely way, in the spring for assistantships that will begin in the fall, so that Career Development Coordinators are better able to meet agency needs with suitable student candidates.
Here is what employers can expect from project assistantships:
Employers have exclusive access to interview and employ our best qualified current students. Career Development Coordinators solicit applications from those La Follette School students who have completed a year of graduate study and select the most suitable set of candidates for participating agencies. Employment decisions rest with employers.
Selection of candidates is a highly competitive process. These assistantships are typically viewed as among the most valuable opportunities offered through the La Follette Schoolfor the professional experience, obviously, but also for the tuition remission, salary, and health benefits received.
Employers tailor project assistantships to meet specific needs and objectives. Project assistants may be employed for a single semester or the entire academic year. They may work for 20 or fewer hours weekly. The La Follette School assists with contracts and budgets once decisions to employ are finalized. Rates of pay and other budget matters are set by university policy.