Assistantships & Financial Support What are my chances of getting a graduate assistantship, and how do I apply for one? Your chances for being awarded a research or teaching assistantship depend upon two things: availability in your field of interest, and competitiveness of your application (prior academic history, references, work experiences). You can apply for an assistantship at the same time you apply to graduate school in our department. Just download, fill in and return to us the graduate assistantship application form.