The AUS Graduate Assistantship 2027 is the main way master’s and PhD students at the American University of Sharjah in the UAE cut the cost of their degree. AUS states that graduate assistantships cover tuition waivers of up to 9 credit hours per semester and/or a stipend of up to AED 20,000 per semester, against up to 20 hours of work per week on campus.
For the Spring 2027 intake, the deadline to be considered for an assistantship is 19 November 2026 – earlier than the general admission deadline, because the assistantship decision is made along with the admission decision. Applications for Spring 2027 opened on 19 October 2026.
AUS Graduate Assistantship 2027 (American University of Sharjah)
Quick facts2026-27
| Scholarship from | American University of Sharjah (AUS), Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Assistantships are approved by the Provost through the Office of Graduate Studies. Details are on the AUS financial grants and scholarships page. |
| Study level | Master’s and PhD students. Full and partial assistantships are awarded; some master’s programmes in the College of Architecture, Art and Design, the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Business Administration mainly offer partial assistantships. |
| Who can apply | Students admitted in good standing to a graduate programme at AUS, including international students from India. Students on conditional or probationary admission are not eligible for an assistantship. |
| What is covered | A tuition waiver of up to 9 credit hours per semester and/or a stipend of up to AED 20,000 per semester. PhD assistantships include a full tuition fee waiver plus a monthly stipend. |
| Last date to apply | 19 November 2026 for Spring 2027 applicants who want a Graduate Assistantship. The Fall 2027 assistantship deadline is 27 May 2027. |
| Official website | https://www.aus.edu/admissions/financial-grants-and-scholarships |
What the AUS graduate assistantship covers
AUS awards competitive full and partial Graduate Assistantships (GAs) to qualified graduate students. The published benefits are:
- Tuition waiver: up to 9 credit hours per semester of graduate coursework.
- Stipend: up to AED 20,000 per semester, awarded either along with the tuition waiver or on its own, depending on the college and programme.
- PhD assistantships: a full tuition fee waiver for the PhD degree requirements plus a monthly stipend, mentoring by faculty, participation in research projects and support to attend international conferences.
- Workload: a graduate assistant is expected to work no more than 20 hours per week, doing administrative tasks, lab or teaching assistant duties and grading.
- Duration: awarded on a semester-by-semester basis and can be held for up to four semesters (two years) for a master’s student, and up to four years for a PhD student. Assistantships are not awarded in the summer semester.
AUS graduate assistantship eligibility
- You must have been admitted in good standing by meeting or exceeding all university and programme-level requirements for full admission. Students on conditional or probationary status are not eligible.
- You must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25. Some graduate programmes set additional or higher standards.
- A full-time GA must register for and complete nine credit hours of graduate courses per semester (or be registered for thesis credit); a part-time GA must complete six credit hours.
- Students who are employed full-time cannot hold a full-time assistantship, but they may hold a part-time assistantship.
- For new students, the assistantship request has to be marked inside the admission application itself – there is no separate scholarship application for incoming students.
Documents required for the AUS assistantship
- A completed Application for Graduate Admission with the box requesting consideration for an assistantship marked.
- Official transcripts of your previous degree, submitted to the Office of Enrollment Management.
- Two reference letters, sent by the application deadline.
- Your answers to the assistantship-related questions inside the admission application.
How to apply for the AUS assistantship 2027
- Create your application for graduate admission on the AUS admissions portal for the intake you want (Spring 2027 or Fall 2027).
- Tick the box asking for consideration for a graduate assistantship and answer the assistantship questions in the application.
- Submit your transcripts and the two reference letters to the Office of Enrollment Management before the assistantship deadline.
- Complete the file before the file completion date so the department can review your application for an assistantship.
- The programme coordinator or faculty supervisor tells you your duties in writing; final decisions on GA appointments are made by the Provost through the Office of Graduate Studies.
Important dates for AUS Spring 2027 and Fall 2027
AUS publishes separate deadlines for applicants who want a graduate assistantship and those who do not. For the Spring 2027 intake:
| 19 October 2026 | Applications for Spring 2027 open |
| 19 November 2026 | Deadline for Spring 2027 applicants with Graduate Assistantship |
| 21 December 2026 | File completion for Spring 2027 |
| 24 December 2026 | Deadline for Spring 2027 applicants without Graduate Assistantship |
| 11 January 2027 | First day of classes, Spring 2027 |
For the Fall 2027 intake the assistantship deadline is 27 May 2027, file completion is 17 June 2027, the admission deadline without an assistantship is 22 July 2027 and classes start on 23 August 2027. AUS adds that these dates are tentative and can change, so check the official deadlines page before you apply.
PhD assistantships at AUS
- AUS offers a limited number of full and partial graduate assistantships to PhD students on a competitive basis.
- PhD assistantships include full tuition fee waivers for the PhD degree requirements and a monthly stipend.
- A PhD assistant works under a faculty supervisor, does research within a research group and performs teaching assistant duties.
- The appointment is made annually based on performance and can run for a maximum of four years.
Frequently asked questions
AUS states that graduate assistantships cover tuition waivers of up to 9 credit hours per semester and/or a stipend of up to AED 20,000 per semester, for up to 20 hours of work per week. PhD assistantships include a full tuition fee waiver plus a monthly stipend.
19 November 2026. AUS keeps a separate, earlier deadline for applicants who want to be considered for a graduate assistantship, and the general Spring 2027 admission deadline without an assistantship is 24 December 2026.
New students do not fill a separate scholarship form. You mark the box requesting consideration for an assistantship in the Application for Graduate Admission and send your transcripts plus two reference letters to the Office of Enrollment Management by the deadline.
AUS requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 to be eligible for a full or part-time graduate assistantship, and some programmes set higher standards. Conditional or probationary admission makes a student ineligible.
A master’s student can hold an assistantship for up to four semesters (two years) and a PhD student for up to four years. Appointments are made semester by semester for master’s students and annually for PhD students, and assistantships are not awarded in the summer semester.
The workload is capped at no more than 20 hours per week, and a full-time GA has to keep nine credit hours of registration (six for a part-time GA).
Official links
Related reading: AUS financial grants and scholarships (graduate assistantships)
AUS master’s admission deadlines
AUS doctoral admission deadlines
For more funded options in the Gulf and Asia, see study abroad scholarships, international scholarships and post graduation scholarships.
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