Student Employment
Nearly 6,000 UC students work on campus in a variety of roles including operations, food service, tutoring, peer education, customer service and more in every corner of the university.
Why work on campus?
Working as a student allows you to focus on academics while building career-readiness skills and earning a paycheck. Working on campus has these benefits:
- Convenient
- Fits into your class schedule
- Develop transferable skills like communication, teamwork, leadership, ethical decision-making, time management, critical thinking and problem-solving
- Earn income to pay for your education without adding to student loan debt (learn more about managing money)
- As an employer, the University of Cincinnati values and supports student employees
Types of Student Jobs
You have choices when it comes to student employment. Let's go over the types of jobs you can do as a UC student.
Student worker jobs are typically 5 to 20 hours per week. They are the most common type of campus job. Examples of student worker jobs include desk attendant, peer tutor, library assistant, dining hall worker, food service worker, or parking services assistant. Pay ranges from minimum wage up to $18 per hour; typical wage is $9-10 per hour.
Search for on-campus student worker jobs in Handshake, on department web pages, or at the part-time job fair. See How to Find a Job.
An on-campus co-op is like a student worker job in many ways, but you typically have more responsibility, and the work is often related to your major and/or career interests.
You also take an online course in professional development during the same semester you work to help you identify and articulate the transferable skills you are learning on the job – skills like communication, teamwork, leadership, time management and problem-solving.
Pay ranges from minimum wage up to $18 per hour; typical wage is $10-11 per hour.
Learn more about on-campus co-op or search for on-campus co-ops in Handshake.
Contact: On-Campus Co-op Program Director Kelly Thompson
Federal work-study jobs are the same as student worker jobs, but your wages are partly paid by the U.S. government as part of a financial aid package. To qualify, you must be a U.S. citizen and eligible for federal financial aid. Taking part of your aid as work-study can reduce your debt load. (Also, contrary to what it may sound like, work-study does not necessarily mean you can study while at work!)
Learn more about federal work-study or search for work-study jobs on Handshake.
Contact: Senior Financial Aid Advisor Judy Reynolds
A graduate assistantship is a type of part-time work that is open to graduate students at a university. Students typically, but not always, work as a teaching assistant or research assistant in their home department or college.
These employment opportunities are usually posted internally, so check with your department. You can also search for graduate student employment in Handshake.
| Type of Employment | Open to Undergraduate Students | Open to Graduate Students | Open to International Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student worker jobs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| On-campus co-op | Yes | No | Yes |
| Work-study jobs | Yes | Yes | No |
| Graduate assistantships | No | Yes | Yes |
Other Types of Employment
Other types of paid employment you might consider include Service-Learning Co-op, a part-time job off-campus and project work.
A Service-Learning co-op lets you earn income, get real-world experience and make valuable contributions to nonprofit organizations in our community. Service-Learning co-ops are available year-round and can be full-time, part-time or project-based. Positions are funded by the University of Cincinnati at little to no cost to the nonprofit organization.
Why consider a Service-Learning co-op?
- Make a difference: Connect with a nonprofit to make a personal impact on our world.
- Develop life-long skills: You'll develop skills related to your major and transferable skills that apply to any field or industry.
- Try something new: The flexibility of Service-Learning co-op allows you to test a variety of career options.
- Earn income to help pay for college tuition, books, meals or transportation.
Note: Student wages are subsidized through grants, and some restrictions apply.
Learn more about Service-Learning Co-op or search for Service-Learning Co-ops in Handshake.
Contact: Service-Learning Co-op Program Director Paula Harper
Students who have reliable transportation (a personal vehicle or public transit) can often find part-time jobs near campus in retail, food service and more. If you’re thinking about working off campus, consider your course schedule, extracurriculars, travel time, and how many hours you can reasonably work per week.
In Handshake, you can search for part-time jobs within a certain radius. For example, here is a search for part-time jobs within 10 miles of Cincinnati.
Note: International students typically are not eligible to work off campus except under special circumstances.
Use UC partner Parker Dewey to search for short-term project work (sometimes called "gig work" or "micro-internships"), some of which you may be able to complete remotely on your own schedule.