Graduate teaching assistants frequently teach undergraduate classes.
A doctoral or master's level graduate student teaches undergraduate or master's level classes while pursuing his own degree. Universities and colleges offer graduate teaching assistantships to help graduate students offset the cost of their education. Payment comes in the form of a stipend or tuition assistance from the university.
Becoming a Graduate Teaching Assistant
Acceptance into a university and completing an application for financial aid are the first steps to becoming a graduate teaching assistant, or GTA. Universities look for teaching assistants among registered graduate students in good academic standing.
A graduate student needs strong academic credentials (grades and test scores) to obtain a teaching assistantship. The graduate school financial aid guideline for one highly ranked research university, Vanderbilt University, states that "fellowships and assistantships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and potential for scholarship." The university may also factor in financial need when selecting GTAs.
Universities require the GTA to be in good academic standing and maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or above. A university may require a foreign student to demonstrate proficiency in English and provide proof of eligibility for employment in the U.S.
Responsibilities
Teaching assistants must juggle their academic workload with teaching responsibilities.
A teaching assistant offers academic program support to one or more faculty members by conducting classes, labs or study sessions for undergraduate classes. She can be responsible for setting up labs and classroom experiments and technology, grading papers and tests, maintaining equipment and distributing coursework in person or online. A faculty member or an academic department head will serve as her supervisor.
Education and Training
Requirements for teaching include a bachelor's degree and the completion of a semester of graduate study. Some positions require a master's degree. While some schools offer training for the new graduate teaching assistant, the more common approach involves on-the-job mentoring by a faculty member.
Pay and Benefits
A graduate teaching assistant's financial aid package includes salary.
Universities generally pay their graduate teaching assistants via stipends toward paying for graduate studies. Many schools classify their GTAs as student workers rather than as staff members.
A student may negotiate the amount of his stipend as part of the financial aid package. A student with high test scores and a high grade point average has more leverage when negotiating his aid package. Experience as a teacher or with the course subject matter can increase the amount a GTA makes. GTAs earn an average of $1,000 to $3,500 (taxable income) per month.
As a student worker, a GTA does not qualify for benefits or paid leave. He may choose to sign up for the same health insurance program offered to other students at the school but may receive assistance towards health benefits as part of his financial aid package.
Career
Most universities hire graduate students as teaching assistants.
While a teaching assistant's work ends when she graduates, she may have an opportunity to work as an adjunct faculty member or post-doctoral staff member after graduation. If she pursues a career in education, her experience as a graduate teaching assistant provides valuable career experience.
Tags: graduate teaching, teaching assistants, faculty member, financial package, graduate students, teaching assistant, teaching assistant