Graduate Teaching Assistantships

Graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs) allow graduate students to fund their education through part-time instructional work.

What is a GTA?

A graduate teaching assistant (GTA) is a doctoral or master's level graduate student who is paid to work part time in assisting with undergraduate or master's level classes. Universities and colleges offer GTAs to help graduate students offset educational costs. Payment typically comes in the form of a stipend and tuition assistance from the College and may include:

• Out-of-state tuition waiver
• All university tuition and fees paid for except comprehensive fees (~$850 per semester)
• Stipend through university (dependent on department)

GTA Responsibilities

GTAs may partake in any or all of the following, depending on their GTA agreement: 

• Grading
  • Amount dependent on whether class also has designated graders
• Instruction
  • Dependent on department
  • Opportunities outside of department including general engineering courses
• Lab assistant
  • Administer prepared lab materials
  • ~3 labs, 2 hours each per week
• Tutoring and/or office hours
  • ~3-4 hours per week

Securing a GTA

To secure a GTA, ask your home department's graduate coordinator about potential GTA opportunities during the admissions process. GTA awards are based on an individual student's academic merit and teaching experience, and they're typically offered simultaneously with a student's acceptance offer to the graduate school.