Position Description
The Fariborz Maseeh Department of Mathematics + Statistics hires a limited number of Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) to teach or assist beginning level courses such as college algebra, trigonometry, and introductory statistics. Appointments are awarded on a competitive basis to graduate students enrolled in the MA/MS in Mathematics, MS in Statistics, MS in Mathematics for Teachers, PhD in Mathematical Sciences, and PhD in Mathematics Education, with priority given to doctoral students.
GTAs are hired for a nine-month appointment to begin Fall term. Some summer teaching appointments may be available.
Responsibilities of a GTA appointment include:
- teaching or assisting one class per quarter for three quarters each year
- conducting office hours (normally 2 hours per week)
- attending a 1-hour weekly seminar on the teaching of mathematics/statistics
- tutoring for 2 hours per week (only GTAs assisting in classes)
Requirements
All GAs are required to carry a minimum of 9 graduate credit hours per term and to maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better.
Attend a five-day orientation workshop for new GTAs prior to the beginning of Fall term. Topics covered will include university and departmental orientation, individual advising, teaching assignments, model lessons, and methods of assessing what students have learned in your class.
Renewal of position
Renewal of a graduate teaching assistantship is not guaranteed, however, an attempt will be made to renew appointments for those whose academic and teaching performance is satisfactory. MA/MS students may receive a GA position for a maximum of 2 academic years; Ph.D. students may receive a GA position for a maximum of 4 academic years.
Stipend and tuition waiver
Graduate Teaching Assistants receive a waiver which pays for tuition and mandatory fees for 9 graduate credit hours per term. GTAs also receive an academic year stipend. Stipends vary depending on the program.
New Development: Top applicants to the PhD in Mathematical Sciences may be eligible for an additional $6,000 scholarship, renewable for a second year, subject to satisfactory academic progress.
Research Assistants
Some professors are able to provide Research Assistantships from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their direction. Students are selected by their excellence in scholarship and potential as researchers. The responsibilities and financial support vary based on the grant work. Students interested in this type of assistantship should speak directly with the faculty member that they are interested in working with.
For more information
Please refer to the Graduate School's Graduate Assistantship web page.
Application
Prospective students
Applicants to our master's or doctoral programs (including current graduate students applying to one of our doctoral programs) indicate their interest in a GA position via the graduate program application. The deadline to apply for anyone hoping to receive financial support is January 15.
Current students
Current students who did not have a GA position in the 2023-2024 academic year, may apply for a GA position in the 2024-2025 academic year via this Google form. The only exception is if you are a current graduate student who is applying to the PhD in Mathematical Sciences or the PhD in Mathematics Education. In that case, follow the instructions for "Prospective students" in the paragraph above.
Current students who received a GA award for part or all of academic year 2023-2024 will receive emailed instructions from Department Administrator Kathie Leck.
Application requirements
All new applicants (prospective and current) will be asked to provide the following:
- a statement describing their background in mathematics/statistics and previous teaching, tutoring, grading experiences
- the names and email addresses of two references. Recommendation letters should come from a professional or academic reference who can comment on your ability to do graduate work and your teaching potential.
- most recent unofficial transcript
- indicate which classes they feel comfortable teaching from a list of 100 and 200 level math and statistics classes
CV or resume is optional.
Timeline of new GTA offers:
The initial round of GTA offers usually goes out late February/early March. Applicants have until April 15th to accept or decline the offer. Once an offer is declined, an offer will be made to another applicant. This process may take some time until all available slots are taken. Please be assured, everyone who applied for a graduate assistantship will be contacted by the department by email once all available positions are taken.