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Psychology Graduate Student Organization
PGSO Academic Life Committee
Protocols and General Information for
Teaching Assistantships, Internships, and Lectureships
in the University of Chicago Psychology Department
- How many times am I required to TA before I graduate?
- Each student is required to gain 5 GAI (Graduate Aid Initiative) points by graduation.
- Each one-quarter TAship counts as 1 GAI point
- Each one-quarter lectureship counts as 2 GAI points
- What is the suggested schedule for TAing?
- First year: NO TAing allowed
- Second year: TAing discouraged, allowed under some circumstances
- Third year: TA two courses
- Fourth year: TA two courses
- Fifth year: TA one course
- How does the TA schedule affect my stipend?
- Your stipend is reduced according to the schedule above, at a rate of approximately $3,000 per course
- E.g., In your 3rd and 4th year, you are docked ~$6,000; in your 5th year you are docked ~$3,000
- If you TA on the ‘normal’ schedule (listed above) then you will earn back (via TAing) the same amount that you are docked
- E.g., In your 3rd year if you TA two classes, you will be docked ~$6,000 from your stipend check,
but will be paid $6,000 from the college, therefore you don’t lose any money in the long run.
What happens if I don’t follow the “normal” TA schedule?
- You will still be docked according to the schedule above (e.g. 3rd year docked for 2 courses)
but will be paid according to the number of courses you ACTUALLY TA.
- EXAMPLE: If you TA 3 courses your 3rd year instead of just 2 courses, you will be docked according
to the regular TA schedule ($3,000 x 2 courses = $6,000) but paid according to what you actually TAed
($3,000 x 3 courses = $9,000)
How are TAships assigned and/or chosen?
- Around February, Mimi Halpern (mhalpern
 uchicago.edu) emails the psych-grad listserve
with a list of classes asking for your requests
- You fill out a form with the classes you would like to TA for the following year and send it to Mimi
- This request protocol is NOT FIRST COME FIRST SERVE (but please don’t be late!)
- Mimi then makes recommendations to Susan Levine (or whoever the chair current chair is) who approves
them and then sends them out to the relevant faculty. These recommendations from Mimi are often dependent on:
- Who has the most need (who really needs to get more GAI points)
- If you have previous experience in the course or a similar course
- If you have done well in this course / a similar course
- If you have already TAed this course and the department wants to give others the opportunity
(for very popular courses).
- THERE ARE ALWAYS EXCEPTIONS TO THESE RULES
- Faculty then accept or reject their TA assignments
What is the maximum amount that I can TA in a year/quarter?
- Each student can TA up to 4 courses a year, and/or up to two courses in any given quarter
What happens once I fulfill my 5 GAI points / TA five classes?
- You are not required to TA for more than five courses. However, if you would like to do so, you
may still apply to TA additional classes.
- TA priority is first given to students who still need to fulfill their GAI points (e.g. those
who have not yet TAed five courses) before those that already have finished their teaching
requirement.
Can I TA in areas outside of “The College?”
- You can TA in areas outside of the college such as Booth School and/or the Graham School-
however you will NOT receive GAI points for this. You will be paid for these appointments
based on that department’s current TA rates.
- If you are a Booth or joint student- you may need your TAships amongst departments (you
definitely do need to TA in The College). Talk to Mimi for more information.
What are other ways to receive GAI points instead of just TAing?
- Interning for The Mind. Interns act less as TAs and more as co-teachers to help with a
yearlong undergraduate course. Each quarter interning equals one GAI point, just like TAing,
and pays $3,000/quarter just like TAing. See questions below for more information.
- Lecturing. After your fourth year you can either apply to be a lecturer in The Mind
(you must have first completed a year of interning in The Mind to do this) or you can apply for certain
lectureships such as the Dewey Prize, which allow you to create and teach your own course. Each lectureship
equals two GAI points and pays you ~$5,000/quarter.
- MAPSS Preceptors. This involves guiding MAPSS (Social Science Master’s Students) through
the process of choosing classes, picking advisors, and writing a thesis. This can be very labor intensive and is
generally reserved for very senior-level students. Talk to Mimi about how many GAI points this may count as.
Students who become preceptors get a yearly stipend (currently approximately $29,000/year)
Is TAing/Teaching a good way to secure funding my 6th year?
- Mimi and the department will try hard to find TAships and/or Lectureships (if you are qualified to teach
by yourself) for your 6th year. However this is NOT guaranteed! Do not go into the later years of your graduate
career thinking this is a definite plan. There is no way to know the number of TAships available and/or the
number of “needy” GAI students for any given year.
- HOWEVER, if there is a position available, it comes along with the normal TA/Lectureship stipend AND tuition
remission (it can be a big problem in your 6th year if you have to pay tuition…)
How do I know what class is a “good” one to TA for?
- Ask your fellow students! This is the best way to find out, though experiences and preferences vary wildly.
- Remember that courses change depending on who is teaching them, and even from quarter to quarter with the
SAME teacher.
- There is also a Chalk site set up with TA review information (written by students). Please contact Molly
Flaherty for information on how to access this content (mflahertyuchicago.edu)
What is “The Mind”?
- Undergraduate students are required to take a yearlong (3 quarter) core course.
- The Mind is a Social Science division core course
- Mind is NOT a psychology course; it’s a more general social sciences course covering basic research questions and
methodology.
- Each week the students attend a large lecture (taught by a different SSD faculty member each week) and a smaller
(under 19 students) discussion section (taught by a faculty member in conjunction with a mind intern)
- In this way, it is very much so a team-taught class.
What is the purpose of the Mind Internship?
- The mind internship is supposed to function as a mentorship. You help to co-lead one of the smaller discussion
sections with a faculty member once a week. You must also attend lectures.
- This course was created to teach students how to become Mind Lecturers and also to gain more teaching experience
than a typical TAship.
- Since there are 3 quarters, you work with a different faculty member each quarter in your discussion section.
Therefore, you stay with the same students across the year but get to see how three different faculty members teach.
What might I be asked to do as a Mind Intern?
- This is almost entirely dependent on the faculty member you are assigned to teach with. Most internships
involve some combination of running discussions and grading.
- For more information on requirements and duties,
click here
How do I apply to be a Mind Intern?
- Mimi will forward information regarding Mind Intern applications to the psych-grad listserve around the same
time she sends out TA information.
What is a Mind Lectureship?
- If you complete a full year (3-quarter) Mind Internship you are eligible to apply for a lectureship the
following year. This lectureship would involve leading your OWN discussion section and doing your own
grading without the aid of a faculty member. You do not need to commit to more than one quarter as a
lecture if you do not want to.
- Lectureships are worth 2 GAI points and pay $5,000/quarter
- If you complete the Mind internship (3 quarters) and one lectureship (1 quarter) then you could
technically complete all 5 GAI points in 4 quarters.
What is the Dewey Lectureship Prize?
- “The Dewey” is a prize awarded to one or two senior graduate students in the Psychology Department
each year in order to support the creation and teaching of a novel class at the University.
- Applicants do not have to be ABD to apply, but do need to be ABD by the quarter BEFORE you teach.
- Would be for a seminar class- approximately 25 students.
- Currently is worth 2 GAI points and pays $5,000/quarter
- Applications are generally due in March for the following year
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