PhD Teaching

Practical pedagogical training is a funding and curricular degree requirement in the doctoral programs in the Division of the Social Sciences. All PhD students who started prior to 2025 must complete the requirements set by their individual doctoral programs as a condition for graduation.

All PhD students starting in 2025 and after must complete the following divisional requirement as a condition for graduation. 

1. The teaching requirement must be completed before graduation unless a PhD program imposes a shorter timeline for completion, in which case the program’s timeline must be followed. 
2. In general, only the following instructional positions satisfy the teaching requirement: teaching assistant, lecturer, preceptor, and instructional grader. A PhD program may further limit which positions qualify for satisfying the requirement, in which case the program’s rules must be followed.
3. The minimum requirement for all SSD PhD programs, with the exception of Political Economy, is the equivalent of five quarter-long teaching assistantship assignments. A lectureship is the equivalent of two TA assignments; a quarter-long preceptorship equals one TA assignment; and instructional grader is equivalent to one-half teaching assistantship. Students in the joint PhD program in Political Economy must complete the equivalent of four quarter-long teaching assistantship assignments. 
4. Teaching assignments must be either in the College or in the Division of the Social Sciences. Assignments in graduate courses in other divisions or in the professional schools do not qualify, except when a student is enrolled in a joint PhD program with that division or school. 
5. Teaching done in fulfillment of funding or curricular degree requirements is paid as primary funding.
6. The student’s home PhD program will advise the student on matters related to the teaching requirement and how to fulfill it and will track the student’s progress toward completion of the requirement. Students should consult the program handbook and/or website for additional information about the teaching requirement and should direct questions to the Director of Graduate Studies and the Student Affairs Administrator.
7. PhD students in the Division of the Social Sciences who have satisfied all of their PhD program’s academic and funding requirements for teaching are eligible to apply for additional teaching assignments if they are in good academic standing, have fulfilled all milestones expected by their stage of the program, and have the approval of their PhD program and the Dean of Students. If approved, students will receive payment for additional teaching separate from their primary funding and in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement between the University and GSU-UE. Prior to completion of academic and funding requirements for teaching, PhD students in the Division of the Social Sciences can apply to hold a teaching assignment that does not count towards their required teaching only if very specific criteria are met. Please see Teaching Beyond Academic and Funding Requirements below for more detail.

Teaching Beyond Academic and Funding Requirements
(Applies to all PhD students in the Division of the Social Sciences)

Students who have completed required teaching

PhD students in the Division of the Social Sciences who have satisfied all academic and funding requirements for teaching are eligible to apply for additional teaching assignments if they are in good academic standing, have fulfilled all milestones expected by their stage of the program, and have the approval of their PhD program and the Dean of Students. Students should consult with their PhD program for the necessary departmental approvals. If approved, students will receive payment for additional teaching separate from their primary funding and in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement between the University and GSU-UE.

Students who have not yet completed required teaching

Prior to completion of academic and funding requirements for teaching, PhD students in the Division of the Social Sciences can apply to hold a teaching assignment that does not count towards their required teaching only if all of the following criteria are met:

1. The teaching assignment would not satisfy teaching requirements in the student’s PhD program (e.g., pre-collegiate Summer Session courses, non-credit pre-matriculation programs, preceptorships); and
2. The student is in good academic standing and has fulfilled all milestones expected by their stage of the program; and
3. The student has the approval of their PhD program and the Dean of Students. Students should consult with their PhD program for the necessary departmental approvals.

Teaching Limits

In all cases, the Division of the Social Sciences limits PhD students to holding three (3) teaching assignments per year beyond the assignments that fulfill academic and funding requirements. Individual PhD programs within the Social Sciences may set lower limits. In cases of non-standard teaching assignments (e.g., a partial-quarter TAship), the student can petition to the Dean of Students for exceptions to the 3-assignment limit.