Practical pedagogical experience in the form of teaching assignments is integral to our doctoral programs and an important part of a complete curriculum vitae. First-year graduate students are not eligible to take teaching positions, and second-year students are rarely selected for teaching assignments. Rather, in these early years students focus on course work and the acquisition of broad mastery in their disciplines. Doctoral students should seek a range of teaching experiences in the third through fifth years, ideally culminating in a lectureship. Students with a teaching component as part of their fellowship must discharge the requirement by the end of the fellowship period. Many students who are beyond the fifth year seek teaching positions as a means of financial support.

Course Intern/Lecturer

Doctoral students in the Social Sciences generally take positions as a course intern or lecturer in the Social Sciences Collegiate Division (SSCD) sequences, a teaching assistant or lecturer in departmental College courses, an intern or lector in the College’s writing program, or a preceptor for College majors. Students in the fourth year and beyond may apply to be preceptors for master’s students in the Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) or the MA program in International Relations. In considering teaching opportunities, you should keep in mind resources and options that will help you develop professional skill as an instructor. Departments often provide (and some departments require) pedagogical seminars and workshops to help graduate students learn how to teach better. Student teachers will also find a number of very useful university resources. This page contains links to various categories of teaching opportunities and support options.

Compensation

All teaching positions are compensated. In addition to the teaching salary, doctoral students in Advanced Residence who are not otherwise receiving tuition aid generally will be awarded a full tuition grant in the quarter in which they serve in a teaching capacity in the College, the Divisions of the Humanities or Social Sciences, and the Divinity School. Teaching assignments in the professional schools, the Graham School and Laboratory School, in the Biological or Physical Sciences, other institutions (including University of Chicago Charter Schools), or while on exchange status, do not qualify for tuition aid from the Division of the Social Sciences.