Course Internships and Lectureships in the Social Sciences Collegiate Division

Interns serve in the College’s Social Sciences Core or Civilization sequences. Interns are apprentices to the faculty in whose course they have been appointed. They are expected to learn from the supervising faculty member how to teach a course in the Core Curriculum to a small number of students in a seminar-style discussion class. Members of the faculty who have interns assigned to them retain full responsibility for all aspects of the course. Interns may be asked to assist the supervising faculty member in certain regards, but their main responsibility is to learn how to teach the course on their own.

Graduate students who have completed internships in SSCD Core courses are eligible to apply for appointment as freestanding lecturers in the sequence in which they interned. Lecturers have full responsibility for teaching one or more sections of an SSCD Core course in the social sciences or civilization studies for one or more quarters. Within limits established by tradition, faculty consensus, and a syllabus of shared readings, lecturers have discretion to teach the course as they prefer. In order to maintain the intellectual and pedagogical cohesion of the curriculum, lecturers are expected to participate in the meetings of the staff teaching the course to which they have been appointed.

Students apply for course internships and lectureships in the SSCD.

Teaching Assistants

Teaching assistants work with an instructor, generally for courses taught in the College. Specific duties may vary depending on the course, but may include holding office hours, leading discussions, grading papers and exams, or training in pedagogic methods. Requirements, training, and application procedures vary by department. Please check with your department for more information.

Lecturers (Outside the SSCD)

Lecturers teach stand-alone courses, either of their own design or in the tradition of a standing course where they are the assigned instructor. They have full responsibility for their courses, including syllabus design, instruction, test design, grading, and all other record keeping. Lectureships outside the Social Sciences Collegiate Division are assigned through the departments. Please check with your department for further information on how to apply.

Preceptors in College programs

Some departments hire advanced graduate students as preceptors for College students who are writing BA theses. These positions usually require a nine-month commitment and offer doctoral students an opportunity to become deeply engaged in the workings of an undergraduate concentration. Duties and application procedures vary by department. Please check with your department for further information on how to apply.

Writing Program

Courses in the Writing Program are geared to writers in many different fields, and the program employs University of Chicago graduate students from all fields: humanities, social sciences, and the sciences. The program's Web site describes training requirements, applications procedures, and the available positions: Library and Dormitory Writing Tutors, Interns in the Humanities Common Core, and Lectors in Advanced Academic and Professional Writing (affectionately called the Little Red School House).

Graduate students must undergo training in order to take positions as writing interns, tutors, or lectors. Training consists of twenty to thirty hours of class preparation and thirty hours of classroom work. Please note that this training does not count toward divisional fellowships that have a teaching service obligation. Students should consult with their director of graduate studies regarding the best year of study for taking advantage of training and further possibilities for teaching writing for which this training is a preparation.

There are two different versions of the program depending on teaching appointment: Academic and Professional Writing lectors train in autumn quarter in “Principles of Teaching Writing" (English 50300); College Core tutors, Humanities Core writing interns, art writing interns, and departmental course assistants train in the spring or summer quarter in ’Pedagogies of Writing” (HUMA 50000). Enrollment in the spring and summer is limited; please contact the Writing Program to determine whether a place will be available in the quarter of choice.

Preceptors in MAPSS and CIR

The Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS) and the Committee on International Relations (CIR) rely on preceptors in their one-year master’s degree programs. Preceptors served for ten month appointments, and some may also be hired over the summer term. Preceptors guide students in these master’s programs in defining their areas of academic specialization and choosing courses. They assist students in selecting faculty sponsors for their thesis and take an active role in guiding and evaluating research and writing the master’s paper. Applicants should be advanced graduate students, preferably those already admitted to PhD candidacy. The work of preceptors in the master’s programs requires an extensive commitment and consumes a considerable amount of time, with a commensurate annual compensation level. Interested students should contact the director of MAPSS or CIR.

Center for Gender Studies

Graduate students can apply to co-teach in the Gender Studies Core, serve as BA preceptors, or propose a course of their own design through the Center for Gender Studies.