All graduate students must complete two Teaching Assistant (TA) assignments for academic credit before being awarded their Ph.D. degree. Eligible courses include undergraduate, graduate, or medical courses within the Biological Sciences Division (exceptions may apply for students in the Biophysical Sciences graduate program).
To qualify for credit, a TA assignment must provide substantial teaching experience, such as:
- Delivering a full-length lecture
- Leading a lab or field trip
- Conducting regularly scheduled discussion sessions
Faculty mentors are expected to guide TAs in developing their teaching skills. Both the TA and faculty mentor must complete the Teaching Assistant Compact.
Students new to teaching may fulfill one of the two required credits by completing the TA Training Course (offered annually Spring Quarter). Students cannot receive payment for TA work before completing this requirement. Being a TA of the same course twice is permitted only if responsibilities change significantly, offering new teaching skill development opportunities.
FAQs for the Evaluated Teaching Requirement
Who must participate?
All BSD graduate students are required to complete two evaluated teaching assistantships (TAs) as part of their doctoral training. These TA experiences are tracked through the registration system as pass/fail courses, and both must be successfully passed before the Ph.D. degree can be awarded. Importantly, students may not receive payment for any TA work until they have fully satisfied this teaching requirement.
How do I find BSD courses that need TAs?
To identify teaching assistant opportunities in the Biological Sciences Division:
- Consult faculty in your program about courses they teach that may need TAs
- Ask your program administrator, who often knows which courses are seeking teaching assistants
- Connect with senior graduate students about courses where they’ve previously TA’d
- Monitor the BSD graduate student listserv for occasional announcements about TA openings
- Reach out directly to course instructors and apply via GRAD Gargoyle
How do I know whether a course is eligible for TAship?
To qualify as one of your two required TA experiences, the position must meet all the following criteria:
- The course must be offered in the Biological Sciences Division to undergraduates, graduate students or medical students. Courses in other divisions are not eligible. Exceptions may be made for students in the Biophysical Sciences graduate program.
- The course must be for the entire duration of one academic quarter with no more than 20 hrs/week.
- The TA position must involve significant student contact and a high level of teaching responsibilities, including at least one of the following:
- Running laboratory sessions or leading field trips.
- Giving one or more formal, instructor-monitored lectures in the course.
- Leading weekly TA-run discussion sessions that are a required part of the course. Giving only review sessions before exams is insufficient to meet the requirement.
- The course instructor is required to fulfill certain obligations, including:
- Formal requirements like submitting a written evaluation and providing a grade recommendation.
- Informal mentoring components such as communication with TA on goals and expectations, ongoing feedback and progress monitoring, and final evaluation discussion.
- If it is your second time teaching the same course, you must have teaching responsibilities that reflect your increased skill level.
May I TA the same course twice to fulfill my divisional teaching requirement?
Permission to TA the same course twice depends on teaching responsibilities. You may not TA the same course for a requirement if the duties remain identical but may qualify if the second assignment provides meaningful skill development. Examples of acceptable progression include:
- Advancing from leading discussions to delivering formal lectures
- Teaching a substantially redesigned version of the course
- Taking on significantly expanded responsibilities (e.g., designing course materials or assessments)
All repeat requests require approval to ensure they meet professional development goals. An exception to the above policy is half-time TA-ships, or “grader” positions. Unless done twice, half-time TA-ships are not eligible to fulfill a full teaching requirement.
May I do something besides TA for an approved course to fulfill the requirement?
You have several options to complete your TA requirement:
- TA Training Course (BSDG 50000: Offered annually, this course satisfies one requirement (your second requirement must be a traditional TA position). Designed for students in their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year, this course helps develop teaching skills before a student’s first teaching assistantship or for students wanting to build additional skills after a challenging teaching experience. Students beyond their 4th year must petition to take the course. Contact Scott Myers (scottmyers@uchicago.edu) for details.
- Quantitative Approaches Bootcamp: Serve twice as a Course Assistant for this annual week-long Quantitative Approaches ‘Bootcamp’ (contact the Associate Dean of Education, Graduate Education if you are interested in being a TA to the Bootcamp).
- Development Assistantship (DA-ship): The goal of the development assistantship is to support and recognize student leaders who design and execute independent projects, beyond their thesis research, that advance one or more of the BSD's six core values. These projects are important professional development opportunities where students learn leadership, organization, and administrative skills to develop their career prospects and ambitions.
- Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) Courses: TA an intensive 3-week residential course offered to UChicago students at the MBL; note these are typically courses offered in Spring Quarter or September.
What do I have to do before the course begins?
Once you secure an eligible TA position, you must complete the following steps to receive credit:
- Register for the appropriate BSD TAship course (100-units)
-
Autumn: BSDG 100-50100-01
**Bootcamp is a 50-unit course and must be done twice
Winter: BSDG 100-50600-01
Spring: BSDG 100-50300-01
Summer: BSDG 100-50500-01
-
- Submit the TA Compact
- Meet with your faculty mentor to review your responsibilities for the course and have your mentor complete the mentor section of the TA Compact.
- Attend a meeting of TAs held quarterly.
Late course registration or submissions of the TA Compact will result in forfeiture of credit. No credit will be granted retroactively.
How do I complete the requirement form?
To complete your Teaching Assistant requirements, you must first fill out your portion of the TA Compact.
Your faculty mentor will automatically receive a separate link to complete their section. You should schedule a meeting with your mentor to clearly define your TA responsibilities, establish expectations for the quarter, and discuss how you'll receive feedback. Note that your mentor is required to provide ongoing feedback throughout the quarter and must complete a final online evaluation after the course concludes.
What if enrollment in the course I am a TA for changes, or the course is cancelled?
The number of TA positions listed for any course is determined by projected enrollment figures. Final TA assignments remain contingent on actual course enrollment, which may result in position reductions if enrollment falls significantly below projections. While students may make arrangements with the course director to serve as a TA, students should be aware that even though they may have made arrangements with the course director to serve as TA for a particular course, there is no guarantee that a TA position will ultimately be available if anticipated enrollment levels are not met.
What do I have to do after the course to receive credit?
To receive TA credit, three evaluations must be completed: (1) your self-evaluation, (2) your faculty mentor's evaluation, and (3) evaluations from your students. These are conducted through individualized REDCap surveys, with unique links distributed at the quarter's end.
Please note that standard course evaluations cannot substitute for the required TA evaluations.
The Associate Dean for Education, Graduate Education reviews all evaluations before grade submission. You will receive a comprehensive report containing your TA Compact, faculty evaluation, self-assessment, and anonymized student feedback.
What is the TA Training course?
The Teaching Assistant Training Course (BSDG 100-50000-01, 100 credits) offers graduate students the opportunity to fulfill one TA requirement while developing essential teaching skills. This annual course combines theory and practice through diverse formats, including lectures, panel discussions, and interactive sessions. A distinctive feature involves students delivering recorded mini lectures followed by peer and self-evaluation. The course is led by two experienced "super" TAs and features faculty selected for their teaching excellence and dedication to pedagogy.
This intensive training program is designed for graduate students in their 2nd through 4th years, though exceptions may be granted via petition. The course serves both as preparation for first-time teaching assistants and as professional development for those seeking to enhance their skills after challenging TA experiences. Due to the highly interactive format that includes teaching simulations and feedback sessions, enrollment is strictly limited to 25 participants per offering. Prospective students must express interest by contacting Scott Myers (scottmyers@uchicago.edu) at the Dean of Students Office during the quarter preceding their desired enrollment period, as available spots are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
May I teach beyond my teaching requirement?
After completing their TA requirement, students may accept paid TA positions in courses with unfilled TA positions. However, students should carefully consider the time commitment, as excessive teaching may delay dissertation progress. Before considering a paid TAship, students must consult with their faculty advisor, and you may also wish to discuss with their thesis committee and/or program chairs.
Does my prior teaching experience count toward my Evaluated Teaching Requirement?
Graduate students with substantial prior teaching experience at the graduate level may petition to waive the teaching requirement. Petitions must include comprehensive documentation demonstrating that the previous experience is equivalent to University of Chicago TA responsibilities. Exemptions are considered approved only when the Committee on Teaching Assistants delivers its ruling. Please note:
- Undergraduate teaching experience does not qualify
- High school instruction is ineligible for consideration
Questions about petitioning should be addressed to Graduate Student Affairs Administrator, Scott Myers scottmyers@uchicago.edu 2-3905.
Where can I find more information about being a TA at UChicago in the BSD and about teaching in general?
For comprehensive information about teaching assistantships, pedagogical support, and teaching-related questions or skill development, we strongly recommend exploring these resources: