Teaching Assistantship
A graduate student position where students assist professors with instruction (grading, leading discussions, labs) in exchange for tuition remission and a stipend.
Teaching assistantships (TAs) are graduate student positions that provide tuition remission and a monthly stipend in exchange for supporting undergraduate instruction. TA duties typically include leading discussion sections, grading assignments, holding office hours, and assisting with laboratory sessions. In STEM fields, TAs often teach introductory labs, while in humanities and social sciences, they lead discussion groups for large lecture courses. TA positions serve a dual purpose: providing financial support for graduate students while giving them teaching experience that is increasingly required for academic job applications.