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Department of Chemistry
Chemistry Graduate Student Handbook

TA’s and RA’s

Teaching Assistantships

Financial assistance in the first year is generally offered in the form of a Teaching Assistant­ship. Teaching assistants typically serve in undergraduate lab sections of General Chemistry or Organic Chemistry and require approximately 20 hours per week, including preparation and grading. TAs play a critical role in the department’s innovative efforts to continually improve undergraduate instruction. Students on TAs are paid on a bi-weekly basis through direct deposit.

Learn more about selecting Teaching Assignments and Course Descriptions

A TA appointment is contingent upon maintaining good academic standing (a 3.0 GPA or better). The department will continue supporting students on TAs as long as they are still considered GSSP eligible (see the GSSP Handbook section and the GSSP Eligibility Chart later in this section). Thereafter, TA support may be available on an individual case-by-case basis and if funding allows. Beyond the first year, students may be supported by teaching assistantships, fellowships, or research assistantships provided by individual faculty research grants.

Research Assistantships

Research Assistantships are generally available after the second semester of graduate school, depending on availability of funding and an individual student’s advisor’s policies dictating RAs. These assistantships provide the graduate student the opportunity to concentrate full time on research. Students on RAs are supported by a grant or contract generally obtained and/or administered by the faculty advisor. Conditions behind funding from contracts and grants tend to vary, so the length of support and amount differ greatly. Students receiving RAs should speak with advisors to determine conditions of the funding.  If a base RA does not meet the funding amounts of the current TA rate, the department will construct an appropriate split RA/TA award as long as the student continues to be GSSP eligible (see the GSSP Handbook). The Graduate Program Director will determine TA duties based on the details of the award and in consultation with the student’s faculty advisor. Students on RAs are paid on a bi-weekly basis through direct deposit.