All PhD students, including fellowship holders, are required to complete service as a teaching assistant (TA) by satisfying both of the following conditions:
for courses offered in the Department of Chemical Engineering. It is expected that PhD students will complete this requirement during their 2nd and 3rd years.
Students do NOT receive any additional financial compensation as TAs while meeting this requirement. Part of their 20-hour semester appointment will be a TA appointment paid by the Department. Students on 10 hour or greater assignments are eligible for the Tuition Reduction Benefit. Students who have completed their TA requirement may continue to work periodically as a TA for additional financial compensation as permitted by their supervisor and allowed by their visa status for international students.
TA positions will be assigned by early summer for the upcoming fall semesters and late Fall for upcoming spring semesters. All graduate students who have not completed their TA obligation will complete a survey of courses they prefer to TA. The students should prepare these preferences in consultation with their supervisors so that students can request TA assignments with their supervising professor, if desired, and manage their research obligations. Students who have already met their TA obligation may also complete the survey. After students have submitted their list of preferred courses, the departmental graduate advisor and associate chair will make the TA assignments. Faculty requesting one or more of their students to TA their course will be given top priority.
Summer TAs are appointed on an ad-hoc basis by faculty. The Graduate Office is not responsible for selecting summer TAs, but TA effort for a summer course counts toward the TA requirement on a pro-rata basis (e.g. a 20 hour summer assignment for first session counts as 7 hours towards the requirement). Maymester courses do not count towards the degree requirement.
Some international students will be required to complete the ITA Certification before they can be assigned as a TA. Information on the program is available here: http://world.utexas.edu/esl/ita#cover_letter
The department recommends taking this exam directly before starting a TA position, so that the information is fresh and can be applied immediately, but students can take it at any time. Contact the graduate coordinator to be registered for the certification program.
If students get a conditional pass on their ITA certification test, they are required to take the recommended ESL classes.