Teaching and TA Opportunities
Getting Teaching Experience in Psychology
Graduate students gain teaching experience in the department through serving as teaching assistants (TAs), as guest lecturers in classes, and as the primary instructor of undergraduate classes. All graduate students are eligible to serve as TAs and must apply for these paid positions when they are advertised (the call for applications goes out on Psychat in late June/early July for TA positions for fall and spring courses; summer course TA positions are fewer in number and are advertised near the end of March). TA positions vary in the degree of actual teaching that is involved as the primary duties for most TA positions involve grading exams and papers. However, if you want to gain experience in teaching while acting as a TA, be sure to make this known to the course instructor as often there will be opportunities for you to come in and offer a guest lecture on topics related to your research or professional interests. Graduate students must have passed their (two) candidacy exams (Psyc693) prior to being eligible to teach undergraduate courses in the department. It is also a good idea to consult with your supervisor about the timing of your teaching activities to ensure that this does not interfere with the completion of your dissertation and program.
A teaching certificate program (Learning and Teaching in Higher Education - LATHE) is offered to doctoral students through EPLS, the Division of Learning and Teaching Support and Innovation (LTSI), and Grad Studies. This program is ideal for current graduate students who are interested in pursuing an academic teaching career in post-secondary education. The two-year, part-time (2, 8 month long sessions) 6.0 unit graduate credit program is guided by recent research in the psychology of learning and instruction that can be earned in conjunction with their UVIC graduate degree program. There is a cost just over $847 (domestic students) and about $1071 for international students. Credits earned in the LATHE program can be applied to the student’s doctoral degree.
For additional information offered to graduate student TAs through the Division of Learning and Teaching Support and Innovation (LTSI), see http://www.uvic.ca/learningandteaching/ta/
In some years, our department (in conjunction with the LTSI) has hired a graduate student to serve as the Teaching Assistant Consultant (TAC). See:
The student in this position offers support, consultation, educational materials, and workshops designed to assist TAs in the department. It is beneficial for all graduate students (not just those serving as a TA for the first time) to attend these workshops. If you are interested in becoming the TAC, the call for applications usually goes out from the LTSI in March with a closure in May and a student is hired shortly thereafter for the following September through April terms. Contact: LTSI (ltsioffice@uvic.ca) if interested in becoming the next TAC.