Teaching, Learning, and Employment

UBC offers many opportunities throughout your graduate student career to develop your teaching and research skills, as well as find relevant employment while you work on your degree.

Graduate Teaching, Research, or Academic Assistantships

Teaching, research or academic assistantships are intended to assist full-time graduate students in meeting the cost of their studies. These appointments may involve part-time duties in teaching, research or other academic activities. Graduate students are prioritized for these positions – master’s students have two years of priority for placement; doctoral students have four years of priority placement. The number of available positions is contingent on Faculty budget and overall student numbers.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

Most faculties have a limited number of Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) positions available for registered full-time graduate students. Full GTA positions entail 12 hours of work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction. Many graduate programs offer partial GTA appointments with fewer than 12 hours of work per week.

Graduate Research Assistantships

Graduate Research Assistantships are employment opportunities for qualified students offered by faculty members with research grants and contracts. As a paid research assistant, graduate students assist their supervisor or other researchers in conducting high-level research, which often contributes to the student’s thesis or dissertation. GRA’s are not guaranteed because they follow the financial cycles of the supervisor’s external grants and contracts.

Teaching and research assistantships are assigned by the course/research home departments.

All questions should be directed to your supervisor or program coordinator.

Graduate Academic Assistantships

The duties of a Graduate Academic Assistant (GAA) include work not covered under the GRA role.  A graduate student would be hired as a GAA if a faculty member hired the student to conduct research that is not directly related to the student’s field of study.

To learn more about Teaching, Research or Academic Assistantships, read the CoGS Policy Manual. 

Research Excellence Workshop Leader Initiative

The Research Excellence Workshop Leader Initiative (REWLI) is offered in partnership by the College of Graduate Studies and the Centre for Scholarly Communication. The program aims to leverage and support the diverse skill sets of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Through this program, up to ten (10) applicants will receive funding to develop and deliver a workshop relevant to their field or the wider academic community.

Learn More

Resources

Workshops & Events

See what teaching and learning professional development opportunities are offered across both campuses.

Centre for Teaching & Learning

Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology