Graduate Student Employment

CMES and DMES Instructional Assistantship

Teaching assistant and assistant instructor appointments provide students with financial support as well as valuable experience working in the classroom under the supervision of a UT faculty member. Although the number of positions may vary from year to year, DMES typically offers thirteen instructional assistantships, and CMES usually offers four.

Eligibility: Applicants must be students in good standing at UT with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or students admitted without conditions. Assistant instructors must also hold a master’s degree, have completed a teaching methodology course, and either have served one semester as a TA or have one year of teaching experience at an accredited educational institution.

Responsibilities:
TAs provide classroom support for high enrollment undergraduate Middle Eastern studies courses or language courses in Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish. Duties include grading, holding office hours, proctoring exams, leading discussion sections, and other class-related duties as assigned by the instructor or language coordinator.

AIs serve as the primary instructor for lower-division courses. They are supervised by a faculty member who will assist them in curriculum development, but primary instructional responsibilities belong to the AI.

Compensation:
TAs: $6,577-$7,245 per semester plus tuition assistance up to $3,784 and UT Select health insurance
AIs: $8,191 per semester plus tuition assistance up to $3,784 and UT Select health insurance

Arabic Flagship Program Instructional Assistantship

The Arabic Flagship Program offers several instructional assistantships during the academic year. Preference is given to doctoral students with a demonstrated interest in teaching Arabic as a foreign language and with some Arabic teaching experience; master’s students are, however, welcome to apply.

Eligibility: Applicants must be students in good standing at UT with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or students admitted without conditions. Applicants must possess a level of Arabic proficiency at Advanced High or above.

Responsibilities: AFP TAs and AIs are appointed for twenty hours of work per week to be fulfilled by providing classroom support as well as mentoring AFP undergraduate students and completing other duties as assigned by the AFP director.

Compensation:
Teaching Assistants: $6,577-$7,245 per semester plus tuition assistance for up to nine hours of course credit and UT Select health insurance; up to $500 per year in conference travel support.

Assistant Instructors: $8,191 per semester plus tuition assistance for up to nine hours of course credit and UT Select health insurance; up to $500 per year in conference travel support.

Graduate Research Assistantship

Faculty members with grant-funded projects are sometimes able to offer paid research positions to qualified graduate students. Applications for GRA positions are generally not accepted; rather, qualified students are approached directly by the faculty member requiring assistance.

Eligibility: Students in good standing at UT with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or students admitted without conditions
Compensation: Salaries vary depending on the grant and scope of the project.