Doctoral Teaching/TAing Requirement

Mandatory teaching requirement:

Complete two (2) teaching units.  There are several options for accumulating teaching units, as follows:

   1. Acting as a teaching assistant (TA), where teaching units are assigned by the "taczar".
   2. Being the instructor for a 1-point course, which counts as one (1) teaching unit.
   3. Being the instructor for a 3-point or 4-point course, which counts as two (2) teaching units.

The teaching units must be accumulated while teaching or TAing regular on-campus fall or spring semester courses offered by the Columbia University Department of Computer Science. Teaching or TAing at another institution, during a summer session, for CVN, Continuing Education, or another Columbia department or office, does not count towards satisfying the doctoral teaching requirement.

Teaching units are normally acquired while formally enrolled in the doctoral program (MS/PhD, PhD or DES).  However, teaching units as defined above that were accumulated while enrolled in a masters or professional degree program and appointed as a "teaching fellow" (not a "grader") may be imported to the doctoral program; contact the "taczar" for further information.

[Modified by full faculty vote on November 12, 2007. Effective immediately.]

Funding as a "Teaching Fellow":

Doctoral students are typically funded by the department as teaching fellows during the last semester in which they complete the final component of their teaching requirement. Masters and professional degree students typically complete both teaching units during the same semester and would have been funded as teaching fellows during that same semester. It is not possible to be appointed as both a teaching fellow and as a GRA (Graduate Research Assistant); a student normally funded as a GRA is instead funded as a teaching fellow for one semester, usually during the semester when the teaching requirement is completed. Special arrangements may be made for students funded through outside fellowships to fulfill the constraints of that external program. However, the doctoral teaching requirement is indeed a requirement, never waived, regardless of funding source (including self-supported or employer-supported students).

Some incoming students are admitted with funding as teaching fellows. These students typically complete the teaching requirement during their first semester, but of course continue to teach and/or TA for the duration of their appointments as teaching fellows.  Current students making satisfactory progress may apply for teaching fellowships if any positions are available.  Further information is available at the TA Czar website.  In either case, award and continuation of teaching fellow funding is contingent on English skills (a score of "level 10" is required for foreign students on Columbia's American Language Program's English Proficiency Test, normally taken during orientation, as explained here), quality of prior teaching/TAing (or apparent aptitude), the needs of the department, and availability of funds.

The stipend, tuition and fees support for doctoral teaching fellows is identical to GRAs during the 9-month academic year. See the department's business manager with any questions about the financial support for masters and professional degree students.

Changes to University policies may affect any and all aspects of the doctoral teaching requirement and/or student eligibility for teaching fellowships.

Funding as a "Preceptor":

After completing the doctoral teaching requirement, a qualified student may apply for a preceptor position, which pays somewhat more than a teaching fellow or GRA position.  Information about qualifications and application procedures are here.

Additional Teaching/TAing:

After fulfilling the teaching requirement, graduate students may voluntarily elect to serve as instructors, recitiation leaders, TAs or graders. These students are typically paid relatively small amounts as "add comp" (additional compensation on top of a student officer appointment) or "casual" (hourly). Paid positions of this nature may or may not be available any given semester, depending on the teaching needs of the department. See the TA Czar webpage or contact the TA Czar by for further information.

Note that "add comp" or "casual" paid teaching or TAing does not count towards satisfying the doctoral teaching requirement, and in any case doctoral students cannot TA for add-comp funding before they complete their teaching requirement. That is, the first two units that a doctoral student TAs, teaches, etc. count towards the student's teaching requirement (and not toward added-compensation).

[Modified by full faculty vote on November 16, 2005. Effective immediately.]

Summer Teaching:

In addition to and independent of the teaching requirement, students may voluntarily elect to serve in some teaching capacity for summer courses offered by the department. The courses offered and payscale vary from year to year. Contact for further information. Note that such summer teaching or TAing does not count towards satisfying the doctoral teaching requirement, but it is not necessary to complete the doctoral teaching requirement prior to summer teaching.

Additional information about teaching, TAing, etc. is available at the taczar website and in the GSAS teaching center.

Last updated on November 12, 2007