Preceptor Policy

A preceptor is ordinarily a full-time candidate for a doctoral degree (PhD or DES) who has completed the residence requirements (6 RUs for PhD candidates and the equivalent for DES: 2 full academic years beyond MS), and who offers part-time instruction under the direction and supervision of a teaching faculty officer of higher rank (i.e., a tenured or tenure-track faculty member or a full-time lecturer). Preceptors and other student officer positions are described in the faculty handbook here.

Preceptorship responsibilities include teaching one 1000 or 3000-level course (3 or 4 units) each semester. Compensation is currently (as of June 2006) $3000/year over the standard PhD GRA/TA stipend.

The required qualifications for a Computer Science Department preceptor are: (1) MPhil (may be waived in rare cases and does not apply to DES - but the same prerequisites would hold: all doctoral degree requirements completed except the proposal, defense and deposit), (2) English fluency, (3) Demonstrated excellence in teaching at Columbia (e.g., via a sample lecture), (4) Faculty advocate (i.e., recommender), and (5) Application (1 page essay by the applicant about why he/she wishes to be a preceptor and why he/she is qualified).

Applications should be emailed to the preceptor coordinator (Prof. Adam Cannon for 2006-2007), by a date early in the spring semester that will be announced to the doctoral students mailing list near the beginning of each spring term. Decisions will be made by a small committee of faculty involved in teaching assignments, undergraduate education, and doctoral program administration. Appointments will take effect at the start of the fall semester.

[Modified by full faculty vote on September 22, 2004. Effective immediately.]

Last updated on June 1, 2006.