Admission to the Ph.D. program in Psychology carries with it a commitment of full financial support for five years subject only to the condition that the student is making satisfactory progress toward the doctoral degree. This position carries a fixed stipend (the same for all students) plus tuition and fees

In fulfillment of the requirement for the M.Phil. degree, all students must gain teaching experience as part of their graduate training. Moreover, teaching is regarded as essential for the student’s academic career. Thus, graduate students teach for a total of five semesters.

Teaching assignments are made by the Director of Undergraduate Programs and the Director of Graduate Studies. In late April, returning students submit their preferences for the coming academic year. Most students are given their first or second preference (>85%). In making Teaching Assistant (TA) assignments, we take into account student preferences, special skills, and previous assignments, in the context of the needs of the student’s educational program and the instructional program. To ensure that both teaching load and opportunities for training are distributed equitably; all students are given two "hard" assignments (e.g., 4 pt courses involving labs or discussion sections) during their 5-year tenure as graduate students.

All teaching is overseen by a faculty member. Duties of teaching assistants include:

The number of TAs assigned to each course is based on anticipated enrollment together with the demands of the course and the teaching style of the instructor. For 3 pt lecture courses without discussion sections, this is typically one TA for up to 40, two for up to 90 students, three for up to 150, and four for up to 220 students. In 4 pt lecture courses with discussion sections, one TA is assigned to two sections of 15-25 students each. In 4 pt laboratory courses, one TA is assigned to each lab section of 15 -20 students. When actual enrollment figures become available, some TAs may need to be reassigned.

All graduate students teach one semester each year during the five years in which they are supported. Students typically enjoy assignments, do not regard them as onerous, and seek out challenging teaching assignments. All students are fully supported for five years (stipend, tuition, and fees).

During the semester in which the students teach, they are appointed as Teaching Fellows and are supported that semester exclusively through the GSAS Teaching Fellowship program.

Our graduate program assumes that the workload for all students should be the same (research, courses and teaching). The well being of each student is discussed at special faculty meetings held for this purpose. The Psychology department is small enough so that all problems are easily detected and resolved in order to ensure that the treatment of Teaching Fellows is fair. In the unlikely event that a student believes that he or she is experiencing unfair treatment, he or she should bring the grievance to the attention of the Director of Graduate Studies. Should the grievance not be resolved, he or she may bring it to the attention of the Department Chair and/or the Assistant Dean for Graduate Teaching at GSAS.