Qualifications for Appointment

In order to be considered for a Graduate Assistant/Associate position, a graduate student must:

  1. Be admitted to a graduate degree seeking program. Students enrolled solely in Certificate programs are not eligible for GA appointments.  Law, Medicine and Pharmacy (PharmD) students are not eligible for GA positions unless concurrently enrolled in a regular graduate degree-seeking program. Non-degree seeking students are not eligible for GA positions
  2. Have a minimum GPA of 3.0. If a student is newly admitted, the admission GPA is considered for this requirement. A student must also maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 during their appointment. Appointing departments may also require a higher GPA.  It is important to check the GPA before making an offer of GA appointment so that any issues can be addressed in a timely manner.  The Graduate Assistant/Associate Low GPA Waiver form must be submitted should a hiring exception be necessary.  GPA exceptional appointments are limited to one semester appointments and are not eligible for reappointment until grades are reviewed. In the rare case that a student is hired with a low GPA, the hiring department is expected to provide a detailed plan for mentoring the GA and for oversight of the class. 
  3. Be enrolled in at least 6 graduate level units. Undergraduate or audited courses do not satisfy this requirement. Appointing departments may also require a higher enrollment.
  4. Meet any additional University of Arizona employee requirements for the position. (Please note that appointing departments may also have additional criteria that a graduate student must meet in order to be appointed into a Graduate Assistant/Associate position.)

 

Teaching Assistant/Associate Restrictions

  • The Graduate Council has ruled that TAs are not allowed to engage in any commercial activity relative to the courses they are instructing.
  • TAs may not be the instructor of record for graduate level courses.  Duties of GAs involved in graduate level courses should be restricted to objective grading, discussion sessions, lab setup, website maintenance, general advising and tutoring, or similar duties.

Remote Hiring

  • Hiring GAs who are living outside the state of Arizona, whether in another state or overseas, may result in additional hiring costs according to the respective place of residence tax and employment laws. It is up to each individual College/Department to determine whether they want to allow the remote hiring of GA’s and assume the financial costs that could be associated with doing so.