New Student Orientation
Assistantship Responsibilities
- Complete the Online Orientation for New Employees
- Attend the Teaching Assistants Orientation
- Take the TOEFL
General Information
PhD assistantships are awarded competitively each year. Selections are made by the student's department.
Students that are accepted into a PhD assistantship perform duties on a .40 basis (i.e. 16 hours per week) by teaching three classes per academic year or performing equivalent research duties. In order to hold an assistantship, students must register for a minimum of twelve (12) hours each semester during the period of the appointment.
University regulations restrict the amount of money that a graduate assistant may earn in addition to the stipend for the assistantship. Moreover, accreditation and other factors govern the percentage of time which a full-time student may be employed. Therefore, any graduate assistant planning to earn money from other sources must obtain prior clearance from the director of graduate programs of the Terry College of Business.
To-Do List
Complete the Online Orientation for New Employees
All new graduate students who have awarded a graduate assistantship must complete the appropriate paperwork and document eligibility for employment by the University of Georgia. To meet these requirements, they must complete the online orientation for new employees. During the orientation, the required employment forms, policies, and information about applicable benefits will be available to print. Please be sure to print the following forms:
- I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification (Complete immediately!)
- Board of Regents Security Questionnaire and Loyalty Oath (Requires notary)
- UGA Intellectual Property Agreement (Requires witness)
- Form W-4 Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate
- Direct Deposit Request Form
Complete these forms as quickly as possible and return them to the appropriate department. Departmental secretaries are authorized to notarize forms that require such.
Paychecks will not be disbursed until all of the above forms are completed and turned in.
Employees holding temporary positions with the university, such as these assistantships, are not eligible for university benefits. When the orientation asks about benefits eligibility, select the orientation for non-eligible participants.
For comprehensive details regarding the employment policies and guidelines of the university, view the Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual and follow the human resources links.
Attend the Teaching Assistants Orientation
All new graduate students who will have instructional responsibilities are required to attend the Teaching Assistants Orientation before the beginning of fall semester classes. Even if a graduate student will not be directly responsible for teaching during the academic year, they will probably be expected to provide instruction at some point during their assistantship. Returning graduate students are encouraged to attend sessions of interest.
Enroll in GRSC 7770
All graduate students who have no prior teaching experience at the college level must enroll before they are allowed to begin their assigned teaching responsibility.
Take the TOEFL
International students whose native language is not English are required to take and score at least 26 on the speaking section, TAST, of the internet-based TOEFL before being considered for a teaching assignment. Language consultation and recommendations for language development are available from the department of language and literacy education. For further information about TOEFL administration contact Educational Testing Services.
