Teaching Assistants

Percentage receiving TA support: 43%

During the academic year, Associate Instructors (AIs) typically assist professors in undergraduate courses including holding office hours, grading exams and problem sets, and keeping course records. During the summer, Associate Instructors teach their own small sections of introductory astronomy courses for non-majors. All AIs receive training in pedagogy. Several lectures are offered each semester by Campus Instructional Consulting and within the department. All new AIs are required to attend 3 of these lectures; all continuing AIs are required to attend at least one of these lectures every year. In addition to these lectures, all new AIs are required by the University to attend a workshop on diversity offered before the start of the Fall semester. When students receive their first summer teaching assignment, they participate in an on-the-job training program involving visitations and feedback by a faculty member.
 

Percentage receiving RA support: 38%

Students may be supported as research assistants once they have identified a faculty advisor with available funding. Examples of current research projects supported by the department are listed on the department research page.

Fellowships

Percentage receiving Fellowship support (partial or full): 33%

The department encourages students to apply for fellowships from the National Science Foundation and National Aeronautics and Space Administration. In addition to national and international fellowship opportunities, graduate students may be nominated by the department for university-based fellowships. Many of the university-based fellowships provide complete support for one year of graduate study and partial support for several additional years.