Department of Nutrition and Public Health Sciences

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

A graduate teaching assistantship (GTA) is a financial award given to a graduate student for part-time teaching work.  

Public Health Assistantships

The department has two types of GTAs available, each with varying work responsibilities: graduate teaching assistants and graduate teaching associates.

These positions are awarded annually, and recipients are expected to serve the entire academic year. When awarding GTA positions, preference is given to returning GTAs, doctoral students, and returning MPH students (in that order).

The Department of Nutrition and Public Health Sciences seeks to provide financial support for all its doctoral students, although it is not guaranteed. Students must apply for all forms of funding; they are not provided without submitted applications. We encourage students to apply for multiple forms of financial assistance.

Please Note

  • Only applications from currently enrolled PhD Students, newly admitted PhD students, and currently enrolled full-time MPH students with a minimum of one year of program coursework will be considered for GTA positions in the Department of Nutrition and Public Health Sciences
  • Newly admitted MPH students are not eligible to apply.
  • Only students who submit an application will be considered for a GTA  position.
  • No applications will be reviewed before the April 1 deadline.
  • Assistantship positions officially start in the fall of each year.
  • Assistantships are subject to available funding.
  • International students who are awarded a GTA position are required to pass the OPIC Language Test before assuming assistantship responsibilities.
  • To be considered for a GTA position, students must submit an application each year regardless of past appointments. Reappointments are not guaranteed.

Apply for Assistantship

Online Assistantship Application

Please note: Only applications from currently enrolled PhD Students, newly admitted PhD students, and currently enrolled full-time MPH students with a minimum of one year of program coursework will be considered.

Application Deadline: April 1

Applicants will be notified whether or not they have been awarded an assistantship by early May.

What to Expect if Awarded

Benefits

All positions provide the following:

  • Tuition/maintenance fee
  • Health insurance
  • Monthly stipend* (paid over twelve months)
    *Salary (stipend) is subject to federal income tax.

Students remain responsible for paying all other university fees, including (but not limited to) programs and services fees, campus facilities fees, technology fees, library fees, and transportation fees.

Work Load

Positions can be either 25% or 50% appointments.  The workloads for each type are:

25% appointment = 10 hours of work per week, excluding organized class time.  Students must be registered for a minimum of 9 credit hours.

50% appointment = 20 hours of work per week, excluding organized class time.  Students must be registered for a minimum of 6 credit hours.

Who can apply for an assistantship position?

Applications from the following students will be considered:

  • Currently enrolled PhD students
  • Newly admitted PhD students
  • Currently enrolled MPH students who have completed a minimum of one semester of program coursework*

*Applications from newly admitted MPH students will not be considered.

What is the likelihood that I will be awarded an assistantship with the Department of Nutrition and Public Health Sciences?

The department has very few GTA positions available.  Open assistantship positions are awarded in the following preferential order:

  1. Returning GTAs
  2. PhD Students
  3. Current MPH students

Newly admitted MPH students are not eligible for GTA positions within the department.

What is the deadline to apply?

The deadline for applying for a GTA position is April 1 of each year.

When will I know whether or not I have been awarded a GTA position that I have applied for?

We strive to notify applicants of whether or not they have been awarded a position no later than one month after the application deadline.

 Are there other assistantship opportunities available on campus?

Yes.  Assistantship opportunities are also available through other departments on campus.  General information regarding graduate assistantships and a list of some (but not all) GA positions in other departments is available on the UT Graduate School website. The applicable policies governing graduate assistantships are in the Graduate Catalog.

Additionally, occasionally individual public health faculty members will hire students to serve as graduate research assistants (GRA).  GRAs are paid positions but rarely include tuition waivers.