How To Become Graduate Teaching Assistant In Nigeria

Do you want to become a graduate teaching assistant in a university? If yes, you are on the right page. We will show you how to become graduate teaching assistant in the university. Let’s first understand what graduate assistant is all about.

What is a graduate teaching Assistant?

A graduate assistant is someone who help a college professor to conduct their courses, they may be asked to mark or grade assignments.

Graduate assistant also provide support to students during office hours. In some cases, you have full teaching duties for a low-level class. Although, some universities do not allow graduate assistant without Masters degree to teach a course.

Qualification to become a Graduate Assistant

To be a graduate assistant, you must have obtained a Bachelor’s Degree, and must have been admitted in a Master’s degree program.

If you have Masters Degree already, your graduate assistant will be more of a lecturer as you will be asked to teach.

Ph.D. students can also be graduate teaching assistants, but they will function more as a professor than an assistant.

How to Become a Graduate Teaching Assistant

You need to apply for a graduate assistant position with your school. Make sure you submit your application before the first semester begins.

Your school will decide your fate based on your performance in your undergraduate program.

Below is how to become a graduate assistant according to a Nigerian.

Getting a GA job is not really easy even if you graduated with a first class. It takes God’s grace and lots of connections to succeed in the race.

I graduated from a first generation federal university with a second class upper( 4.2) and a sound knowledge in my field.

I have discussed with some lecturers in my department about getting a GA job.

I was told to apply for a master’s program in same university then push my application with the help of my HOD and other key professors in the school. It has not been easy because of the protocol in the federal system.

My advised to those aspiring for GA jobs is to get other jobs doing during your masters programs before the GA job surface because it can take a long time to complete the process if actually you stand a better chance of getting it.

Most importantly, if you have passion in lecturing and ambition of becoming a lecturer one day, never stop studying, attending seminars & workshops related to your field, get professional certifications, acquaint yourself with the modern software related to your field.

Just keep learning and getting the knowledge. One day it will stand you out.