A graduate teaching assistantship (GTA) is a financial award given to a graduate student for part-time work in teaching.
Public Health Assistantships
The department has two types of GTAs available, each with varying work responsibilities. Those types include:
- Graduate teaching assistants
- 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 Public Health 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 students who submit an application will be considered for a GTA position.
- No applications will be reviewed prior to the April 1 deadline.
- Assistantship positions officially start in the fall of each year.
- Assistantships are subject to available funding.
- To be considered for a GTA position, students must submit an application each year regardless of past appointments. Reappointments are not guaranteed.
Apply Here:
Online Assistantship Application
Please note: Only applications from students admitted full-time to a graduate-level public health degree program 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
- Monthy 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
Postions can be either 25% or 50% appointments. The work loads for each type are:
- 50% appointment = 20 hours of work per week, excluding organized class time. Students must be registered for a minimum of 6 credit hours.
- 25% appointment = 10 hours of work per week, excluding organized class time. Students must be registered for a minimum of 9 credit hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the likelihood that I will be awarded an assistantship with the Department of Public Health?
The Department of Public Health has very few GTA positions available. Open assistantship positions are awarded in the following preferential order:
- Returning GTAs
- PhD Students
- Currently enrolled MPH students
- Newly admitted MPH students
While newly admitted MPH students are welcome to apply, funding for assistantships is limited and often exhausted by returning GTAs, PhD students and currently enrolled MPH students
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.