Teaching Requirements

Teaching experience is essential and required of all Genetics Program graduate students. This experience will involve the student in the intellectual aspects of assembling and teaching a course, as well as the problems and responsibilities of teaching.

Teaching assignments will be made by the Genetics Program Director in consultation with the graduate student. All Genetics Program graduate students will be required to assist in teaching two different semester long courses in their general area of interest and expertise. It is expected that Genetics Program graduate students assist in teaching the undergraduate genetics course, Zoology/Botany 341 for their first teaching requirement. Students desiring to assist in a particular course for their second requirement should discuss their wishes with the Genetics Program Director and the course instructor well in advance of the course offering (i.e. several months prior to the semester the course is offered).

Teaching experience gained as a graduate student prior to joining the Genetics Program will be evaluated by the Genetics Program Director for consideration in waiving one but not both of the teaching requirements. This exception does not apply to students who have been supported by a Genetics Program graduate assistantship.

Teaching loads rarely exceed twenty hours per week, including all teaching responsibilities. For the second teaching experience, the work load is usually less than ten hours per week. The specific courses in which a student assists will depend on course demands of the participating departments. Duties vary from course to course and may include recitation or laboratory instruction, laboratory preparation, reading of examinations and student advising. Students who have teaching commitments are responsible to the instructors of the classes in which they are assisting. The Teaching Assistant Program issues a handbook for T.A’s and offers various workshops throughout the year. The Teaching Assistant Program’s web site is http://www.msu.edu/unit/taprog/.

Optional Certification in College Teaching
Genetics Program graduate students may elect to participate in the MSU's Certification in College Teaching, an initiative of The Graduate School in partnership with departments and colleges. It is designed to help graduate students organize and develop their teaching experience in a systematic and thoughtful way, with assistance from faculty and campus offices and programs, in a manner similar to that already in place for research experience. As part of this program, participants will develop a teaching portfolio to highlight, organize and reflect upon their teaching experiences. Upon completion of the program, the student will receive an MSU Certificate in College Teaching from the appropriate department or college. A transcript notation will also be provided.

More information regarding the MSU Certification in College Teaching Program may be found at the Graduate School’s web site at http://www.msu.edu/user/gradschl/teaching.htm