Teaching Experience Requirement or Classroom Teaching Experience
All students in the Nutrition and Metabolism Program for Ph.D. are required to obtain classroom teaching experience. (Masters candidates are encouraged to do so). This experience is gained by assisting a Nutrition and Metabolism faculty member in a classroom environment for one semester as a learning intern or teaching assistant in approved classes.
The Director of Graduate Studies will assign learning intern candidates to courses according to program needs. A graduate student should expect to spend a minimum of seven hours and a maximum of ten hours per week in meeting this teaching experience requirement. These expectations will be outlined in a letter of agreement signed by the doctoral candidate and the instructor in charge of the course. At the semester’s end, the instructor’s evaluation of the candidate’s performance in meeting these expectations will be placed in the candidate’s file.
The teaching experience provides important training for graduate students in teaching methodology. Students on Research Assistantship (RA) appointments should register for NS 799 (1-3 cr.) in order to earn course credit for the Learning Intern experience. Candidates appointed to Teaching Assistantships (TA) will satisfy the requirement, provided that the TA experience covers the range of delivering lectures, and writing/grading student assignments or exams. At semester’s end, the instructor’s written evaluation of the student will affirm that the learning intern requirement has been satisfied. Opportunities for TA appointments may be limited.
You will receive a memo by the end of May of your first year informing you of which courses in the Department of Nutritional Sciences have openings for learning interns and asking your preference for a teaching assignment. You will be informed of your assigned course and professor in June. You must enroll in Nutritional Sciences 799 under the direction of that professor. Credits (1-3) are assigned after consultation with the course instructor. The instructor’s written evaluation of your performance certifies completion of this requirement.
This requirement may be waived for students who have obtained similar didactic, classroom teaching experience elsewhere and have obtained a waiver from the Graduate Program Coordinator.