Teaching assistants

Our Teaching Assistants (TAs) are highly valued members of our undergraduate teaching team.

Interested in joining us?

Make sure you get your application in before Friday, 3 May 2024 at 12 noon GMT to be added to our ‘TA pool’.

Pool membership does not guarantee teaching hours. If you are successful in joining the pool, hours will be allocated in due course, with contracts issued in early September.

About the role

If you are interested in applying you will need:

1. A first degree in a relevant subject
2. And be:

  • registered as a postgraduate research student at the University; or,
  • in possession of a postgraduate degree in a relevant subject area; or,
  • in possession of a relevant professional qualification.

Skills/Personal Qualities:

  • Good presentation, communication and analytical skills.
  • Minimum level of English language proficiency to enable effective oral and written communication.
  • An ability to lead a group activity.
  • Ability to work effectively and collegially as part of a teaching team.
  • Efficient administration skills.
  • An understanding of issues affecting undergraduates and a commitment to developing the quality of the student learning experience.
  • Good core knowledge and understanding of the subject areas being taught.
  • A willingness and ability to acquire knowledge and understanding of University teaching quality standards including examination standards and procedures.
  • Where the post is linked to a bursary, a demonstrable potential to undertake research.

Pay

Our rates of pay are in Grade 5. Your hourly rate of pay will increase with each continuous academic year of teaching.

The University of Manchester is committed to delivering outstanding learning and student experience. In the Faculty of Humanities, Teaching Assistants play an important role in the delivery of high-quality teaching to undergraduates.

Training 

TAs will be paid for all compulsory training. As a new TA, this will include any compulsory School, Departmental or University level training that you need to undertake prior to teaching.

For returning TAs, you will have the option to retake any training as refreshers, however, this is voluntary and will not be paid (unless new, mandatory training is introduced).

Training will include:

  • School Training (2hrs)
  • Departmental Training (3 hrs)
  • University’s Institute of Teaching and Learning Training (on BlackBoard – comprised of the following modules (4 hrs in total):
    • ROLES AND EXPECTATIONS
    • PREPARING TO TEACH
    • ONLINE INTRODUCTION TO TEACHING LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT
    • TEACHING SKILLS
    • TEACHING AND LEARNING ONLINE
    • ASSESSMENT, MARKING AND FEEDBACK
    • FEEDBACK STUDIO TRAINING

Payment will be made at Point 1 of Grade 5. The University pay scale can be found below:

Recognition

While in the employment of the University, TAs may apply for an AdvancedHE Fellowship via the University's Leadership in Education Awards Programme (LEAP). LEAP supports TAs in documenting and evidencing their teaching excellence, as a means for TAs to receive a formal, national qualification.

Teaching hours

Teaching Assistant work being undertaken by a Humanities full-time PGR student must adhere to a maximum of 180 hours per academic year.

180 hours, as detailed in the Humanities teaching assistant policy, is standard practice within Higher Education and the limit is intended to ensure that full-time PGR students have sufficient time to complete their PhD studies. 

In line with Faculty policy and The University of Manchester’s duty of care to PGR students to ensure submission of high quality and timely thesis (see PGR Code of Practice) it is recommended that this 180 hours is not exceeded by Schools unless there is an ‘emergency’ or there are ‘exceptional circumstances’.

First-year PhD students - work allocation

Whilst we accept applications to the TA pool from all PGR students, please note that the School does not usually allocate work to first years. This is to allow new PhD students to focus on the first year of their PhD programme. However, in cases where work is allocated to new PhD students, it is especially important that permission is received from your supervisor to undertake the work.

How to apply

The deadline for applications to be added to the TA Pool is Friday, 3 May 2024 at 12pm GMT.

Find out more on the Faculty of Humanities Teaching Assistant Hub.