Teaching Assistants (TA)

Contact the ECE Grad Office (ecegradoffice@ncsu.edu) for all questions regarding TA appointments.

Graduate Teaching Assistants are appointed in an academic department or program and (a) directly participates in the teaching mission of the unit as instructor of record, lab instructor, recitation leader, lab or lecture assistant, or who has responsibilities in direct support of classroom instruction in the unit, such as setting up labs or working in an instructional computer lab; or (b) provides general support to the teaching mission of the department or program.

Fall, Spring, and Summer TA’s are decided by Associate Department Head, Greg Byrd. Dr. Byrd will share a google spreadsheet with all TA assignments outlining the funding source, tuition needs, etc.  TA’s are initiated in NextGen by the Graduate Office. The HR Reps will process any undergraduate TA appointments that are assigned on the TA spreadsheet (processed as hourly student appointments).

Due to the fact that TA appointments are supported on departmental funds for which there is a specific budget, an hourly/undergrad TA who exceeds their appointed FTE will have a direct impact on the department budget. For this reason, it is important that hourly/undergrad TAs do not exceed the hours specified in their Terms and Conditions. TAs (hourly and salary) are permitted to work during spring break but should not exceed their appointed FTE.

Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible for graduate teaching, research, or extension assistantships and fellowships (traineeships):

  • Students must be admitted into the Graduate School in full graduate standing and be enrolled in the fall and spring semesters. 
  • Students must also be in good academic standing (with a 3.000 grade point average or higher), unless granted an exception by the Graduate School. 
  • Some fellowships (traineeships) have additional eligibility requirements, e.g., a GPA higher than 3.000 or a specific research focus. 
  • It is the responsibility of the student to consult the Director of Graduate Programs (DGP) for information on specific eligibility requirements. Graduate Certificate Students are eligible for appointment as Graduate Service Assistants but not research, teaching or extension assistantships.

Appointment dates should always be:

  • Fall: August 16th – December 31st
  • Spring:  January 1st – May 15th
  • One-year appointments: August 16th – May 15th
  • The use of the Graduate Teaching Assistant job code is not allowed outside of the academic year.

Salary Restrictions

Minimum and Maximum Salary Requirements: The minimum hourly wage for a graduate assistant is the minimum wage for North Carolina, currently at $7.25/hour. The maximum hourly wage for a graduate assistant is $34.00/hour.
Equations for calculating the hourly wage are listed below, sorted by the dollar figure with which you have been provided:

  • Annualized Rate: annual rate / 52 weeks per year / # hours per week
  • Biweekly Rate: biweekly rate / 2 weeks per biweekly pay period / # hours per week
Contact the ECE Grad Office for further questions regarding TA appointments;
  • Director: Paul Franzon
  • Asst. Director: Ginger Yu
  • Graduate Student Services Coordinator (GSSC): Fenile Jones
  • Graduate Recruiting & Admissions Specialist: Celeste Barton
  • Graduate Administrative Support Associate: Michelle Joyner