Selection Criteria

TA applicants  commonly ask these questions.

When does the school year start?

Fall semester usually starts around Sept. 1. The second semester is called spring term, and starts the first week of January. There are two half-length semesters in the summer: summer I starts in early May and summer II starts in late June.

What is the admission application deadline?

For international students, the deadline for fall admissions is April 1, and the deadline for spring admissions is Aug. 1. These are deadlines that the International Admissions and Services estimates will allow enough visa processing time. However, applications will be accepted continuously past the deadline.

For permanent residents of the U.S., WMU continuously accepts applications until the start of the semester

What is the TA application deadline?

February 15. The Graduate Committee makes its first round of teaching assistantship awards for fall semester on this date. However, we will keep on accepting applications past this date for later rounds of decisions. The program admission application is also considered as application for TA, but you may submit  an optional online TA application here.

How many teaching assistant positions are available?

We usually have three to six positions available. Approximately half of the appointments go to international students.

What is required of TA's?

TAs are typically assigned to teach a section of elementary statistics or mathematics classes.

What do you look for in a teaching assistant application?

First we verify that you have the prerequisite courses for your desired program. Then we look at your overall background (courses taken and grades). If you are a foreign applicant, we look for evidence that you speak English well enough to teach a class of English-speaking students. Examples of evidence are work experience in an English-speaking environment, or letters of reference that describe how well you speak English. If your application makes the short list of candidates, we will do a phone interview as a final check.

Is there a minimum GPA required for admission and TA?

Teaching assistant applicants need a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better (or their equivalent in your grading system). There is no minimum GPA for admission, but the prerequisite courses for the desired program should have been passed with grades of B or better.