Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) guide for PhD students

Introduction

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) are doctoral students who support undergraduate teaching across the University. Working as a GTA is a great opportunity to gain teaching experience, develop academic skills and contribute to your School’s learning community.

This guide explains who can become a GTA, how to get started and what to expect during your assignment.

Who can become a GTA

You must be a registered doctoral student at the University of St Andrews to be eligible for a GTA role. The teaching you provide must relate to your area of academic study.

You must also:

• have the right to work in the UK for the full duration of the assignment
• be based in the UK to carry out the work (unless agreed otherwise)
• not exceed the working limits of your visa or funding body (for example, UKVI or UKRI)

You can work as a GTA until the end of the semester in which you complete your studies. In exceptional cases, your role may be extended for up to 12 months after graduation, with agreement from your School and HR.

How to apply or express interest

Each School manages its own GTA assignments. You may be invited to apply, or you may need to express interest by contacting the School Office or Director of Teaching. Some Schools hold interviews or request a CV or resumé.

If selected, you will be asked to complete the following documents:

• GTA terms and conditions – covers your general employment with the University
• GTA assignment schedule – sets out your duties, hours and rate of pay
• Personal Details form – includes your contact and bank details
• HMRC Starter checklist for PAYE – required for payroll
• Right to work checks (PDF) – required by law before you can begin working, actioned by the School

The School will send these to you by email.

You must complete, sign and return these documents before starting any teaching work.

What to expect in the role

Your exact duties will be agreed with your School and outlined in your assignment schedule. Common tasks include:

• leading tutorials or seminars
• demonstrating in labs or workshops
• marking assessments
• holding office hours
• completing mandatory training
• attending School-specific training or meetings

The number of hours assigned will vary by role and subject. Your schedule will include paid time for preparation, contact hours, marking and training.

As a GTA, you are expected to act professionally, follow School procedures and complete your work to a high standard. If you are unable to carry out your duties, you must inform your line manager as soon as possible.

Pay and payslips

You will be paid monthly for the hours listed in your assignment schedule.

This is done by averaging the total hours over the number of weeks in the assignment period with the monthly basic pay calculated using those conditions applied to the annual salary to pro rate this.  The hours are not able to be paid as they are worked.  

• Your salary includes paid time for teaching, preparation, marking and training as defined in the GTA assignment.
• You will also receive holiday pay, which appears as a separate item on your payslip.

Pay is made on the second-last working day of each month.

• Payments are made to your UK bank accounts only.
• You can view your payslips through the University’s HR self service portal.

If you believe your pay is incorrect after checking your payslips, speak to your line manager or School Office in the first instance.

Recording hours and timesheets

If your assignment covers a fixed number of hours, you will be paid automatically each month. In some cases, you may be offered and agree to work additional hours. These must be submitted through a timesheet and approved by your School.

Your line manager will confirm whether timesheets are needed and how to submit them.

Note that there are timesheet cut-off dates, so you may work hours after a monthly cut-off that won’t show on that month’s payslip. However, they should be submitted for the next month’s payroll.

Sick leave and other absences

If you are unwell or unable to work, let your line manager know as soon as possible. You may be eligible for paid sick leave, depending on how long you have worked as a GTA.

You may also be eligible for other forms of leave, such as:

• maternity, adoption, paternity or shared parental leave
• time off for dependants
• bereavement leave
• special leave

Eligibility and pay depend on your earnings and continuous service. For more information, speak to your line manager or contact HR.

Ending your assignment or leaving the role

Your assignment will end on the date shown in your assignment schedule. However, your GTA post will continue until the end date on your GTA terms and conditions, as this can continue beyond any given assignment. You may also leave the role by giving one month’s notice in writing to your line manager and the School.

Your GTA role will also end if:

• you take a leave of absence from your studies
• you change your course of study
• you graduate and do not have an agreed post-graduation extension

If you are unsure about your eligibility to continue, speak to your School or HR Business Partner.

Getting help and support

If you have any questions or concerns during your GTA assignment, the following people and services can help:

• Your line manager or module co-ordinator – first point of contact for questions about duties or teaching
• School office – for queries about hours, forms or documents
• HR Business Partner – for questions about pay, contracts or leave
• HR Immigration – Email hr.immigration@st-andrews.ac.uk with questions about working on a visa
• Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) – for support with inclusive teaching and working practices
• Student Services – including counselling, wellbeing and academic support