What is an Undergraduate Assistant?
Undergraduate Assistants (UAs) are high-achieving PSY majors who support faculty instruction and student learning in PSY courses. Working closely with a course instructor, UAs gain firsthand experience with teaching, mentorship, and the day-to-day operations of a college classroom.
UAs enroll in PSY 491 (or PSY 490 for a second semester) and earn academic credit while contributing to the learning experience of fellow students.
What have other PSY Spartans done?
Depending on the course and instructor, UAs may:
- Attend class and assist with course activities.
- Hold office hours and answer student questions.
- Lead review sessions and study groups.
- Support collaborative learning activities during class.
- Assist with course preparation and organization.
- Respond to student emails and requests for help.
- Develop practice questions and study materials.
- Proctor exams and support objective grading tasks.
- Help connect students with academic and campus resources.
Every UA experience is unique, and responsibilities are determined by the course instructor before the semester begins.
What will I gain from this experience?
As a UA, you'll develop transferable skills that are valuable in graduate school and a wide range of professional settings:
- Teaching and facilitation experience.
- Leadership and mentorship skills.
- Professional communication and interpersonal skills.
- Experience supporting diverse learners.
- Greater confidence speaking, presenting, and helping others learn.
- Stronger relationships with faculty and departmental professionals.
- A deeper understanding of how college courses are designed and delivered.
Many students find that serving as a UA strengthens applications for graduate programs, scholarships, leadership opportunities, and future employment.
Is this experience for me?
This opportunity may be a strong fit if you:
- Enjoy helping fellow students succeed.
- Want to develop leadership and communication skills.
- Are considering graduate study in PSY or related fields.
- Are interested in teaching, training, mentoring, or education.
- Want to learn more about higher education and academic careers.
- Are curious about the responsibilities often associated with graduate teaching assistantships.
Students considering PhD or doctoral programs may find the UA experience especially valuable, as many graduate students support undergraduate instruction through teaching assistantships as part of their training and funding packages.
Eligibility
To be considered, students must generally:
- Be a Psychology major with junior or senior standing.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.6 or higher.
- Have earned a 4.0 in the course they wish to support (or an approved equivalent).
How do I participate?
The UA program is invitation only.
Eligible students receive an email invitation each semester with instructions for applying and indicating course preferences. Students identify courses in which they earned a 4.0 and would like to serve as a UA.
Selected students are matched with available courses and receive registration instructions for:
- PSY 491 (first-semester UAs; Pass/No Pass)
- PSY 490 (approved second-semester UAs; graded)
New UAs also participate in a training session before beginning their assignment.
Important Notes
- Undergraduate Assistantships are academic-credit experiences and are not paid positions.
- Students may serve as a UA for a maximum of two semesters.
- UAs must maintain professionalism and confidentiality regarding student information and academic records.
- UAs support instruction but may not:
- Deliver lectures or seminars.
- Assign grades.
- Conduct subjective evaluations of student work.
- Determine course content or policies.
These responsibilities remain with the course instructor.
Resources