TA Eligibility

Are You Eligible?

Viable TA candidates in mechanical engineering are...

  1. Full-time mechanical engineering PhD or MSME (Plan A) students.
  2. Confirmed by the DGS to be making timely progress towards their degree.
  3. Not already holding a 50% RA position or fellowship equivalent to 50%.
  4. Not already enrolled simultaneously in CPT, OPT or GRAD 0999.
  5. Not in danger of exceeding the Graduate Program parameters listed below.
    PhD students: No more than 10 semesters (8 semesters post MS) in the program
    MSME students: No more than 4 semesters, with those in their first semester in Plan A with an advisor.
  6. Speakers of English where nonnatives must have an English Language Proficiency (ELP) rating of 1 or 2 on file with the University in order to work as a teaching assistant. 
    An ELP with the University is mandatory. Even if a TOEFL score was not required for admittance to the University, an ELP is required for a TA position. More information regarding ELP requirements can be found in the next section. Questions regarding ME policy should be directed to megrad@umn.edu.

English Language Proficiency (ELP) Requirements 

The University of Minnesota uses three assessments to determine eligibility for a teaching assistantship for students who are not native speakers of English. Results of these assessments are converted into numerical ratings, which determine teaching responsibilities (see ELP Ratings Chart). If hired, students with an ELP other than "1" must take additional steps to meet the requirements listed in the University policy regarding ELP Requirements.