Department of Sociology & Crime, Law and Justice

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Teaching and Research Assistantships

Working as a teaching or research assistant is a wonderful opportunity to get experience and to work closely with a faculty member. You can get a taste of what graduate schoolwork is like while earning credit or getting paid. Students often find teaching and research assistantships by contacting professors whom they have enjoyed learning from, and are interested in their areas of study. Advisers also send out emails when they learn of available opportunites.

Guidelines for Teaching Assistants

Successful applicants must have met the minimum qualifications:

1.  Completed the assigned course in a previous semester and earned a minimum of a B+

     grade.

2.  Completed 48 college credit hours (4th semester standing) and earned an overall GPA

     of 3.2 or higher.

3.  Received an invitation from the instructor to serve as the undergraduate teaching

     assistant.

Expectations for undergraduate TAs include

1.  Registering for CRIM 296 or SOC 300 or with an undergraduate adviser on the third floor

     of Oswald Tower.

2.  Treating all students in the course with dignity and respect, as outlined in The Penn

     State Principles and in Penn State's written policies on sexual harassment.

3.  Treating grades and the content of student assignments confidentially and sharing

     these only with the instructor.

4.  Completing all assigned course readings and attending class regularly.

5.  Completing assigned duties in a responsible and timely fashion.

The specific duties of undergraduate teaching assistants might include leading discussions, grading assignments (e.g., short answers, multiple choice exams, or weekly homework), holding office hours, and performing errands related to the course (e.g., taking attendance or keeping records).  The instructor will assign specific duties at the beginning of the semester.

Research Assistantships

Students who are interested in research, particularly those students who plan to apply to graduate programs, can explore opportunities to work with faculty members as research assistants. Interested students should think about the areas of research in the criminal justice system or in sociology, which appeal to them and contact a professor in that field of study and your adviser for the enrollment form.

Note: TA and RA credits may be used only towards electives.

If you have questions, contact an undergraduate adviser:

Karen Sones klo1@psu.edu

Courtney Orr cro3@psu.edu
Shery Crater slc42@psu.edu