About the role
Department Overview:
Department of Chemistry
Anticipated Start Date:
January 11, 2027
Anticipated End Date (If Applicable):
May 10, 2027
Remote Work Eligibility Detail:
Not Remote
Anticipated Hours Per Week:
Minimum: 18
Schedule:
Teaching assignments are planned around each TA's own class schedule. Applicants need to have open blocks of time during which they are available to teach. Those with very full class schedules can be difficult to accommodate. Exact section assignments are not finalized until about a week before the start of classes. Some lab sections meet in the evenings.
Salary/Wage Range/Lump Sum:
Minimum: $13,776
Number of Positions:
1-5 positions. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Qualifications:
- Graduate students with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, biochemistry, or a closely related field are eligible to apply.
- A minimum of two years of college chemistry is required to teach in our introductory-level General Chemistry courses (CHEM 103, 104, 108, or 109).
- More advanced chemistry coursework is required to teach beyond the introductory level.
- Non-native English speakers must have a satisfactory score on the SPEAK test. Those who scored a 26/30 or higher on the speaking section of the iBt TOEFL test or 8.0 or higher in the speaking section of IELTS are exempt from the test.
- Candidates needing the SPEAK test should email undergrad@chem.wisc.edu as soon as possible to schedule the test. Upcoming SPEAK test date is November 16th.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
Applicants should enjoy chemistry and be eager to share their enthusiasm for the subject with undergraduates! The successful candidate will have excellent communication and time management skills, be able to work with students of diverse backgrounds, be a team player, and be dependable, professional, and willing to learn.
Position Summary/Job Duties
A teaching assistantship in Chemistry is a 45% appointment, averaging 18 hours a week over an 18 week period. Positions are typically only available in the high enrollment chemistry courses such as General Chemistry I/II (CHEM 103/104), Chemistry in Our World (CHEM 108), and Organic Chemistry Laboratory (CHEM 344). The general chemistry course courses include whole-class meeting, lab, and discussion. A faculty or staff instructor oversees the course and leads whole-class meetings. TAs are responsible for two sections of students (~22 students per section) and teach the lab and discussion classes for those students. Other responsibilities include attending whole-class and staff meetings, staffing a Help Desk, proctoring exams, and grading. Responsibilities for CHEM 344 are similar, although there are no lectures associated with the course.
Required training takes place Monday August 24, 2026 through Friday August 28, 2026. If you cannot attend in-person training, you should not apply.
Please direct any questions to undergrad@chem.wisc.edu.
Physical Demands
There are no unusual or special physical demands.
Institutional Statements
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
UW-Madison is an Equal Employment, Equal Access Employer committed to increasing the diversity of our workforce.
Institutional Statement on Diversity
Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background-people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.
For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: diversity.wisc.edu
Accommodation Statement
If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability, you can find information about how to make a request at the following website:https://employeedisabilities.wisc.edu/disability-accommodation-information-for-applicants/