Academic Employment

Teaching

Graduate students should consider very seriously gaining some teaching experience if possible. Teaching can be the best way to improve your own command of material and for graduates wanting to pursue a career in academia it is very important to have teaching practice. Teaching can also be a source of extra income, especially helpful when vacations are short and opportunities for employment are limited.

Teaching in Oxford

Teaching takes many forms in Oxford, including tutorials, demonstrations, classes and lectures. Most graduate teachers in the humanities and social sciences are involved in the tutorial system. There are no strict guidelines for tutorials, but they usually pair one or two undergraduates with a tutor who assigns weekly essays or problem sheets which are discussed in hour-long sessions. Some tutors like students to submit their work before the tutorial while others prefer students to read their work out at the start of the tutorial. Graduate teachers in the sciences are more likely to begin their teaching experience by 'demonstrating' experiments to undergraduates. The duties involved often include answering students' questions and solving any problems  they may be having with equipment. There are fewer opportunities for classroom teaching or formal lecturing, but some courses are taught in this manner and colleges often arrange revision class sessions in the period just before exams.

Training

The University's Learning Institute helps with two training programmes for graduate students wanting to teach. These programmes are run by departments and divisions and so provision does vary across the University. The two programmes are:

1. Preparation for Learning and Teaching at Oxford

This is usually a single day/half day seminar. The seminars are often co-taught by a member of the Learning Institute and members of the department or division, and are intended to provide some introduction to teaching at Oxford. There is no assessment, but some departments provide a certificate of attendance.

2. Developing Learning and Teaching

This is a relatively new programme, not currently available in all departments. The purpose of the programme is to prepare graduates to teach beyond the Oxford context. The key components are experience of teaching; mentoring; reading of educational literature; and the completion of a teaching portfolio.

Obtaining a teaching or training place

The best approach to obtaining a teaching position is to be proactive and to contact your supervisor, College Fellows and/or Department Directors of Graduate Studies, asking about what teaching opportunities are available or coming up.

There is no central register for graduate teaching, but some departments maintain their own individual lists.

Students should contact claire.stocks@learning.ox.ac.uk for further information about training opportunities available and about booking places on seminars.

Other resources useful for teaching

Teaching can be a daunting experience, especially sometimes for graduate students who have not come through the tutorial system themselves or for those who have received little or no formal training. And some undergraduate students may assume that graduate tutors will be omniscient about their subject. However, teaching can be incredibly rewarding and useful, and often the best tutorials are those where everyone involved is thinking something through together and working out what is and is not known.

It is very important to read the undergraduate student handbook which outlines the subject papers, and the course reading lists (usually all available on department websites). Past papers can be used to set essays and to gauge exactly what is required - these can be found at www.oxam.ox.ac.uk (only accessible from a computer on/linked to the Oxford network). Examiners' Reports can be found on department websites and can offer insight to what was and was not rewarded in last year's exams. It is, of course, essential to prepare well for tutorials/classes and to ensure that you have given yourself enough time to read around the subject well, and have reading lists and essay questions ready.

Interviewing

The annual cycle of Oxford admission interviews places a very heavy burden on college fellows, and graduate students are often called upon to assist or to ensure that the interviewing team has expertise in all areas of a subject area or is balanced by gender. Interviewing can be an excellent opportunity to work closely with established academics and learn more about University procedures. Although the work is demanding, it only lasts a few weeks in December and pays well. Usually appointments to interviewing positions are by invitation only.

Junior Deanships

Although not an academic position per se, serving as a college Junior Dean or Residential Warden can be an excellent employment opportunity. Junior Deans enforce disciplinary procedures, bar hours and restrictions on parties. In many colleges there is also a pastoral dimension to the job. Pay and benefits for junior deans vary across colleges, but free meals, accommodation, and membership of the SCR are amongst some of the most common perks. However, the demands on time can be great and applicants should ensure that they can afford the time away from their academic work before applying. Positions are usually advertised in the Oxford Gazette and in colleges.