What is a graduate teaching assistant?

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) are graduate students who support faculty members in teaching undergraduate or graduate courses. Their responsibilities can include leading discussion sections, grading assignments and exams, holding office hours, and sometimes lecturing or helping develop course materials. GTAs gain valuable teaching experience while pursuing their own advanced degrees, and their work helps support the instructional mission of universities. The specific duties and expectations for GTAs vary by institution and academic department.