What is a teaching fellow?

A teaching fellow is a graduate student who teaches a university course and has at least a master’s degree in their research specialty. Their primary job duties are to provide undergraduate instruction, conduct lectures, and oversee any teaching assistants or graders they may have for the course. Most fellows teach a class while they continue their graduate studies, typically as they complete their dissertations. At some institutions, a teaching fellow has great independence, while others require fellows to be supervised by a full faculty member.