Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) must meet requirements listed in the “English Language Test Score Minimum Requirements” chart below. GTAs may be grader-only or in-class teaching assistants. In-class teaching assistants are involved in lectures, labs, or tutoring. Grader-only assistants have no direct contact with students and may serve one calendar year before completing one of the following requirements:
- Meeting the English Language Test score minimums listed below for in-class assistants
- Satisfactorily completing LANG 701 English Language and Classroom Skills for International GTAs as well as
- a co-requisite graduate-level oral skills course (LANG 606 Oral English Language Strategies and Skills for Presentation, LANG 702 English Language Tutorial for International GTAs or LANG 704 Language Strategies For Literature Reviews), and
- a Mock Teaching Exam designed in coordination with their department to qualify to be an in-class teaching assistant at NDSU.
Test Score Requirements
Total Score
Test Score Requirements
| |
Grader |
Teaching Assistant |
| ibT |
79 |
81 |
| IELTS |
6.5 |
7 |
| PTE Academic |
53 |
54 |
| Duolingo |
110 |
115 |
Speaking
Test Score Requirements
| |
Grader |
Teaching Assistant |
| ibT |
19 |
23 |
| IELTS |
5.5 |
6.0 |
| PTE Academic |
51 |
62 |
Writing
Test Score Requirements
| |
Grader |
Teaching Assistant |
| ibT |
21 |
21 |
| IELTS |
6.0 |
6.0 |
| PTE Academic |
56 |
56 |
Evaluation of Graduate Teaching Assistants
All in-class GTA are evaluated during the third week of the first semester of their appointment. While the format may be determined by individual units, the evaluation must be documented and it must address the comprehensive English proficiency of the teaching assistant, including speaking and listening ability, commensurate with assigned duties. A copy of the evaluation instrument and the results for each teaching assistant shall be made available to the Graduate Dean upon request.
