Teaching is an essential part of graduate education at the University of Chicago. This pedagogical experience is designed to serve as one element in the preparation of MES students for an academic career, along with advanced language study, research, and field work. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the considerable university resources devoted to improving teaching abilities and producing exceptional teaching portfolios.
Pedagogical Training Plans
All doctoral students in the Humanities Division complete required teaching assignments through department specific Pedagogical Training Plans. MES students in year 2 will meet with with Director of Graduate Studies and Department Manager to have a general discussion about the department's PTP requirements and the student's pedagogical training interests. Collectively, we will build an individual plan, to be revisited annually, mapping out a PTP that best serves the student's individual interests while adhering to the goals and principles of the MES PTP.
As part of their PTP, students will complete a series of teaching assistant assignments, typically in years 3 and 4. These assignments may be in content focused courses or in language courses. Typically, the total number of assignments in these years will not exceed three.
Students will also teach their own standalone course as a capstone pedagogical training experience, typically in year 5 or 6. If appropriate to a student's training goals and interests, they can serve as a BA Preceptor instead of teaching their own course.
Teaching Assistants
Teaching assistants are expected to aid faculty members in courses in which the undergraduate enrollment is too large for faculty to effectively perform all aspects of instruction. Teaching assistants may be expected to attend class, read all assigned materials, hold office hours with students, lead a discussion section, review and comment on student assignments, and recommend grades. MES appoints TAs to our Civilization Sequences, such as Ancient Empires (NEHC 20501 – 20503) and Islamic Thought and Literature (NEHC 20601 – 20603), etc., and to other College courses, such as Intro to the Middle East (NEHC 10101).
Student Lecturer
MES appoints students to teach courses within our language and civilization sequences. The department also allows students to propose courses of their own design. Lecturers are in charge of every aspect of the teaching experience, including lecturing, guiding discussion, meeting with students regularly, and recording and reporting grades.
Recent examples of student-designed courses include; Monsters and Magic in the Ancient Near East, Forensic Archaeology, History of Modern Syria, and The Exotic and the Exotified: Women in the Ancient Near East.
BA Preceptor
Preceptors are typically students who have advanced to candidacy, but all students are eligible to apply. This position is for one full academic year. The preceptor runs the required autumn quarter seminar (NEHC 29800) for all fourth-year MES majors. It is a workshop course designed to survey the fields represented by MES and to assist students in beginning the research and writing of their BA papers. In addition, the Preceptor will meet with students individually and/or in small groups throughout winter quarter as they research and write. During the first three weeks of spring quarter, the Preceptor will be available as the papers are finalized.
College Study Abroad Programs
The College’s Civilizations Abroad programs in Istanbul and Cairo regularly employ MES students as Program Assistants. Graduate Assistants are responsible for coordinating designated on-site arrangements and providing daily general support to the faculty and students. MES students can also serve as a Teaching Assistant in the study abroad program's Civilization Studies Core course should they wish to use the assignment to fulfill their PTP requirements.