TA Experience

[frlgt]

Hi everyone,

Would you say having no TA experience in MA counts as a disadvantage in applying for PhD programs? I know there's no definitive answer to this question but still asking in case someone knows for sure it's a minus factor.

I'm currently in my MA (studying now in non-US institution, planning to apply for PhDs in a couple of years) and my department offers TA-ships only if you have no other funding source. Because I'm already receiving a scholarship from another foundation, I'm not eligible for departmental TA positions. Since most of my peers do TAs, I was wondering if I should keep looking at least for writing center TA opportunities, or is having no TA experience in your CV/resume no big problem? 

[WildeThing]

I don't think teaching experience matters at this stage. Their focus is to get good scholars, the teaching you do is supplementary to that. Same goes for administrative experience. These are things that will matter at the other end of the PhD process.

[Ramus]

Nope, doesn't matter.

[havemybloodchild]

In my cohort (there are six of us), I think only one person has any teaching experience of any kind. I don’t think it matters at all.