What is difference between a TA and a GA

[icedcoffee]

What is the difference(s) between teaching assistant and graduate assistant? 

Edited March 13, 2015 by icedcoffee

[iphi]

It depends on the school. At my school TAs (and RAs) are actually just subcategories of GAs. But generally speaking this may influence your pay scale. Try doing a search on your university's website.

[TakeruK]

Also, some schools have different ranking of GAs -- you start as a Graduate Assistant and then get promoted to Graduate Associate (with a pay raise!) when you reach candidacy (I guess this mirrors the Assistant Prof --> Associate Prof when they get tenure!)

[Vene]

We have TAs and GTAs (as well as research assistants, but I'm focusing on the teaching side). TAs can be undergrad students and a GTAs are graduate students. You could be looking at something along those lines, but I could also see GA encompassing both TAs as well as RAs. It's really going to depend upon the university.

[TMP]

School dependent.  You'll have to look in the Graduate School's handbook.

[juilletmercredi]

It's definitely school dependent - it's funny that each of the foregoing posters had different definitions and I have yet another. At my school, graduate assistants had other responsibilities. Teaching assistants taught; research assistants did research. Graduate assistants often had administrative or other supportive responsibilities in other areas of the university. For example, there was a GA in the office of fraternity and sorority life (usually from our higher ed administration program); there was a GA who worked in the office of diversity; there were GAs who worked in residential life, etc.

[Sword_Saint]

This is just for one of the prospective schools I'm looking at:

 

GA's  - Teach / teaching assistants or do research depending on the arrangement and need within the department.

 

Graduate Research Fellowship - do research, but get paid more b/c the fellowship is awarded at the college level and not the department level.

[_kita]

GA: Graduate Assistant. They can work for any department. They are all graduate students (masters or doctoral) who work in a specific department for tuition waiver/assistance and a stipend. Depending on the program, the pay changes drastically. These can be lab technicians, research, disability services, residential staff, etc. I work in a psychology department with grade entry, proctoring, class assists, tutoring, etc. 

 

TA: Teaching Assistant. Usually within your academic department. You see these positions usually at more doctoral programs. Similar benefits, but if it's a doctoral program, usually you get more stipend benefits from them. 

 

RA: Research Assistant. Again, within your academic department. Again, you see these positions usually at more doctoral programs. Similar benefits, but if it's a doctoral program, usually you get more stipend benefits from them. 

 

Programs have specific requirements for how many credits you need, hours you work. For instance, I have to work 20/weekly and need to be a full-time graduate student. They will pay 9 credits, no more, no less a semester.