Graduate Teaching Certification
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The Graduate Teaching Certification (GTC)is a free, year-long professional development program that provides graduate students with the skills and knowledge necessary to teach successfully in a post-secondary classroom. Once accepted into the program, participants must complete a graduate seminar on college teaching, attend all mandatory cohort meetings, attend a minimum of 3 approved campus workshops, complete the teaching and evaluation experience, and complete the culminating experience project (i.e., teaching portfolio). The program is designed to foster intellectual discussion of effective teaching strategies, as well as to provide insight and training on best teaching practices. Benefits of the GTC include honing one’s teaching philosophy and skills, as well as producing a teaching portfolio that can be advantageous when applying for teaching-related positions. The GTC is a collaborative effort between the Graduate College, Office of the Executive Vice Provost and Provost, UNLV Office of Online Education, GPSA, and a number of departments that offer teaching support.
This is a medallion-qualifying program for UNLV graduate & professional students. For additional information, please see the Graduate College Medallion Program website.
Congratulations to our 2021-2022 GTC Cohort
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to participate in this program, graduate students must:
- be currently enrolled and in good academic standing in their graduate or professional degree program.
- maintain a minimum 3.5 overall GPA.
Application Process
Applications are only accepted once a year. We will accept applications between March 5 and June 1. There is no application fee
The 2021-2022 Online Graduate Teaching Certification Application can be found on The Grad Rebel Gateway. Please log in to the Grad Rebel Gateway and click on The Grad Academy tab to apply.
Please be prepared to provide the following information when completing your Graduate Teaching Certification Application:
- CV/Resume
- Letter of Interest
- The Letter of Interest should discuss your teaching experience, what you hope to gain from the GTC program, how the GTC program will help you become a better teacher, and your career goals. Please limit the response to a single page.
- Endorser Names
- You will identify the name and email address of two faculty members. They will receive a form to endorse your participation in the program.
- Copies of teaching evaluations from 1 semester (if available) or evaluation of guest lecture (if available)
Program Requirements
All program requirements need to be completed in full by the student in order to complete the program, receive a certificate of completion, and have the GTC completion noted on their UNLV transcript.
- Students must attend all cohort meetings, which include: (1) an introductory meeting in August; (2) a meeting at the end of the Fall semester; (3) a meeting at the beginning of the spring semester; and (4) a meeting at the end of the academic year. Please note that students will be put on program probation after one cohort meeting absence and the second absence may lead to program separation.
- Students must enroll in EDH 780: Seminar in College Teaching (or an equivalent, approved class: normal tuition and fees apply). In order to determine if a class is approved for the GTC, please email a copy of the syllabus to gradrebel@unlv.edu.
- Students must complete the Teaching Observation Assignment. Additional details can be found on the Teaching Observation Assignment tab below.
- Students must attend a minimum of 3 GTC workshops that are regularly scheduled in the fall and/or spring terms.
- Finally, GTC students must submit their teaching portfolios at the end of the spring semester (typically a meeting is held towards the end of April/ early May). They will provide feedback on another program participant’s portfolio. In addition, they will also receive written feedback from a program participant as well as general feedback from a faculty member.
- Portfolios need to be submitted by: Friday, April 1, 2022
- Written evaluation of another program participant needs to be submitted at the final meeting
- Teaching Portfolio Example
- GTC requirements will be submitted through the Graduate Teaching Certification Canvas Course. Participants will be added to the course in August.
Program Policies
- Students must apply and be admitted before they can begin participating in the GTC.
- Once admitted, students must complete all program requirements in one academic year with their cohort.
- All cohort meetings are mandatory.
- If a student is not in good standing in their degree program, or if they create any problems as a participant in the GTC, they may be removed from the program at the discretion of the graduate college dean
- Please note that students may only participate in 2 of the following Graduate College programs during the academic year:
- Post-Graduate Career Pathways
- Teaching Certification
- Research Certification
- Mentorship Certification/Rebel Research and Mentorship Program (RAMP)
- Communication Certification
Workshop Policies
- These workshops are free.
- No campus workshops or courses taken prior to admission to the GTC may be counted toward the program. All workshops that count towards the GTC must be completed within one year (program duration).
- Students may only get credit for GTC workshops that they RSVP for at least 24 hours in advance.
- Only workshops or courses that are successfully completed in full will count toward the program. To successfully complete a session, GTC students must arrive on time, stay for the entire session, and be awake and engaged throughout the workshop. Any assigned work must be completed by the deadline.
- GTC workshops carry no academic credit and do not appear on student transcripts.
Cohort Meetings
All cohort meetings are mandatory unless you have a documented excuse that has been approved. If you miss a cohort meeting, without prior permission, you may be removed from the program.
Below are the meeting dates and times for the 2021-2022 GTC cohort:
- Introductory Meeting: Monday, August 16, 2021, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m
- End of the Fall Semester Meeting: Monday, November 15, 2021, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m
- Start of the Spring Semester Meeting: Monday, January 10, 2022, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m
- Final Cohort Meeting: Monday, April 18, 2022, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m
Fall 2021 Workshop Schedule
The below workshops will help fulfill the requirements for the Graduate Teaching Certification. You must RSVP for all workshops at least 24 hours in advance. To RSVP, please click on the workshop below. This will send you to the calendar entry page, which has the RSVP information. A full list of the workshops offered this semester can be found on the Graduate College Student Workshop Calendar.
GCTC Events
Workshop Summary Options
The below workshops will help fulfill the requirements for the Graduate Teaching Certification. To receive credit for a workshop, click on the workshop recording you would like to watch, write a 1-page summary, and submit the summary to gradrebel@unlv.edu. Please be sure to include these workshops on the Workshop Attendance Form you will submit at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters.
- Planning Lessons for Student Engagement & Retention
- Online Teaching Strategies
- Leadership during Crises
- Crafting a Relationship With Your Research Advisor
- Giving Great Virtual Presentations
- Service Learning
- How to Run a Great Meeting
- Inclusive Teaching Practices
- Pedagogy & Building Courses Online
- Ethics & Professionalism
Tuesday Talks: Your Questions Answered
The Graduate College will be hosting Tuesday Talks: Your Questions Answered for current The Grad Academy program participants. Please drop by on any of the following Tuesdays, 4-5 p.m., to ask us any questions you might have or just to check your progress:
- Tuesday, September 7, 4-5 p.m., Webex Link
- Tuesday, October 19, 4-5 p.m., Webex Link
- Tuesday, November 9, 4-5 p.m., Inspiration (GTW 260)
- Tuesday, December 7, 4-5 p.m., Webex Link
- Tuesday, January 18, 4-5 p.m., Inspiration (GTW 260)
- Tuesday, January 25, 4-5 p.m., Webex Link
- Tuesday, February 22, 4-5 p.m., Webex Link
- Tuesday, March 1, 4-5 p.m., Inspiration (GTW 260)
- Tuesday, March 15, 4-5 p.m., Webex Link
- Tuesday, April 12, 4-5 p.m., Webex Link
Teaching Observation Assignment
The Graduate Teaching Certification program's Teaching Observation Assignment is designed to help participants engage in professional learning to improve their teaching and enhance students' learning through this reflective practice. All 4 components of the assignment must be submitted as a single PDF to gradrebel@unlv.edu by Friday, February 11, 2022.
Resources for Graduate Teaching Assistants
- UNLV Faculty Center
- UNLV Faculty Center Requests for Services
- UNLV Directory of Faculty Development Resources
- Chronicle of Higher Education Teaching
- Pedagogy Unbound (A place for college teachers to share practical strategies for today's classrooms)
- Syllabi Content
- Developing + Designing a Comprehensive Course Syllabus
Past Cohorts
Participating in Multiple Programs
Students are allowed to participate in multiple programs each academic year. However, the requirements for each program must be completed in full. We will allow one workshop to overlap for multiple programs if: 1.) there is justification that the workshop makes sense for multiple programs; and 2.) the student has asked the program manager in advance.