Graduate Teaching Certification on a black faded background.

Graduate Teaching Certification

The Graduate Teaching Certification (GTC) is a year-long professional development program that provides graduate and professional students with the skills and knowledge necessary to teach successfully in a post-secondary classroom. Students will experience intellectual discussion of effective teaching strategies and gain insight on best teaching practices by completing a graduate seminar on college teaching, attending workshops, completing the teaching and evaluation experience, and more. 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.

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 July 15. There is no application fee.

The 2022-2023 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 one faculty member. 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.

  • Program requirements will be submitted through the Graduate Teaching Certification WebCampus Course. Participants will be added to the course in August.
  • Students must attend all cohort meetings, which include: (1) an Introductory Cohort Meeting in August; (2) a Mid Cohort Meeting at the end of the Fall semester; (3) and, a Final Cohort 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 gradacademy@unlv.edu.
  • Students must complete the Teaching Observation Assignment. Additional details can be found on the Teaching Observation Assignment tab below.
  • Students must watch 1 mandatory GTC workshop and submit a one-page (single or double spaced) summary.
  • Students must attend a minimum of 2 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). GTC Participants will receive general feedback from a faculty member. 

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

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 2022-2023 GTC cohort:

  • Introductory Cohort Meeting: Tuesday, August 16, 2022, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
  • Mid Cohort Meeting: Monday, November 28, 2022, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
  • Final Cohort Meeting: Monday, April 24, 2023, :30-5:00 p.m.
  • The Grad Academy Welcome Social & Mixer, Friday, September 30, 2022, 10-3 p.m., University Gateway Building, Room 268 (Optional but Highly Recommended)
    • Join us to meet your fellow Grad Academy participants; learn about the spaces available to you as graduate students; ask program questions; and, grab a bite and win swag!
  • The Grad Academy: End of Year Celebration, Tuesday, May 16, 10-3 p.m., University Gateway Building, Room 268 (Optional but Highly Recommended)
    • Join us to celebrate your accomplishments; ask program questions; learn about new Grad Academy opportunities; pick up your completion certificates; and, grab a bite and win swag!

Fall 2022 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.

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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 (single or double-spaced), and submit the summary via WebCampus.

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:

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 by Friday, February 13, 2023. Please visit the Graduate Teaching Certification Canvas Course for assignment guidelines.

Resources for Graduate Teaching Assistants

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.