Eligibility and Requirements

Basic Requirements

  • Be in Berkeley, and available, from the official start of the semester until three days after the final exam is given. Please note that the semester officially begins, typically, a week before classes start. The Fall 2019 Semester begins on Wednesday, August 21st, 2019.
  • UC Berkeley Graduate GPA of at least 3.1 (3.0 for Reader or Tutor positions).
  • A graduate student, enrolled in at least 8 units during the semester you will hold the position. This means that if you go on Filing Fee Status, you will NOT be eligible to be a GSI, GSR, Reader or Tutor.
  • Have no more than 2 incomplete grades in upper division or graduate level classes.
  • Attendance at course lectures is required for all GSIs and Readers unless otherwise specified. Check your availability on the Online Schedule of Classes before applying to any given position.

If you are an international student:

  • If you are a non-native English speaker, by the start of your appointment (August 1 for Fall positions; January 1 for Spring positions), you must pass either the TSE (Test of Spoken English) or the SPEAK (Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit). Information on these tests is available at the GSI Teaching & Resource Center's webpage on Language Proficiency Program.
    Note: You are exempt from this requirement if you hold a bachelor's level degree from a U.S. institution.
  • If you hold a F1 or J1 visa, you cannot hold appointments totaling more than 50%. See the UC Berkeley International Office website for details.

Additionally, if you will be a first-time GSI, you must:

  • Register for and complete Economics 375, the department's 300-level pedagogy course.
    • The first meeting for Econ 375 in Fall 2019 is August 26th, 9am-1pm.
    • Additional information about the pedagogy course requirement is available at the GSI Teaching & Resource Center's webpage on Pedagogy Course for First-Time GSIs. 
  • Attend the University-wide GSI orientation held the week before classes start. The Fall 2019 Teaching Conferences for First-Time GSIs will be held on August 22 (for International) and August 23rd (for everyone). Additional information and registration (required) for the Teaching Conference can be found on the GSI Teaching & Resource Center's webpage on Teaching Conference for First-Time GSIs.
  • Successfully complete UC Berkeley's online course in professional standard and ethics. Information is available at the GSI Teaching & Resource Center's webpage on GSI Professional Standards and Ethics Online Course.
  • Attend an Academic Student Employee (ASE) Orientation. Additional information is available at the Human Resources webpage on ASE Orientation Dates.
  • Note that there are some exceptions to these requirements if you are a first-time GSI during the Summer Sessions.