Teaching Requirements

Building Your Teaching Portfolio

All funded Leeds School of Business PhD students build their teaching portfolio by first acting as a teaching apprentice (TA) for three sections of a semester-long class. TA responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • teaching three lectures (could be the same lecture across three sections)
  • attending all classes for at least one section of the class
  • holding office hours
  • grading
  • familiarizing him/herself with Canvas, a classroom management software
  • writing at least one problem set or exam
  • obtaining feedback from the faculty mentor

PhD students subsequently become responsible for teaching their own section of a semester-long class, which could be the same class as above or a different one. Teaching assignments are determined by the division chair in consultation with the division doctoral program director. During semesters that they are teaching, students do not have additional RA or TA assignments.

Students who have outside funding are expected to teach one class during their program.

Teaching Workshops

Leeds doctoral students are required to attend four (4) workshops offered by the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) before they defend their final dissertation. Teaching workshops offered by Leeds may also qualify. Please check with the PhD Program Manager to confirm if a workshop meets the workshop requirement. In addition to the four workshops, students are also required to attend the CU Honor Code workshop and complete the online Discrimination and Harassment workshop.

The Center for Teaching and Learning offers workshops throughout the year. The schedule of workshops is posted at https://www.colorado.edu/center/teaching-learning/. The Leeds School offers workshops several times throughout the year.

English Language Skills

English speaking skills are vitally important to teaching. English as a Second Language (ESL) courses are available for those who need to increase their English intelligibility for success in academic communication. For more information on the types of ESL courses available, please contact the PhD Program Manager at LeedsPhD@colorado.edu.