A graduate student may hold an appointment as a Teaching Assistant in the School of Physics and Astronomy if he/she is in good standing with the University of Minnesota Graduate School and is making satisfactory progress towards a graduate degree with a major in the School of Physics and Astronomy.

The Graduate School provides a “warning” concerning a student’s status for each semester if the student is deficient in one of the factors listed below. If the deficiency is not remedied by the beginning of the following semester, a “hold” is placed on registration and the student cannot register until the deficiency is removed. Registration in Graduate School is a prerequisite for holding the position of Teaching Assistant.

Criteria for a “warning” on a student’s registration are the following:

1. The grade point average for work since entering graduate school must not fall below 2.8 for MS students and 3.3 for Ph.D. students.
2. The number of incomplete credit hours must not exceed six
3. A student registered as working towards a Master’s degree should have submitted his/her master’s program degree plan by the time he/she has completed 10 credits of graduate work.
4. For satisfactory progress, students who pass the graduate written examination should find a research advisor during their second year in graduate school. They should file a graduate degree plan and pass the preliminary oral exam during their third year in graduate school.

A graduate student receiving a “warning” should take prompt action to remove the deficiency before the end of that semester so his/her status for the following semester will not be in question.