5th Year MIDS Working on Campus

This information has not yet been updated to reflect the most recent bargaining agreement between UC and the UAW. Salaries, benefit information, and other details may not be current; this information will be updated as soon as possible. Please contact the Student Affairs team at studentaffairs@ischool.berkeley.edu with any questions.

Types of Student Academic Jobs

Instructional Positions

At UC Berkeley, student instructional positions — called Academic Student Employee (ASE) positions — include graduate student instructors (GSI), readers, and tutors.

A GSI is equivalent to a teaching assistant (TA) at other universities. A GSI serves as an apprentice under the active supervision of the faculty member who is the instructor of record for the course, in addition to grading papers and exams, holding office hours, and assisting course instructors in other ways.
Readers and tutors typically grade papers and exams, hold office hours, attend lectures, and assist course instructors in other ways. Tutors may provide individual or group tutoring sessions. Readers and tutors do not teach.

For more information, see the Graduate Division’s website on appointments.

Research Positions

A graduate student researcher (GSR) is a graduate student who is engaged in or assisting in research projects. The specific duties of GSRs vary widely.

Advantages of Working on Campus

On top of the experience itself, there are a number of advantages to working in these positions:

Wages: First, you receive an hourly wage, ranging from around $16 to $25 dollars an hour depending on the type of position. This obviously helps with living expenses. Current ASE Salary Scales
Fee Remission: Second, you may receive fee remission that offsets a portion or your tuition and fees, depending on the number of hours worked during the course of the semester. Please review the fee remission amounts below.
- Fee remission is available only for fall and spring semesters, not summer semesters. Students hired for summer positions will earn a wage, but will not receive fee remission, even if enrolled in summer classes.

Where to Look for Campus Jobs

As an I School student, you are eligible to work in any campus department. Previous 5th Year MIDS students have worked in a wide variety of departments, particularly since you may have taken specific undergraduate courses here at UC Berkeley. Be sure to keep your prior coursework and undergraduate background in mind when you are looking for a position.

The I School hires a number of teaching assistants every semester; see the list and application here.

For INFO courses, the I School primarily hires GSIs or readers. Most I School TA positions go to Ph.D. students or to second-year MIMS students who have already taken the course. Students hired for an INFO teaching support position are typically required to be on campus.
For DATASCI or CYBER courses, the I School primarily hires readers or tutors — typically MIDS or MICS students who have already taken the course. DATASCI and CYBER reader and tutor positions typically do not come with fee remission.

As a new student, it will be easier to find a GSI, reader, or tutor position than a GSR position — especially if you are qualified to teach in another department. Faculty prefer to know your research abilities before hiring GSR positions, and the majority of GSR positions go to Ph.D. students. Most students who choose to work their first year do so as a GSI, reader, or tutor.

There is no single way to go about finding a GSR or instructional position, and there is no single online bulletin-board for posting open appointments. Several approaches you might consider:

For GSI, reader, and tutor positions: Berkeley maintains a list of departments which typically offer graduate-student positions. Students should also review individual departmental websites for ASE applications and follow the instructions listed. Students can also look on Handshake for open positions.
For GSR positions: For the most part, you will need to approach faculty directly, talk with them, present your qualifications, and see if they are hiring. This is how it works at the I School: faculty for the most part make individual arrangements with qualified and eligible students depending on their needs and resources. There is a wide range of opportunities available, and different departments and faculty members approach GSR hiring differently.

After you have applied for a GSI, reader, or tutor position, please be aware that you may not hear anything from a department if you do not get the position (similar to any company’s hiring practice). Due to the volume of ASE applications and emails each department receives, we encourage students not to reach out directly to individual faculty members or departments regarding your application or application status.

Fee Remission Types & Estimated Fees Paid by Fee Remission

Fee remission amounts depend on the type of academic appointment and number of hours hired for; students must meet all qualifying criteria. Review fee remission details and eligibility criteria here.

Partial Fee Remission Eligibility

GSIs, readers, & tutors hired at 25–50% time for the fall or spring semester
GSRs hired at 25–44% time for the fall or spring semester

Full Fee Remission Eligibility

GSRs hired at 45–50% time for the fall or spring semester

Estimated Tuition and Fees

2022–2023 5th Year MIDS Tuition/Fees (per semester)	Fall (10 units)	Spring (9 units)	Summer (1 unit)	Fall (7 units) **
Total tuition & fees (for students with no fee remission)*	$31,911	$29,029	$3,199	$23,469
For students with partial fee remission:
Covered by partial fee remission	$9,762	$9,762	$0	$9,762
Remaining fees*	$22,149	$19,267	$3,199	$13,707
For students with full fee remission:
Covered by full fee remission	$10,424	$10,424	$0	$10,424
Remaining fees*	$21,487	$18,605	$3,199	$13,045