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Resources for SIPA Students

Academic resources for SIPA students, including information on OSA tutors, the Columbia Writing Center, the American Language Program, TMaC, and the Department of Mathematics.

SIPA 2024-25 Assistantships

Below please find important resources and guides to assist you in navigating this process (links to Google docs require Lionmail):

  • 1. Student ranking: Students submit application and rank all positions they are interested in. 

    2. Faculty ranking: Faculty receive list of students who have applied for their position. They do not see the student rankings of their position. They submit ranked list of candidates. 

    3. Selection: Assignments are made based on matching student and faculty preferences. If two or more faculty want to hire the same student, the student is assigned to the position the student ranked the highest.

    4. Selection will be made in stages. TA positions will be determined, first, followed by Reader positions, and so on. After each stage, the selected students will be made offers, and their candidacy will be removed from further consideration. 

    5. A student will receive only one offer. If a student declines their offer, they will not receive any other offers for an Assistantship position for that semester. Students are appointed to only one assistantship per semester. This is why it is important for students to only apply for positions they would accept. 

    6. Students will be notified by the timelines listed below. If you have not received an offer by the notification dates listed below, it means you did not receive an assistantship for that round, but may still receive an assistantship if you applied in the subsequent rounds.

  • Fall 2024 application opens on March 19, 2024. The deadline is March 26, 2024

    FALL 2024 tentative dates

    Position Notification
    TA 4/9/24*
    Reader/DRA 4/22/24
    PA Faculty 4/30/24
    PA Administrative       5/18/24

    Student Assistant positions- administrative work for selected courses paying $22.50/hour- will be assigned during the summer.

    *This means TA selections will be made April 9, and students will be notified if they have received a TA award on April 9. If you have not heard anything by that date, this means you did not receive a TA Award for that round. You may, however, still receive a Reader or PA award if you applied for those positions, and will be notified of those awards in the later stages of notification. 

  • SPRING 2025 application opens late April 2024.

    Spring positions are determined separately from Fall positions. For example, if you were selected as a Fall PA for a concentration or office, this does not mean that you will hold the same position in the Spring. You will need to submit a separate Spring application.

    SPRING 2025 tentative dates

    Position Notification
    TA 5/23/24
    PA Faculty 6/2/24
    Reader 6/13/24
    PA Administrative       7/1/24
    • SIPA Assistantships job descriptions Spring 2025 (use Lionmail to access Google Doc) 
    • SIPA Assistantships job excel ranking worksheet Spring 2025
  • Position Salary/Semester Service Commitment
    TA $13,768 20 hours/week
    Reader/DRA $6,884 15 hours/week
    PA $30/hour up to $6,000 200 hours/semester (average 12-13 hours/week)
    SA $22.50/hour up to $3,375       150 hours/semester (average 9-10 hours/week)
    OSA Tutor       $25/hour up to $5,000 200 hours/semester (average 12-13 hours/week)

OSA Tutors

The Office of Student Affairs provides Math and Writing tutors at no cost to all SIPA students. Writing tutors help SIPA students with the mechanics of writing and editing policy memos and research papers, focusing on grammar and style. Math tutors help students with understanding the quantitative logic behind problem sets. Students interested in tutoring services should contact individual tutors directly.

  • Math Tutors: 

    Pinyapasorn Puangjik pp2824

    Writing Tutors:

    Shannon  McKeown sm5311
    Charlie Plumb eap2205

    Note: As a courtesy to your classmates, we ask that you do not send tutors papers to edit within 24 hours of a deadline (unless previously arranged).

  • The Columbia Writing Center provides writing support to undergraduate and graduate students. In one-on-one consultations and workshops, our consultants offer feedback and strategies to help you improve at every stage of your writing, from brainstorming to final drafts. Students can make appointments with them for up to two hours a week at no charge. One hour can be a drop-in session and the other can be booked in advance.

    Students who speak English as a second language are invited to explore offerings through the American Language Program at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies.

  • The Technology, Media, and Communications (TMaC) specialization offer lectures on basic and advanced writing and reporting. Please consult the TMaC website and TMaC's course listings for more details.

    Please click here for additional writing tips.

    Students interested in learning to write more simply, concisely and clearly are invited to read the following (all can be bought online):

    • Evans, Harold. Essential English for Journalists, Editors, and Writers or his older book, Newsman’s English.
    • Ross-Larson, Bruce. Edit Yourself.
    • Rentoul, John. The Banned List: A  manifesto against jargon and cliche.
    • Mounsey, Chris How to Write: Successful Essays, Dissertations, and Exams, Oxford University Press.
    • Lindgren, Hugo. in the New York Times blog "Words We Don’t Say"

  • Many mathematics graduate students from the Department of Mathematics offer tutoring services on a private, one-on-one basis. Hourly fees vary from student to student, depending on the number of hours needed and the topics to be covered.

  • The Association of Graduate Economics Students provides a listing of economics graduate student tutors who can be hired directly. Tutors are available in a variety of areas including microeconomics, macroeconomics, and statistics.