GSI - Fall 2026

How to Apply

1. Interested applicants must apply for GSI through the UM Jobs portal at careers.umich.edu   
2. Applicants MUST also identify courses that they prefer to teach in their application materials.  Applications without ranked preferences will not be considered.
3. Applicants who have never taught in Michigan's Dept. of Political Science, must also submit a cover letter and their CV as a single document.  Please address your cover letter to the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Political Science.
4. Do not reach out to faculty with questions. All questions should be directed to [email protected]
5. Interested applicants, please submit your materials by July 23, 2026.

By indicating a course as a preference, you are also indicating that you are available to teach all sections of that course, and attend all lectures if necessary. Indicating a preference to teach a course does NOT guarantee that you will be assigned to teach that course.

Job Summary

The Department of Political Science seeks Graduate Student Instructors (GSI) and GSI Graders for the Fall 2026 semester. These positions may range from 0.35 to 0.5 appointments, and as posted, are subject to a collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of Michigan and the Graduate Employees' Organization, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO 3550.

Responsibilities*

GSI Positions for Sectioned Courses
GSIs selected for the classes listed above are expected to provide general pedagogical support for the course, which may include, but is not limited to: attending lecture, teaching discussion sections, grading and commenting on papers and exams, and meeting with enrolled students during office hours.  The number of sections a GSI with a full appointment (a 0.5 position) will be asked to teach depends on the structure of a course. Most appointments for undergraduate courses include two or three hour-long sections of 20-25 students per week in a full 0.5 appointment. 

*GSI Positions for Upper-Level Writing Requirement Courses
Some courses in the department meet as lectures, without discussion sections, but have a GSI in place to support the course's role in fulfilling the College of LSA's Upper-Level Writing Requirement (ULWR). ULWR courses require a significant amount of writing and revision, classroom instruction on writing in the discipline, and careful attendance to writing issues when discussing course assignments and in grading and commenting on papers. Duties for GSIs in ULWR courses may include, but are not limited to: attending lecture, grading and commenting extensively on papers and exams, and holding office hours to support students in developing their writing skills. First-time GSIs in ULWR courses must also enroll in the Sweetland Center for Writing's WRITING 993: Teaching Writing in the Disciplines, a one credit seminar, for fall.

GSIs are expected to be on campus and available to work no later than Monday,  August 25, 2026, the first day of classes. 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
First-time GSIs teaching an LSA course are required to attend CRLT GSI Teaching Orientation.

Students who are holding a GSI position for the first time in Political Science are required to concurrently enroll in POLSCI 993 GSI training course, which will meet on selected Fridays throughout the Fall semester.

 *Students who will be a GSI in a ULWR course for the first time in any department must also enroll in WRITING 993. Additionally, if the language of instruction at a student's undergraduate institution was not English, the student must be evaluated by the English Language Institute (ELI) for English proficiency and either pass the GSI-OET or have this test waived by the ELI before they can be eligible for a GSI appointment in Political Science.

Required Qualifications*

All applicants must be graduate students enrolled at the University of Michigan in good academic standing.

Desired Qualifications*

The most successful applicants will have completed a graduate course in political science, have previous experience as a GSI with favorable student evaluations, and/or previous experience teaching in political science.

Course Description

GSI positions may be available for the following courses. Full course descriptions and schedules for the following courses (including sections) can be found on the LSA Course Guide.

Regular Instructional GSIs

**POLSCI 101           Intro Pol Thry 

POLSCI 111   Intro Amer Pol 

POLSCI 140   Int Compar Pol 

POLSCI          160      Intr World Pol 

POLSCI 301        Development of Political Thought: To Modern Period

POLSCI          313      Courts, Judges, and Controversies

POLSCI 317       Constitutional Law: Cases and Controversies

POLSCI 322.      US Legislative Process

*POLSCI 348 Political Economy of Development

**POLSCI 353         The Arab- Israeli Conflict

POLSCI          360       Politics of International Aid

POLSCI 368.      Domestic Politics of International Economic Policy

POLSCI 370        The Politics of Climate Change

POLSCI 375        The Politics of Police and Prisons in the U.S.

*POLSCI 381       Pol Science Research 

**POLSCI 389.001    National Diversity and American Democracy

POLSCI 389.006   Conflict, Violence, and War

*Courses that meet LSA Upper Level Writing Requirement (ULWR)

These GSI Assignments require either previous or concurrent enrollment in WRITING 993: Teaching Writing in the Disciplines. This is a 1-credit offered by the Sweetland Writing Center.

** Courses with highest need currently

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Contact Information

All applicants are welcome to request the status of their application at any time by contacting the Political Science Office at [email protected] or (734)764-6313. Do not reach out to faculty regarding the GSI application process or status. 

Decision Making Process

All employment decisions will be made by the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Political Science.  Doctoral students in Political Science within their funding commitment from the department will be given first priority for available positions. In the event that positions remain open after all eligible and qualified Political Science doctoral students have been hired, then the Department will move to any existing pool of external applicants.  GSIs from outside the department will be selected based on the quality of their past teaching experience, the strength of their references, and also on how well their past coursework and teaching experiences have prepared them to teach the course topic of any open positions.

Selection Process

External applicants can expect to hear about initial decisions on or around August 3.  While we do our best to maintain original placements, sometimes the need arises to move GSIs from one assigned course to another.  Assignments may change up to the first day of classes.

Unsuccessful applications will be retained for consideration in the event that there are last-minute openings for available positions. In the event that an Employee does not receive his or her preferred assignment, he or she can request a written explanation or an in-person interview with the hiring agent(s) to be scheduled at a mutually agreed-upon time.

GEO Contract Information

The University will not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, marital status, familial status, parental status or pregnancy status, sex, gender identity or expression (whether actual or perceived), sexual orientation, age, height, weight, disability, citizenship status, veteran status, HIV antibody status, political belief, membership in any social or political organization, participation in a grievance or complaint whether formal or informal, medical conditions including those related to pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, arrest record, or any other factor where the item in question will not interfere with job performance and where the employee is otherwise qualified. The University of Michigan agrees to abide by the protections afforded employees with disabilities as outlined in the rules and regulations which implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Information for the Office for Institutional Equity may be found at https://oie.umich.edu/ and for the University Ombuds at https://ombuds.umich.edu/

Unsuccessful applications will be retained for consideration in the event that there are last minute openings for available positions. In the event that an employee does not receive their preferred assignment, they can request a written explanation or an in-person interview with the hiring agents(s) to be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time.

This position, as posted, is subject to a collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of Michigan and the Graduate Employees' Organization, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO 3550.

Standard Practice Guide 601.38, Required Disclosure of Felony Charges and/or Felony Convictions applies to all Graduate Student Assistants (GSAs). SPG 601.38 may be accessed online at https://spg.umich.edu/policy/601.38 , and its relation to your employment can be found in MOU 10 of your employment contract.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.