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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 2025-26 Assistantships

(Note: Access to Google Docs requires your LionMail account.)

  • 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.

  • The Fall 2025 application opens on May 9, 2025, with a deadline of May 14, 2025. Eligible students will receive an email with the application link once it is available—no need to worry about missing it.

    FALL 2025 Dates

    Position Notification
    TA 5/24/25*
    Reader 6/3/25
    PA  6/23/25

    A separate application for Student Assistant (SA) positions will open on June 25, 2025. These positions involve administrative work for selected courses and pay $22.50/hour, and will be assigned on a rolling bases throughout the summer.

    *This means TA selections will be made May 24, and students will be notified if they have received a TA award on that day. 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. 

    In the meantime, you may refer to the resources below for informational purposes only. (Note: Access to Google Docs requires your LionMail account.)

  • SPRING 2026 application opens May 16, 2025. The Deadline is May 22, 2025

    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 2026 

    Position Notification
    TA 6/5/25
    Reader 6/16/25
    PA 7/3/25

     (Note: Access to Google Docs requires your LionMail account.)

  • SPRING 2026 Addendum Application

    Applications open: November 14, 2025
    Application deadline: November 20, 2025

    This application is for unfilled and newly available assistantship positions for Spring 2026. Faculty will review applications on a rolling basis. Students will be notified directly by faculty members as positions are filled. Please note that only successful applicants will be contacted.

    Note: Access to Google Docs requires your LionMail account.

    Available Positions: Spring 2026 Addendum

  • Position Salary/Semester Service Commitment
    TA $14,181 20 hours/week
    Reader/DRA $7,091 15 hours/week
    PA $30/hour up to $6,000 200 hours/semester (average 12-13 hours/week)
    SA $23/hour up to $3,450      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: 

    Sarah Bruce                                 sb5199

    Rizky Ikhsan Rahadian Noor       rrn2123

    Writing Tutor:

    Andres Revis                                acr2224

     

    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.

  • 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.