Can PhD-students take Teaching Lab

Can PhD-students take Teaching Lab?

Yes, on certain conditions. Please read the information below thoroughly.

Is Teaching Lab mandatory for PhD-students?

From Jan 1st, 2024, Teaching Lab will no longer be mandatory for PhD-students. From now on participation in this course will be voluntary, but only on certain conditions. See below.

Furthermore, there is a new mandatory course, that PhD-students will be expected to complete: Supervision and facilitation of learning

Can PhD-students still take Teaching Lab, although it's no longer mandatory?

Only PhD-students who know that they will be doing actual teaching in a course - in the near future - can register for Teaching Lab. Before the course starts we will ask you to state the title and the number of the course.
Being a TA does not count as teaching in this case.

Please note: If the start of your teaching is more than four months away - we have to cancel your registration and ask you to register for a later date. In other words, please make sure you have actual teaching planned before you register.

If I complete Teaching Lab, do I still have to take the new mandatory course?

Yes, if you're a PhD-student you do.

As of Jan 1st, 2024, Teaching Lab is no longer mandatory for PhD-students, but our new course, Supervision and facilitation of learning, is now mandatory for PhD-students. Completing Teaching Lab does not change that.

However, a few groups may be exempt from this rule. You can read about them here: Supervision-and-facilitation-of-learning

When is the best time to take the course?

You should complete the Teaching Lab soon before your own teaching starts - less than three-four months before. In this way, Teaching Lab will still be fresh in your memory - it's better value for you, basically.
Ideally, you should have just enough time to adapt what you've learned in Teaching Lab to your actual course.

What does that mean in practice?:

  • You should take the course in May or August, if your teaching starts in September
  • You should take the course in November, if your teaching starts in January
  • You should take the course in November or January, if your teaching starts in February
  • You should take the course in May, if your teaching starts in June

Can I take the course when I need it? 

That is our clear ambition. Hence, we will give priority to the following participants:

  • Assistant Professors (and others) who are registered to start in the UDTU programme very soon, who must complete Teaching Lab before they start
  • PhD-students who start teaching within three-four months after completing Teaching Lab

To be able do this we must ask PhD-students, who are not going to teach within three-four months, to register for a later date.
The course usually fills up quickly. We recommend that you plan well ahead in order to optimize your chances of taking the course when you need it.
You can always see the course dates on our website.