Graduate

Description

The Japanese Studies Program hires teaching assistants for the tutorial sections of our Japanese language courses. Graduate students are hired at 50% time, working 20 hours per week (220 hours per quarter) and teach four or five 50-minute JAPN tutorial sections on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays under their instructors' supervision. All the lesson plans and teaching materials will be provided by our instructors.

Qualifications

• Applicants must be available to perform the duties of Teaching Assistant throughout the Fall Quarter 2025 from September 22, 2025 through December 13, 2025.
• Applicants must be fluent in the Japanese language, should speak the standard variety of Japanese, and should have knowledge of fundamental Japanese grammar and culture.
• Applicants are required to have exceptional interpersonal communication skills, understanding of the Japanese business culture and importance of collectiveness, and strong sense of teamwork.
• Applicants must have essential computer skills (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Zoom, etc.) and must be able to communicate with the administrative staff and campus partners in English.
• Applicants should have a flexible schedule to be able to teach up to five hours per day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, attend the weekly TA meeting on Tuesdays, and hold weekly office hours for students at other times.
• Applicants must attend the mandatory 3-day JAPN TA Orientation at the beginning of the Fall Quarter. Training time will be paid. 
• New hires who have never worked as Academic Student Employees (ASEs) at UC San Diego are required to attend the campus-wide, New Employee UAW Orientation to be held at the beginning of each quarter. 
• To be eligible for employment in Winter and Spring, applicants must attend the mandatory 3-day TA Orientation at the beginning of the Fall Quarter or have served as a JAPN TA previously.
  

Application Process for UC San Diego Graduate Students:

1. Submit your application online no later than May 18, 2025. All current Teaching Assistants must reapply each quarter for the position. 
2. Submit your tentative FA25 class schedule via Google Forms no later than May 26, 2025. Contact Dr. Junko Tokuda Simpson at jtsimpson@ucsd.edu if you have any questions.

Note: Applicants could be disqualified if their home departments do not approve our hiring request by May 31, 2025. All applicants will receive their application results by June 30, 2025.

   JAPN TA Salary & Benefits:

• The JAPN TA pay rate will match the GEPA posted TA salary rates.
• The standard appointment given to graduate student TAs will be 50% and will cover standard tuition & fees.
• Japanese Studies does not cover non-resident supplemental tuition or professional fees.
  
  

Application Process for Non UC San Diego Graduate Students:

We are now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 JAPN Non-Student Tutor positions. 

    1. Submit your application online no later than April 30, 2025.   
    2. Submit the following documents via email at japan@ucsd.edu (new applicants only).
         a) a statement of purpose hand-written in Japanese (in 楷書) as a PDF, JPEG, or PNG attachment
         b) your resume detailing language and teaching background as a PDF attachment
         c) two professional references as a PDF attachment

        Note: All JAPN NST applicants will receive their application results by June 30, 2025.

The Japanese Studies Program is pleased to announce a call for proposals for graduate students who are conducting research on Japan. Joseph Naiman Graduate Fellowships in Japanese Studies mini-grants are intended for academic research for Summer 2025 and AY 2025-2026. Applicants can apply for up to $10,000 to support research and study on Japan.

Fellowship eligibility:

Applicants should conduct their research in Japan using the Japanese language, in either written or oral form. Recent recipients of the fellowship are also eligible to reapply.

Priority will be given to proposals that are related to doctoral work but graduate work toward a Master’s degree will also be considered. The grant is not meant to support language study.

Required documents:

• CV
• Grant proposal (no more than 5 pages, double-spaced)
• Budget
• Other sources of funding, pending or committed
  (Include any financial aid you are currently receiving or will receive in the following academic year such as fellowships, grants, TAships)
• Two letters of recommendation from UC San Diego faculty
  (They may be directly submitted to japan@ucsd.edu by UC San Diego faculty. Please inform them of the application deadline.) 

How to submit your application:

1. Combine your CV, grant proposal, budget, and other sources of funding into one PDF file in this order.
2. Submit the PDF file via email at japan@ucsd.edu. 
3. In the subject line, type "Joseph Naiman Fellowship Application: Name (Last, First) & Home Department
4. If your faculty will be submitting your letters of recommendation to us directly, please provide the names of your professors in your email. 

Application Deadline: 

May 11, 2025  
Note: Letters of Recommendation must be submitted before this deadline, also. Late/incomplete applications will not be accepted or reviewed. Applicants will receive their application results by June 13, 2025.

Should you have any questions, contact the Japanese Studies Program at japan@ucsd.edu.

You can watch the presentations of the recent Joseph Naiman fellows here (recorded in May 2024).