College of Arts & Sciences
Department of Spanish and Portuguese
Department of Spanish and Portuguese

Employment Opportunities (Summer and Academic Year)

Doctoral students: Summer and Academic Year positions

Georgetown University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer fully dedicated to achieving a diverse team of employees. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation), disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

There is a limited number of teaching, program assistant, and RA opportunities for Graduate Students during the summer. All positions are advertised with their specific hiring criteria. Students can apply to more than one position but It is our policy that no student can hold two teaching positions in a single summer and to privilege the applications of students who have not had previous summer employment in the Department. Students are encouraged to use the job search tools available in the Student Employment Office to find other opportunities at Georgetown for summer employment.

School of Continuing Studies Spanish summer teaching on the Hilltop

Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies offers two summer Spanish Sessions that run for five weeks each during June/July and July/August.  These courses cover the same courses offered during the academic year, namely, SPAN 003, 004, 021, 022, 011, and 032. Courses are taught by a combination of faculty and graduate students from the Department of Spanish & Portuguese. Each Session has a co-Director who is responsible for the Course Introductions, syllabi, assessment tasks (Tests and Final exams), and direction of the courses offered and is assisted by a doctoral student.

All appointments for summer teaching are governed by four criteria: 1) programmatic need, 2) academic status, 3) prior record of excellence in language teaching, and 4) final approval by the Dean of Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies. In the case of applicants who are students in the Department’s graduate program, adequate and timely progress toward completion of degree is also a factor.  Other considerations being equal, preference may be given to applicants who 1) have at least two years teaching experience in the Department, and 2) have not had the opportunity to teach in previous summers.  Since the number of applications for summer teaching usually exceeds positions available by a considerable margin, applicants are encouraged to also pursue opportunities for summer employment elsewhere.

During the two sessions, there is also the possibility that the Athletic Department may request the recommendations of tutors for their athletes attending summer courses.  When this request comes in, a call for available tutors during the two sessions is made and the list is forwarded to the Athletic Department for approval.

Please note that the positions are advertised in December with a deadline of the third week in January with clear requirements and procedures, and that the co-Directors recommend instructors and the assistant, who are then approved by SCS.

Office of Global Education Summer Programs in Quito and Barcelona

Georgetown’s  Office of Global Education offers two summer Spanish Programs, one in Quito (May-July) and one in Barcelona (June-August). These programs are designed so that they complement each other and make good use of what each location has to offer. Quito offers two programs, one on  Nature and Culture and a second on Race, Gender and Ethnicity, while Barcelona offers one program on the  History and Politics of Identity, including bilingualism. Both programs are open to undergraduate students across all Georgetown Schools. The Quito program is open to students who have completed Intermediate II and complete language at the advanced level and/or upper level courses in lit/cs. The Barcelona program offers only upper level courses. Courses are taught by a combination of faculty from Georgetown and from the host institution (USFQ in Quito, and UPF in Barcelona). Each program has an Academic Director who is usually accompanied by doctoral students who assist with teaching and program administration and implementation, with the total number linked to program registration numbers. Traditionally, between one and three doctoral students have joined each program. Selected doctoral students from the lit/cs section join the Quito program, and Linguistics students join the Barcelona program. Around mid-April, when matriculation is complete, OGE approves the number of assistants and draws the contracts.

To allow as many graduate students as possible to join the programs, each graduate student selected may participate up to two times.

Positions are advertised in February-March with clear requirements and procedures, each director recommends assistants who are then approved by OGE after OGE completes its own interview. The contract includes salary and expenses as well as a rather detailed set of  expectations. Participating in these programs is not at all like teaching on campus: it involves many contact hours outside the classroom and dealing with potential health, legal, and other emergencies. All GU faculty -Directors and assistants alike- are responsible for their students’ well-being. Graduate assistants teach one course, assist with the organization and implementation of orientation sessions, fieldwork, conversation exchanges, and scheduling, and help when emergencies arise.

Minimum requirements: Full application submitted on time, interview, excellent teaching performance while at Georgetown and mentor or DGS’s approval. Applicants who are behind in their academic progress may apply but will not join the program unless they correct the situation prior to departure.

Spanish & Portuguese Department Language Programs ALPD positions

The Graduate Language Program Assistants work with the Language Program Directors in the design and implementation of the 12 language courses and their many sections that the Spanish section of the Department offers.  There are five ALPD positions, three in the non-intensive track, one in the Intensive track, and one in the Spanish for SFS courses. Doctoral students serve as ALPD for two academic years. A call for applications goes out in the Spring for Fall positions. Positions are open to all doctoral students in good standing.

Job Description:

Summer: 1. In communication with the LPD, refine all syllabi (1 per level) for the following year, incorporating instructors’ feedback; 2. Compile a new bank of reading materials (minimally 3 recent articles per level) based on recent issues and create comprehension questions on the articles; 3. Update the course templates in Canvas created by the LPD after revisions each academic year;  4. Upload and distribute language learning materials            

Semester: 1. Supervise language placement before classes begin; 2. Attend instructor, LPD and ALPD meetings at the beginning and end of each semester; 3. Provide advice (especially during Add/Drop period) for both teaching staff and undergraduates ; 4. Design time-tables for submission of teacher materials (test/exam components, composition and test grades etc.); 5. Coordinate instructors in the development of Tests/Quizzes (2-4 per level), Midterms (1 per level), Final exams (1 per level), and Guidelines for the students (5 hours x assessment tool) as well as grading criteria; 6. Submit assessment tasks and rubrics to LPD for feedback, make revisions as required; 7. Conduct classroom visits for new instructors and write a report (max 4 per semester); 8. Gather necessary information to monitor course evaluation procedures; 9. Liaise between LPDs, deans, and faculty with regard to absences and late work.                         

Hiring Procedure & Criteria:

Required: MA/MS in Spanish in hand, Native or near-native command of Spanish, Completion of SPAN 500: Spanish Teaching Methodology, Minimum 1 year of teaching experience in any of the Georgetown Spanish Language Programs, Satisfactory academic progress, Excellent student evaluations, Leadership skills, Comfortable using technology in language teaching and familiar with Canvas and Zoom. Regular attendance to Spanish Department Pedagogy Workshops is a plus.

Spanish & Portuguese Department Graduate Research Assistant Positions for students in years 2-5

All graduate faculty have access to internal research funding; our faculty have also had success at attracting external funding from foundations and from national and international research institutions. Faculty may use their research funds to hire graduate students to work on their research projects. The Graduate School sets limits on the number of hours allowed per week during the academic year, with more leeway granted during summer and spring and winter breaks. The Graduate School also establishes guidelines for compensation. These positions are advertised and open to all Georgetown doctoral students through HoyaWorks/Student Employment Office. Positions are advertised detailing requirements and expectations, hours, start and end date, compensation, and hiring procedures.

Spanish & Portuguese Department Graduate Clerical Assistant Positions

The Department will occasionally hire Graduate Students as Clerical Assistants during the summer and the academic year. These positions are advertised and open to all Georgetown doctoral students through HoyaWorks/Student Employment Office. Positions are advertised detailing requirements and expectations, hours, start and end date, compensation, and hiring procedures.