Teaching in Higher Education (THE500)

In THE500, senior PhD candidates and post-doctoral fellows improve their teaching practice by becoming more knowledgeable about the ways in which students learn and about different teaching theories and styles.

Course participants experience and take part in a variety of teaching situations, from small group work to more formal lecture sessions. Ample opportunity is given to participants to reflect on the course as it progresses and on their own teaching and learning experiences.

The success of THE500 depends on the participants’ willingness to share their experiences, successes and frustrations with in-class and online instruction. Each THE500 session also acts as a “laboratory” in which participants work cooperatively -- sometimes in a teaching role, sometimes in a learner's role. Therefore, enrolment in THE500 is restricted to senior PhD students and post-doctoral fellows who have already had classroom experience (e.g., as a teaching assistant or as a course instructor). Priority is also given to students who have participated in Teaching Assistant Training Program (TATP) workshops through CTSI, the Centre for Teaching Support and Innovation, as these are considered recommended preparation for THE500.

THE500 is provided free of charge to graduate U of T students. Students receive an official letter from the university confirming their completion of THE500, with a brief description of its content. The course itself will not appear on your School of Graduate Studies transcript.

THE500 counts as four credits toward the requirements of the Graduate Professional Skills (GPS) transcript notation within MyGPD. To learn more about the notation and The Centre for Graduate Professional Development, please visit the centre's website. Please note: The MyGPD program is no longer open to new enrollment. Students who enrolled in MyGPD before the program was paused will still be able to receive a GPS transcript notation if they complete the requirements.