Becoming a Subject Tutor: Frequently Asked Questions
 Please review the following FAQs before submitting an application to
become a Subject Tutor.
Q: Who is eligible to apply for a tutor position in the Subject Tutoring Program?
A: Applicants must be enrolled in a minimum of one undergraduate course at UMass
Boston during the semester in which they will be tutoring. Graduate students are not
eligible to become subject tutors.
Q: What courses are tutored through the Subject Tutoring Program?
A: The Subject Tutoring Program offers tutoring for most 100 and 200 level courses in
the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) and the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM). This
includes but may not be limited to courses in the following subjects:
o
o
o
o
o
Biology
Chemistry
Economics
Psychology
Foreign Languages (ie Spanish,
French, Chinese, Japanese)
o Classics (including Latin and
Greek)
o Philosophy (especially Logic)
o EEOS and Environmental Studies
o Music
Please note that the following subjects are not tutored through the Subject Tutoring Program:
o Math and Computer Science (CS) 100 and 200 level courses: Tutoring is offered
through the Math Resource Center (MRC). Please apply in person on the 8th floor of
the Healey Library.
o Physics 107, 108, 113, and 114: Tutoring is offered by graduate students in the
physics department.
o English 101 and 102: Tutoring is offered through the English department.
o CRW 282 and 283: Tutoring is offered by graduate students in the Office of
Undergraduate Studies.
o Reading, Writing, study skills: Tutoring is offered by graduate students through the
Reading, Writing and Study Strategies Center (RWSSC).
o Management: Tutoring is offered through the College of Management.
Q: How are tutors for the Subject Tutoring Program selected?
A: Tutors must meet the minimum eligibility requirements outlined above. Applicants
are prioritized for hire based on staffing needs in particular courses. Each department’s
faculty can set their own criteria for tutors, but in general, students who are most
frequently hired as tutors are:
1. Students who have successfully completed (with an A or A- final grade) the course
which they are applying to tutor.
2. Students who have taken the course with the same professor who is teaching the
course during the semester for which the students are applying for the position.
3. If applying for a position as a language tutor: Students who, if possible, are majoring
in a language and/or taking upper level courses in the language for which they
would like to tutor; or, for languages which are not offered as a major at UMass
Boston, students who are native speakers of the language.
Q: How do I apply for a tutoring position?
A: To apply to become a Subject Tutor, you will need to follow the link below to the
online application, complete the application form in its entirety, and submit. You will be
asked to specify which course(s) you would like to tutor, when you took them at UMass
Boston, and the name of your professor (if applicable).
Q: When can I expect to hear from Subject Tutor staff about the status of my application?
A: This varies. Applications are reviewed as they are received and prioritized based on
staffing needs in particular courses. Some applicants will not receive an immediate
response; however, all submitted applications are kept on file and new tutors are hired
on an ongoing basis throughout the semester in response to demand for tutoring, so
applicants may be contacted at a later date if additional tutors are needed in a
particular course.
Additional questions? Please email the Subject Tutoring Program staff at
tutoringprogram@umb.edu.