Tutoring Center  Solon Campus Center 40  726-6248

How to Become a Tutor

Tutor Qualifications

Each department or college sets the specific parameters for its tutors, but in general tutors must attain a grade of "B" or better in the courses they tutor and they must have an overall GPA of 3.0 

Most departments/colleges query the student database to create a list of potential tutors that meet the specific qualifications for their department/college. Letters of invitation are sent to students who have been identified as potential prospective tutors which explain the benefits of becoming a tutor and the course options available to them.

Tutors in the UMD Tutoring Center earn academic credit for tutoring in lieu of financial compensation.

Most new tutors take a tutor training course SSP 3003: Individualization of Instruction during the first semester of tutoring. The tutor training course is a 2 credit, A-F, upper division elective. It provides an introduction to contemporary learning theory and its application to one-on-one and small group learning situations. In addition to 2 hour class period each week, tutors are scheduled to tutor 3 hours per week. New writing tutors are scheduled to tutor 2 hours per week, and they are required to attend special workshops designed for new writing tutors.

After successfully completing tutor training, tutors can register for a tutor practicum, which does not include formal class instruction. The options are SSP 3004: Tutor Practicum which requires 3 hours of tutoring per week and, Math 3120: Mathematics Tutorial Project, and PHYS 2199: Physics Tutoring each of which requires 4 hours of tutoring per week. All of the practicums are 1 credit courses which can be repeated a maximum of three times.

The UMD tutoring program is accredited by the College Reading and Learning Association to certify tutors at the Regular/Level 1, Advanced/Level 2, and Master/Level 3 ranks. Each certification level requires 10 hours of formal class instruction. SSP 3003: Tutor Training, which includes 30 hours of instruction, fulfills this requirement for all three levels. In addition, tutors must document 25 hours of tutoring students for each level of certification (Level 1-- 25 hours: Level 2-- 50 hours; Level 3--75 hours).

[ 6869 ]