At this time, the department is prioritizing the employment of its own PhD graduate students.

Students interested in applying for available TAships should visit the following: https://grad.ucsd.edu/financial/employment/opportunities/index.html

More employment opportunities can be found here: https://grad.ucsd.edu/financial/employment/index.html

Notify your home department of your employment plans.  Grad students should submit a response to the annual funding plan survey.  You should also inform Student Affairs Manager, Ethel Lu, and Graduate Coordinator, Katie Smith of any changes. 

If you have not been employed with UCSD before, you will need to fill out New Hire paperwork at least one month before your start date with the department. This paperwork requires that you bring in proof of your eligibility to work. See page 5 of the I-9 form (PDF) for a list of acceptable documents to establish this. New hires should also bring in a voided check to apply for Direct Deposit. International students will need to bring in additional documents when filing out New Hire Paperwork.

First-time TAs are required to attend the New Academic Student Employee orientation with the Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA). Information will be sent out each quarter regarding the dates.

While the department always tries to accommodate top preferences of both graduate students and faculty, there is no guarantee. TA assignments are based on many factors, including faculty preferences, student preferences, enrollments, student funding packages, Graduate Division employment exceptions, department needs, and student expertise.

TAs may be placed in courses that are not in their field of study.

TAs may be placed in lower-division courses even if they only apply for upper-division courses.  For lower-division courses, 50% TAs will lead two sections, while 25% TAs will lead one section.  If a first-year graduate student requests a 50% appointment, this request will be accommodated if there is a departmental need which may mean the student will be assigned to lead two lower-division sections.  

The following are the decision-making steps for assigning TAs to lower-division sections:

1) students who apply to teach sections are matched with lower-division sections first;

2) next: third years and above who have never taught sections in the department (having previously taught sections during Summer Session or for another department during the academic year does not count);

3)  next: more advanced students, third year and above, who have taught sections previously only once or twice; and

4) lastly: if there is still a need to fill lower-division sections, second-year students are assigned.

Academic year Associate Instructor assignments are based on many factors, including department curricular needs, funding, Graduate Division employment exceptions, and student expertise.

These are the criteria used to determine who is selected for Associate-Instructor assignments:

#1 Department curriculum needs & available funding.

#2 Teaching effectiveness and past teaching experience of applicants.

#3 Sixth years and above have priority after all other criteria are considered.

There are very limited Associate Instructor positions available during the academic year. There are positions available and more flexibility available for Summer Session appointments.

During the academic year, students may be employed at up to a total of 50% time.

When no other student is available, you may be able to get an exception to that rule for a total employment of up to 75%. 

Approval to work over 50% requires a satisfactory Spring Evaluation on file and an employment exception form submitted by your Graduate Coordinator, signed by the Chair, and approved by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at the GEPA.  No student will be approved to exceed the 50% rule retroactively (after starting work).

International students may never work more than 50%. 

DO NOT begin work exceeding 50% time until you have received formal approval. Failure to do so may result in the inability to be paid.

During the summer, students may be employed up to 100% time total. There are no exceptions that need to be filed.

During the academic year, international students may be employed at up to 50% time. No exceptions can be made to exceed this amount.

During the summer, international students may be employed up to 100% time total. There are no exceptions that need to be filed.

40 hours a week is considered 100% employment. Therefore, a 50% TA/GSR should work an average of 20 hours a week over the course of their appointment, a 25% TA/GSR should work an average of 10 hours a week, etc.

The amount you make corresponds to your employment percentage. Most graduate students have a 50% TAship.  Some students hold GSR appointments, and Political Science students are at GSR step 3. For details on TA and GSR salary pay rates, please visit GEPA. The academic year is October - June.

In addition, students employed on academic titles for 25% or more during the quarter will have their TA Health Insurance, Registration Fees, and Educational Fees paid for them.

Regular TAs are hired for 3 full months for each quarter they work. They are paid equally for each month. TAs for Fall Quarter should be aware that they do not receive their first paycheck until after their first full month of work (end of October).

Below is the general schedule of paycheck disbursement. See here for current payroll calendars (PDF).

Fall TA – October 31st, November 30th, December 31st; 3 equal payments.
Winter TA – January 31st, February 28th, March 31st; 3 equal payments.
Spring TA – April 30th, May 31st, June 30th; 3 equal payments.

Each year, the department has a limited number of opportunities for graduate students to serve as instructors, aka Associate Instructors (formerly Associate-In-Teaching). A call for graduate student Associate Instructors will be sent via email as opportunities arise.  Course assignments are based on preparedness to teach, the student's progress in the program, and the fit and quality of the course proposal; only advanced students may apply.

Associate Instructors and TAs should check out our Instructional Support page. It contains information on how to reserve audio-visual equipment, alternative examination information, how to make copies or handouts, and so on.

Grad students must be in residence (local) to TA an in-person or hybrid course, or be in the United States to TA a fully remote course.  

The UCOP program temporarily allowing telework from an international location ended as of September 30, 2021 .  The program allowing case-by-case consideration for temporary international telework due to visa related issues also ended, as of December 31, 2021.  For more information visit: https://aps.ucsd.edu/faculty-resources/covid-19/leavefaq.html#Temporary-Remote-Work-Agreement

There are significant risks to the University of California (UC Regents) with allowing employees to work from an international location even for a very short period of time. These include potential tax liability and penalties in the host country; being subject to the host country’s employment laws; being subject to the host country’s payroll regulations and penalties; the risk and cost of potential litigation in a foreign country.