Undergraduate Teaching Assistants

Be a part of an amazing team and help support the department!

The Department of Computer Science undergraduate teaching assistants (UGTAs) provide a vital service to the department, faculty, and students. UGTAs work as part of a team to help, support, and mentor students enrolled in CS courses. The experience provides an opportunity to develop soft skills (effective communication, team work, problem-solving, creativity, adaptability, and empathy) while reinforcing hard skills and concepts (programming languages, subject knowledge, teaching). 

We hire/enroll new UGTAs each semester. Please consider joining this elite group of students. 

Application for continuing CS UGTAs (anyone that has already been a CS UGTA). Deadline: 8am November 11, 2024. 

Application for new/prospective UGTAs (anyone that has not been a CS UGTA previously). Deadline: 8am November 11, 2024. Minimum academic qualification to apply: completion or current enrollment (fall 2024) in CSC 120 or CSC 110 instructor recommendation

For Fall hiring (occurs in spring semester): Applications typically open in late March/early April. 

For Spring hiring (occurs in fall semester): Applications typically open in late October/early November. 

Information contained on this page may be subject to change with or without notice, as deemed appropriate by the Department of Computer Science. This page is not intended to be a contract or for setting policy. Contact Martin Marquez (martinmarquez@cs.arizona.edu) if you have any questions about UGTA hiring. 

The Department of Computer Science has 4 positions providing undergraduate TA support:

  1. Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UGTA)

  2. Senior Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (Sr. UGTA)

  3. Course Coordinator-in-training (CCIT)

  4. Course Coordinator (CC)

UGTAs in the Department of Computer Science assist instructors in delivering undergraduate computer science courses. CS introductory courses often use active learning and collaborative learning spaces to provide a collaborative and supportive environment for students learning programming skills. All teaching assistants have taken and excelled in the courses they support and are familiar with the material in order to mentor new students as they learn.

Sr. UGTAs in the Department of Computer Science are experienced UGTAs (with at least 2 semesters of CS UGTA experience), who take on a leadership role. They will work closely with the course coordinator on various tasks, participate in UGTA training, and mentor new UGTAs. 

UGTAs, Sr. UGTAs, CCITs and CCs typically provide support for CSC 101, 110, 120, 144, 210, 244, 252, and 335. There may also be opportunities to support other courses in the department, depending on need. 

UGTAs and Sr. UGTAs have varying responsibilities, depending on the course. Course instructor/supervisor will provide UGTAs and Sr. UGTAs with expectations and responsibilities for the roles.
 

Qualifications for Teaching Assistant

  1. Willingness to mentor CS students and support them to be successful college students

  2. Demonstrated organizational and communication skills

  3. Interest in supporting collaborative and positive environments for CS students

  4. Availability to attend weekly course meetings and work an average of 10-12 hours per week

  5. Good academic standing with cumulative and major GPAs. Generally, UGTAs have GPA 3.0 or higher and have completed (or are currently in progress with completing the course) with a grade of B or higher.  Students who have not already completed or are not enrolled in CSC 120 (in the term of application) must obtain a recommendation from a CS instructor in order to be considered. 

CCITs and CCs are experienced UGTAs who assist the instructor with course management and may have a supervisory role with course UGTAs.

CCITs and CCs are expected to help the instructor with the many facets of managing a course. Course instructor/supervisor will provide CCITs and CCs with expectations and responsibilities for the role.

Qualifications for CCIT and CC:

  1. Previous CCIT/CC/UGTA in course to which applying with positive reviews from instructor(s)

  2. Strong interest in supporting instructors with course management

  3. Willingness to mentor and support UGTAs 

  4. Demonstrated organizational and communication skills

  5. Interest in supporting collaborative and positive environments for CS students

  6. Availability to attend weekly course meetings and other planning meetings, as needed , and availability to work an average of 10-12 hours per week

  7. Good academic standing with overall and major GPAs

Students may receive pay for being a teaching assistant*. Compensation begins at $14.50. The hourly pay rate depends on the UA and department minimums. Pending available funds/TA budget, students may receive increases in their hourly rate based on the number of semesters in the position and position type. Pay increases are not guaranteed. Students are hired as department employees and are responsible for reviewing and understanding the policies in the Student Employment Manual.

*Starting Fall 2024:

The Department of Computer Science is transitioning from a “TA for pay” model to a “TA for credit” model. All new UGTAs for fall 2024 are offered a TA position under the “TA for credit” model. 

New UGTAs for fall 2024 are enrolled in their instructor/supervisor’s CSC 391 (Preceptorship; SPF grading) section for 3 units (equivalent to 9-11 hrs of TA work per week) under the course instructor/supervisor. Preceptorship units count towards your UA degree requirements for upper-division units (CSC 391 units do not count towards CS major requirements and do not impact GPA). Review the generic CSC 391 syllabus for information about the course. Instructors may have their own CSC 391 syllabus.

Students choosing to volunteer for being a teaching assistant will be required to complete all necessary paperwork required for volunteering. Students choosing this option will be contacted by a member of the Department of Computer Science Financial and Administrative Services in order to complete the process. 

A CS faculty and staff member will review your application materials. Your contact information and application materials will be sent to course instructors based on your course preferences. Instructors will provide feedback/input about your fit for the course. Instructors may choose to contact you to discuss your application, schedule interviews and/or meetings. The specific process is determined by the instructor(s) of the course(s) you are interested in and qualified for. You will receive an email with a decision regarding your CS UGTA application sent by a CS staff member.