Academic Student Employees (TA/Reader/Tutor) General Information

Fall 2025 Application for Academic Student Employees (Teaching Assistants, Readers & Tutors) 

APPLY HERE - https://academicaffairs.ucsd.edu/Modules/ASES/Apply.aspx?cid=6084

Application Deadline: Friday, July 18, 2025

Please submit all questions regarding ASE positions to ne-instruction@ucsd.edu.

Please read before submitting an application

  • Teaching Assistants must be registered graduate students in good academic standing. Readers and Tutors can be Undergraduate students.

  • Information regarding required training will be included in the offer letter for employment; training (e.g. Injury & Illness Prevention Training) does not need to be completed in order for students to submit an application.
  • Not all courses listed in the preferences section will require a Teaching Assistant, Reader or Tutor. Need is based on course enrollment. We recommend that you reach out to the instructors directly if you are interested in working as a Teaching Assistant, Reader or Tutor for their course.

  • To be eligible for employment as an ASE, you must be available to work and be physically present on campus from the first day of the quarter through the eGrades submission deadline.

Overview

The Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering employs Academic Student Employees (ASE) (Teaching Assistants [TAs], Readers, and Tutors) during each quarter of the academic year. These positions are allocated based on course enrollment, and positions are filled on a quarterly basis through an application and selection process. Chemical and Nano Engineering Graduate and Undergraduate students will be notified via email when applications are open.

Positions are very competitive and not all applicants will be offered a position. Only the CNE Student Affairs Office can extend an official offer of employment.

Tips to Improve Your Chances of Receiving an Offer

  • Apply before the posted deadline. Although the application will remain open past the deadline date, professors will be reviewing applications immediately after the deadline passes.
  • Apply to more than one department. ASE positions in CNE are not guaranteed so we recommend that you submit an application to multiple departments. Some departments advertise their applications via email, some post their applications on their department websites, and some post their positions on the Open Positions website.
  • Course preferences. When instructors review applications, their lists are organized by applicant preference. We recommend selecting (and ranking) all courses for which you are qualified (including introductory courses).
  • Evaluations matter. If and when you are hired, take your responsibilities seriously and encourage all of your students and your instructor to complete the TA evaluation at the end of the quarter. These evaluations are taken into consideration when instructors are selecting TAs and positive evaluations will increase your chances of being hired again in the future.
  • Course instructors often encourage students to apply for a specific course, but that is not a job offer. ONLY the department makes the official job offer through the IA System. However, we do use faculty input to determine who should be assigned to each course.

What to Do After You Receive an Offer

  • Follow the link on the Offer to review the Appointment Letter and the Description of Duties. Contact the Course's Instructor of Record if you have any questions about the job requirements. The Offer will have an option for you to Accept or Decline the position. Offers must be accepted before appointments are entered in the payroll system. If you have never worked as a GSR, TA, Reader, or Tutor, you should contact your home department to see if you need to complete Hiring Paperwork.
  • Contact the Instructor of the course for further instructions.
  • Complete all required training:
  • Readers and Tutors will need to complete Time Sheets online via Ecotime.
  • International Students will need to apply for a Social Security Number (SSN).

Academic Student Employee Roles

Teaching Assistant (TA)

Assists in the instruction of an upper or lower division course at the University under the supervision of a faculty member. The TA primarily assists the faculty member in charge of the course by conducting discussion or laboratory sections that supplement faculty lectures and by grading assignments and examinations.

A TA may also assist with the development of assignments or exams, hold office hours and proctor examinations. In the case of basic language, reading and composition, some other skills-building courses, and a few other courses, a teaching assistant may lead the class meetings, but the general instructional content of the course, as well as the official assignment of student grades and decisions on grade appeals, are the responsibility of the faculty member in charge of the course.

If you are an international student, please check the Extended Studies website to see if are eligible to take the ELCE. Students who do not meet the minimum requirements will have their TA applications automatically removed after the application deadline. 

  • Students who must pass an English Language Proficiency Certification Examination (ELCE) requirement prior to being hired as a TA for the first time will not receive an offer letter until they have satisfied the ELCE requirement. We will schedule an ELCE test on your behalf if you are slated to hold a TA position. Please contact us if you need to take the ELCE.

  • Students who need further language classes prior to qualifying for the ELCE will not be allowed to take the certification test until they have completed formal English proficiency training. All students in this category will not be eligible to TA and may acquire the required English language proficiency skills via courses offered in the English Language Institute and the English as a Second Language (ESL) Program. For more information, please see the Graduate Division's policy here.

TAs may be asked to attend lectures, lead discussion or lab sections, and proctor midterm and final exams. You should be available to do so for any classes you mark as TA preferences.

Reader (Grader)

Assists a course instructor by grading homework, papers, or exams and may also hold office hours to answer student questions about such assignments.

Tutor

Provides tutoring to small groups (three or more) of undergraduate or graduate students who require additional help to understand a course or topical material.

Eligibility

Only Graduate Students are eligible to work as TA's. Undergraduate Students may be employed as Readers or Tutors.

Students must be in good academic standing and must be registered full-time (12 units) to work during the quarter for which they are hired (20 hours per week = 50% employment, 10 hours per week = 25% employment). Graduate students who are registered for 11-6 units may be employed at 25% with department pre-approval. Any graduate student employed 26% or above must be registered full-time (12 units).

Grad Students must be enrolled in graduate-level courses; undergraduate courses do not count towards full-time Graduate Standing. Graduate Students cannot be employed more than 50% during the academic year. For greater detail about UC San Diego Graduate Student employment eligibility please review this Division of Graduate Education & Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) resource: Graduate Student Employment Eligibility

Undergraduate Students must be registered full-time students, in Junior or Senior standing with an overall GPA of at least 3.0.

Compensation

All Readers and Tutors must complete and submit time sheets via Ecotime (online time reporting) to receive payment. Pay cannot be completed if a time sheet is not turned in by the deadline. Students cannot exceed the hours described in their appointment letter without prior approval from both the Instructor of Record and NE Student Affairs.

2024-2025 ASE Pay Rates (before taxes)

  • Teaching Assistant
    • 50% - $3,236.11/month
    • 25% - $1,618.06/month
  • Reader (Graduate Student) - $21.28/hour
  • Reader (Undergraduate Student) - $20.40/hour
  • Tutor (Graduate Student) - $29.81/hour
  • Tutor (Undergraduate Student) - $20.40/hour (single session) // $23.73/hour (group session)

Fee Remission

Graduate Students hired as Instructional Assistants at 25% or above are eligible for Fee Remission which covers the majority of Resident Tuition and Fees. The CNE Department does not cover the balance of fees. The TA Fee Deferment Program allows graduate students appointed at a minimum of 25% for the entire quarter to pay the balance of their registration fees (excluding nonresident supplemental tuition) through payroll deduction. Additionally, students who will be working 25% or more as a Teaching Assistant (TA) during Winter quarter can apply for a TA Loan to cover expenses until receipt of their first paycheck.

Senate Bill 791 and Assembly Bill 810

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

Resources