Biology Teaching Assistant Applications

Teaching Assistant Applications

Winter 2025 TA applications will open October 15, 2024 at 9:00am

NOW OPEN: TA Application

Deadline to apply: November 1, 2024 at 9:00am

Please note:  We are unable to accept applications from students who are not registered in a Faculty of Science program.

You must self-report your grades for the courses you wish to TA. Please note it is considered an academic offence to misrepresent your grades through this application and the Department will take any fraudulent reporting very seriously.  Make sure you report the mark for the correct aspect of a course. For example, if you are applying to a Lab course (i.e. 240L, 273L) make sure you report the mark for the Lab, not the main course.

Undergraduate student requirements to TA:

Students applying for a Teaching Assistantship (TA) position must have previously taken the course they would like to TA, and have received a grade of at least 75% in the course or have equivalent TA experience.  Students must be in good academic standing in the term prior to the start of the TA. Students must also be registered in the term they will be a TA.

Students must also attend the mandatory Biology TA Workshop. There is no workshop in Spring, so students applying for a Spring TA position must have already attended the workshop. 

NOTE: The TA workshop is only for TAs hired by the department and is not open to the general student population.

CMAHRO TA training is also required, however those that do not have it will be contacted with more information once hired.

All TAs must complete online safety training prior to the start of their TA term. The following online safety training must be completed:

  • WHMIS for UW Employees (note this is not the same as WHMIS for undergraduates);

  • Employee Safety Orientation;

  • Laboratory Safety,

  • Workplace Violence and Harassment Awareness

You may be requested to complete additional safety training, if required. Information on how to complete the training will be available if you have been assigned a TA.

Waitlist:

We do not keep a wait list, however applicants that were not hired may be contacted in the event that there are extra TA positions needed at the start of term or when an assigned TA is revoked (e.g for not attending the workshop or online safety training).

Rates of Pay (effective Sept 1, 2024):

(1/2 TA = 1 TA Unit = 5 hours/week)

Current UG (students must be registered in the term they are hired to TA in)

Rate/hour: $17.21

Months paid: 12 weeks over 3 months

Monthly rate: $344.00

Term Total*:  $1,032.00

*This is the total before taxes and does not include your vacation pay @ 4%.

Other Department Graduate students:

Please contact the Graduate Coordinator if you wish to apply as a GTA in Biology- April Wettig awettig@uwaterloo.ca

We thank all applicants for their interest in working with the Department of Biology. If you have questions after you review the information above, please contact us in the Biology Graduate Office using gradbio@uwaterloo.ca.