About the TA preference form
All CS graduate students are required to complete the TA preference form regardless if you intend to TA in the upcoming term.
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Those who are eligible to TA must submit their course preferences and accept the Confidentiality Agreements at the end.
- If you know that you will be inactive, part-time, on coop/internship, off-campus, or if you plan to complete your degree and not register next term, indicate your status in your profile so we know not to assign you a TA unit.
- If you are unsure about your status for next term but want to TA as a backup, please indicate it somewhere on the form.
Graduate students who do not complete the form before the termly deadline will be automatically assumed to decline their TA units (which will affect your TA funding).
TA'ing for Fall 2025
To have your preferences fully considered for a Fall 2025 TA/IA position, this form must be submitted by Wednesday, June 25, 2025.
The above deadline does not apply to new students, MDSAI students, or non-CS graduate students. Students who are not entitled to TA units may complete the form, but assignments are not guaranteed. These students will be contacted if they are offered/assigned a TA position.
Graduate students are expected to be on campus from September 3 to December 23 to fulfill any required duties. If you are unable to TA for part of the term, please make a note in your response.
Questions?
If you have any questions related to this form, please first consult the Teaching assistantships FAQ for common inquiries and solutions.
If you run into technical issues or have further questions about the assignment process, contact the CS TA Assignment Team.
Related forms
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TA Preference Form - Frequently Asked Questions
Additional questions about the TA preference form can be directed to CS-TA@uwaterloo.ca.
1. Why do I need to complete the TA preference form (again)?
By completing the TA Preference Form, our team will better understand your background, experience, skills, and preference for tasks which we are able to consider when assigning you a course.
You need to resubmit every term since your eligibility and preference might change term by term. Your previous responses may be saved and auto-filled for you.
Additionally, some courses are only offered in certain terms.
2. Should I complete the TA preference form if I'm not going to TA?
Yes. It will take one minute to submit the form when stating that you do not wish to TA.
If there is a reason (e.g. you expect a buyout, are completing your degree, will take an off-term, will be going on an internship/co-op term), we want to accurately record it on Odyssey and adjust your funding appropriately.
If you do not complete the form at all, we are forced to assume that you are declining the TA unit and TA funding.
3. I am unsure about my availability next term. Should I complete the preference form if I do not yet know my status for next term?
In cases where you are unsure about your status (e.g. waiting for results for an internship, unsure of when you will complete your degree), you should still complete the TA preference form and note the situation appropriately.
It will be your responsibility to update csgtaschol@uwaterloo.ca and CS-TA@uwaterloo.ca as the details of your TA status become more certain.
4. I missed the deadline/forgot to submit the TA preference form on-time. Can I still TA?
Submit the form ASAP and email CS-TA@uwaterloo.ca to see what options are available.
5. I am a new student to the school. Am I required to complete the TA preference form to TA?
Students who are starting their degrees are not expected to complete the TA preference form to receive TA positions. Most new students do not have access to their school emails and, as a result, are unable to access the form by the time it's due.
If you are a new student who is able to submit the form (e.g. completed an undergraduate/Master's degree at the University of Waterloo), you are welcome to submit the form so that we can consider you for
6. Am I guaranteed to be assigned to the courses I chose on the TA preference form?
Most students who complete the TA preference form on time will be assigned to one of the courses that they select as their first or second choices. We will try our best to accommodate at least one of your first/second choices, but we cannot guarantee a perfect match based on a number of factors.
If you provide more information about your TA experiences and skills, it will give us more flexibility about where else you can be assigned if your first choices cannot be assigned to you.
7. How are TA positions assigned / what factors are involved in the TA assignment process?
We typically make assignments to prioritize each course. The limiting factors are often the number of positions allocated for the course, input from the instructor/ISC, and how many students selected the course on the TA preference form. In cases where there are multiple qualified TAs for a limited number of positions, we rely on other factors such as
- previous TA experience/performance
- preferences of tasks/duties
- familiarity with course-specific programs/languages
- relevancy of the course to the student's program or research area
Keep in mind, there are more than 400 graduate students in the School of Computer Science. Even if you desire a certain course, the goal is to have TAs assigned in the best interest of all courses.
TA assignments - Frequently Asked Questions
Additional questions about the TA preference form can be directed to CS-TA@uwaterloo.ca.
1. Which programming languages or concepts are taught in which course? How can I figure out which CS courses are most suitable for me?
For a better idea of course content, you can visit the university's outline repository for course descriptions and outlines from previous term offerings. Alternatively, you can find course descriptions and pre-requisite requirements online.
You may also discuss with your supervisor or inquire through the other professors/peers in your research labs for a better idea of which courses are relevant to your research area.
2. Can I TA for the course that my supervisor is teaching?
If they are teaching an undergraduate CS course, the best way to formalize this request would be to encourage your supervisor to complete the TA Request form before its deadline.
3. Can I TA for a grad-level CS course?
Graduate-level CS courses (CS 600-898) are not typically supported by TAs except for courses cross-listed with 400-level courses (e.g. CS 456/656).
Graduate students may be TAs for a grad-level CS course if the instructor has explicit approval from the CS Graduate Director to have TAs assigned to their course.
4. Can I TA for a course that is not in CS?
In most cases, CS students will only be assigned to TA for CS courses (or courses cross-listed with CS courses like CS 371/AMATH 242).
CS graduates may be assigned to non-CS courses in specific situations which may include the following scenarios:
- The course is not labelled as CS but is supported by the School of Computer Science (e.g. SE 212).
- The supervisor of a graduate student will teach a course outside CS and request their student.
- An external department is seeking TA recommendations and will fund the TAship from their own budget (e.g. MATH 643, QIC 710).
5. Can I TA for 2 courses in the same term?
Yes, if you have a double TA unit offered to you, it is possible to hold TA positions in two distinct courses.
We tend to avoid splitting double units like since it would require that you keep up with the content of two courses instead of just one. However, if you have TA'd for one or both of the courses before and think that you will be able to manage the workload, we will consider it an option when making TA assignments.
6. I am dissatisfied with my TA assignment. Can I TA for a different course instead?
Please contact the CS TA Assignment Team to let us know. Swap requests are easier to accommodate during the Tentative TA assignment period when most students and instructors voice their concerns regarding TA assignments.
In general, swapping courses will depend on what other positions are available and the reasons for which you want to swap assignments. If you are able to find another student to agree to a swap, then that would be the fastest way to have your requests accommodated.
The longer you wait to express dissatisfaction, then the harder it will become to find another course to reassign you to. In some cases where we are able to re-assign you, it may not be for a course that was your preferred choice.