Teaching assistantships
Teaching-related activity is an important aspect of graduate education, because it provides invaluable practice in clearly formulating concepts and conveying ideas.
TAs are funded by the Faculty of Mathematics and assigned by the department, usually with three or four units in any twelve month period.
MMath students
Full-time MMath students are eligible for up to 7.00 TA units over the 2-year program timeline.
| Term | F | W | S | F | W | S | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MMath Student A (2-Year Program) | 1.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | -- |
| MMath Student B (1 Extra Term) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 |
| MMath Student C (Delayed Start Term) | -- | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
MMath students usually have 4 TA units in their 1st year and three TA units in their second year. These students typically have their double TA unit in their second or third term of full-time studies.
MMath students who are not assigned a double TA unit in their first three terms are prioritized to get a double unit in their fourth term.
PhD students
Full-time PhD students are eligible for up to 16.00 units of TA over the 4-year program timeline.
| Term | F | W | S | F | W | S | ... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhD Student A | 1.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 8.00 units to complete in 6 terms |
| PhD Student B (Delayed Start Term) | -- | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 9.00 units to complete in 7 terms |
PhD students are typically assigned a double TA unit every year. Doubles are more likely to be assigned in Fall and Winter terms as that is when course enrollment is highest.
Students can check Odyssey for history of their TA units assigned to date.
Continuation of TA support beyond the first year is contingent on satisfactory performance of previous TA assignments.
TA Assignments
In the School of Computer Science, teaching assignments are determined and communicated by the CS TA Assignment Team.
Graduate students in their first and second terms will normally be assigned to first and second-year courses, and advanced students will be assigned to upper-year courses. The duties involve consultation with students, marking assignments and exams, preparing examples, or assisting with tutorial sessions. The amount of work varies somewhat from course to course, but the duties of one unit involve an average of 5 hours per week for the term.
More information about TA assignments (including the TA Assignment Info Session, the termly timeline, submission of the TA Preference Form, and Instructor TA Request form) can all be found on the Instructional Support Group (ISG)'s website.
For questions that are not found on the CS TA FAQ, please contact us as cs-ta@uwaterloo.ca.
TA Assignment Forms
Teaching opportunities
Instructional Apprentice (IA) Positions
In recognition of the advanced skills of many graduate students, we have created IA positions as an alternative to standard TA positions. These positions have the same number of hours as a TA position and the same pay scale, but the duties are more diverse.
In contrast to a TA, who spends most hours marking assignments, an IA will spend time on other activities such as tutorial or lab instructors and holding office hours for consulting with students. Others will be responsible for coordinating and supervising TAs, or for creating assignment solutions and/or marking schemes.
Lecturing opportunities
While most graduate students will gain teaching experience through teaching assistantships, occasionally some senior graduate students may have the opportunity to be instructors. These assignments must be approved by the student's supervisor and the Director of the School.