Undergraduate Teaching Assistants

Below you’ll find everything you need to apply for an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant position in the Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. Please read carefully before submitting.

Eligibility — Summer Quarter 2026

To be hired as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, you must be:

• Authorized to work in the US — includes most US citizens, Permanent Residents, F-1 visa holders, and others.
• Not yet graduated — students who graduate in spring are not eligible to TA in summer.
• Enrolled in 6 or more credits during Spring or Summer quarter.

When classes are in session, students enrolled for 6 or more credits are limited to 19.5 hours per workweek total across all UW student positions. You may hold other positions but must split hours to stay within the limit.

Availability: TAs are expected on campus from the first day of class through the completion of finals grading. Contact the instructor as soon as possible about any time you need off. If you anticipate a significant absence, contact the TA Coordinator before applying to discuss your options and/or whether a TA position is practical.

Application and Course Assignment Process

There are three stages:

1. You apply. Submit the application form and rank your course preferences.
2. Instructors review. Instructors rank applicants using a selection rubric (see Hiring Criteria below).
3. The coordinator assigns. The CSE TA Coordinator finalizes assignments based on instructor rankings and applicant preferences, with the goal of meeting the needs of all our courses, while giving as many applicants and instructors their top choices as possible.

Some instructors may recruit for their individual courses or conduct a separate interview process to select candidates if the class requires additional job related qualifications and selection criteria that must be evaluated through in-person interviews. This information will be included in the “Course Specific Application Information” section below if applicable.

CSE 12x (Introductory Programming) positions

New TAs for CSE 121, 122, and 123 are selected through a separate application process. These courses are still listed on the current application for returning 12x TAs to submit their course preferences.

An announcement with information on how to apply for Autumn 2026 CSE 12x TA positions will be made toward the end of Spring quarter. For more information on CSE 12x TA positions and instructions on how to apply — including how to be notified when the application opens — see Intro TA Program Information.

1. Go to the Undergraduate Teaching Assistants application website and sign in with your UW NetID.
2. From your TA Candidate Dashboard, click Apply.
3. In the Basic information section, confirm your name and select Undergrad TA as your TA type.
4. In the Personal statement section, optionally describe why you want to TA and any relevant experience. This is especially useful if you are a non-CSE student or a first-time applicant. You can also use this section to provide additional information to instructors or the TA Coordinator regarding your course preferences or special circumstances.
5. In the Course category preferences section, indicate your general preferences across course areas.
6. In the Individual course preferences section, rank courses from 5 (most preferred) to 1 (least preferred). If a schedule conflict prevents you from attending all lectures or the weekly staff meeting, check the Schedule conflict checkbox in the first column.
7. Click Submit.

Hiring Criteria

Undergraduate TA appointments are based on:

• Academic performance and progress.
• TA/Instructor determination of qualification based on a selection rubric that evaluates job-related factors, e.g., previous TA experience and performance, previous success as a student in the class, and other related work or volunteer experience.

This position is governed by a negotiated labor contract with UAW. The University of Washington is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status, consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81.

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.

Statement of Nondiscrimination

The University of Washington prohibits discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct in any education program or activity it operates. Individuals may report concerns, make complaints, or direct inquiries to the Civil Rights Compliance Office. Read the full nondiscrimination statement.

Duties and Responsibilities

Specific duties are confirmed by the course instructor. Common responsibilities include:

Pay and Hours

CSE undergraduate TAs generally work 12–15 hours per week, up to the 19.5-hour weekly maximum across all UW student positions.

Academic Student Employees — including TA and RA positions — are covered by the UAW/UW Academic Student Employee union contract, which governs appointments, salary, job definitions, and leave time.

Hourly rates (effective Winter 2026)

Experience	Hourly rate
Quarter 1 (first time)	$22.65
Quarters 2–3	$23.65
Quarters 4–5	$24.65
Quarters 6–7	$25.65
Quarter 8 and above	$26.65

General Information

• Scheduled quiz sections for most CSE 100-level and 300-level courses are not listed in the TA application due to their volume, but a complete listing is available on the quarterly time schedule pages.
• Only apply to TA a course you have already taken — or have equivalent experience in. Applicants are assigned only when they have a solid command of the material. For course descriptions, see here.
• A weekly TA training seminar runs Thursdays, 4:30–6:00 PM each quarter for newly selected TAs. It is strongly recommended for anyone teaching for the first time, even if you have prior TA experience.

FERPA Acknowledgment: TA Information Release

By applying for a TA position, you acknowledge that if hired, certain information associated with your appointment — which is part of your education record under FERPA — will be published in various online locations. This may be visible to CSE instructors and staff, the broader university community, and in some cases the general public. Published information may include your name, school email address, photo, course(s) and section number(s) assigned, and your undergraduate or graduate status.

You have the right to: (1) inquire further about the release of this information; (2) request a specific exception; (3) withhold consent to release any information identifying you as a TA; and (4) revoke this consent in writing to the CSE Course Coordinator/TA Advisor — with the understanding that revocation does not affect information already shared prior to receipt of your written notice.

Contact

Application contact: Pim Lustig — pl@cs.washington.edu
Please also see: Intro to TA Program