Graduate Teaching Assistanships
CS GTAs support more than 50 courses each semester: leading labs, PSOs, and recitations, holding office hours, grading, and building course materials. This page covers who can apply, how assignments work, what is expectedof you, and how you will be trained, supported, and evaluated.
Application opensFall Semester - June 1 |
Appointment startsOne week before classes begin. |
Appointment endsThe day grades are due (the first Tuesday after final exams). |
New GTA OrientationThe week before the Fall Semester starts (mid-August). |
Eligibility
In order to be considered for a GTA position, you must:
- Be a Purdue graduate student. Students in the BS/MS +1 Program are only eligible in their MS year.
- Hold oral English certification if English is not your first language (see below).
- Be registered for at least ( confirm) 6 credit hours (international) or 3 credit hours (domestic) for each semester of your appointment.
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress. Continued funding also required satisfactory teaching performance.
Application and timeline information
The application opens mid-semester.
All CS Graduate students will recieve an email. Incoming and non-CS student should check the application page directly.
- Fall semester applications open in June.
- Spring semester applications open in October.
- Summer term applications open in April.
Submit your application and course preferences.
Give positive preferences for at least 10 undergraduate CS courses and every graduate course you earned an A in. Listing only favorites limits the courses you are considered for.
Faculty share preferences, and then assignments are made.
Faculty cannot hire GTAs, but they can request qualified applicants. Assignments consider;
- Department need
- English certification
- Your preferences
- Grades and course knowledge
- Prior GTA evaluations
- Faculty preferences
- Academic progress
Preliminary assignments are emailed
Expect several rounds of updates. Tuition remission is sent to the Bursar after assignments are released, usually close to the start of the term.
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CS graduate students in good academic standing will get priority. Because there are more applicants than positions, incoming MS and non-CS students usually do not recieve offers until they have CS grades to review. |
GTA Expectations
These expectations are a part of how your work is evaluated and how you are considered for future opportunities.
Be dependable
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Be fair and respectful
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Be effective and ready to grow
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GTA Roles
Your role is set in myCS before the semester starts. It shapes what you do, which training applies, and who evaluates you. Specific duties come from your course instructor.
Lab, PSO, or recitation leadRuns scheduled sessions with students. Student-facing, so oral english certification is required. |
Office hoursHelps students one-on-one or in small groups at posted times. Be there for the full time, every time. |
GraderGrades homework, projects and exams to the course rubric and handles regrade requests as the instructor directs. |
Head or Lead TACoordinates the course GTA team, relays information with the instructor, and completes checkpoint evaluations of course TAs. |
Development ("Dev") poolCoordinates the course GTA team, relays information with the instructor, and completes checkpoint evaluations of course TAs. |
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Training and Professional Development
Who |
What |
When |
| All first-time CS GTAs | CS Orientation for New TAs: TA information session and TA Computer Lab Overview and Training | The week before the Fall semester |
| All first-time CS GTAs | Online GTA training course in Brightspace | Before your first semester of teaching |
| Returning CS GTAs | Brightspace GTA training refresher | Every year |
| Returning CS GTAs | CS 591TA: An 8-week GTA professional development course built with Purdue's Center for Instructional Excellence, covering teaching practice, grading, and building community as a TA | First 8 weeks of the Fall semester |
Need more support? Request a teaching consultation from the CS Instructional Quality Team or the Center for Instructional Excellence.
Evaluation and Feedback
Every GTA recieves feedback during the semester. Evaluations exist to help you grow as a teacher. They are also one of the factors in future assignments and continued funding.
Classroom observationsTwo short visits (15-20 mins) during your labs, PSOs, recitiations, or your office hours if that is your only student-facing setting. You recieve feedback after each visit. |
Head or Lead TA checkpointsAt the midpoint and end of the semester, covering reliability, communication, collaboration, and quality of work. For grading and Dev. roles, this is the main evaluation |
Instructor inputYour course instructor's assessment of your work and professionalism. |
Student feedbackEnd-of semester student evaluations for student-facing roles. |
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If your evaluation shows areas to improve, you will recieve written feedback naming specific areas to work on, along with support such as consultation or targeted training. Concerns that continue may affect future assignments. |
Contacts
CS Graduate OfficeApplications, assignments, English certification, OEPT scheduling, tuition remission. |
Instructional Quality TeamTraining, evaluations, observation feedback, teaching support. |
Your course's instructorDay-to-day duties, schedules, grading policies, and absenses. |