MS | Course & Research Assistant Overview

Overview

The CS Department offers a limited number of Course Assistant (CA), Teaching Assistant (TA), and Research Assistant (RA) appointments. The specific appointment classification (CA or TA) for instructional positions is determined based on the instructional duties assigned by the instructor and applicable university guidelines. Students will be notified of their official appointment classification in their appointment letter.

The CS Department hires 25% CAs and 50% CA's,TAs and RAs. Students hired at the 50% level (20 hours per week) have an enrollment cap of 10 units in order to ensure that students are making expeditious progress toward their degree. Students hired at the 25% level (10 hours per week) can enroll in 8-20 units.The standard appointment periods and pay dates are:

• Autumn quarter. October 1 - December 31.
  • The six Autumn pay dates are on 10/22, 11/7, 11/22, 12/7, 12/20, and 1/7.
• Winter quarter. January 1 - March 31.
  • The six Winter pay dates are on 1/22, 2/7, 2/22, 3/7, 3/22, and 4/7.
• Spring quarter. April 1 - June 30.
  • The six Spring pay dates are on 4/22, 5/7, 5/22, 6/7, 6/22, and 7/7.
• Summer quarter. July 1 - September 30.
  • The four Summer pay dates are on 7/22, 8/7, 8/22, and 9/7.

Course Assistants (CAs)

Typical Course Assistant (CA) responsibilities may include assisting with the preparation for lectures or lab activities; conducting labs or review sessions; holding office hours; responding to student questions; assisting with course logistics; monitoring course websites or discussion boards; proctoring exams; and grading assignments, quizzes, exams, or projects in accordance with instructor guidance. 

Teaching Assistants (TAs)

Typical Teaching Assistant (TA) responsibilities include all Course Assistant duties, as well as additional teaching-related responsibilities. TA responsibilities may include preparing for class sections and/or laboratories where new material may be presented or presenting material in a classroom or lab setting.

Course Assistantship appointments are made for the full quarter.

• Application Timeline: Prospective CA applicants are welcome to apply online.
  • Autumn quarter - Applications are accepted from July through August. Offers are made in mid-September.
  • Winter quarter - Applications are accepted from late October through early-November. Offers are made in early December.
  • Spring quarter - Applications are accepted from mid-January through mid-February. Offers are made in mid-March.
  • Summer quarter - Applications are accepted from early May through mid-May. Offers are made in early June.

Bettina Villaroman (bvsantos@stanford.edu) sends an email announcement to the CS MS and CS PhD mailing lists each quarter when applications go live. If you're a non-CS student who would like to receive only these announcements, sign up for the CA announce mailing list.

• Eligibility & Requirements:
  • Important Note: Incoming MS CS students are not eligible to apply for CA/TA positions with the CS Department during their first quarter at Stanford. You will be invited to apply for CS CA positions for the Winter quarter and beyond.
  • Submit an application. Everyone must submit an application in order to be hired. This includes prospective students, current CAs/TAs, CAs/TAs from previous quarters, and students who have already made arrangements with instructors.
  • Only graduate and coterm students are eligible for CAships. Coterm students must convert to the coterm graduate tuition group by the beginning of the quarter in which they hold a CAship. If you are not already in the graduate tuition group and have 180+ units, you are eligible to convert. For additional information, visit the Registrar's Office website.
    • Undergraduate students are not eligible to be CA's, however, do have the option to be paid Section Leaders. More information about section leading can be found on the CS198 website.
  • Hiring priority depends on program and funding. CS PhD students are given first priority, followed by CS MS students who were guaranteed CA funding when admitted, CS MS students, and lastly non-CS students.
  • English evaluation. Some international graduate students who wish to be appointed as TAs or CAs must first be screened by ESOL for readiness to use English in a teaching role. For more information, please visit the Language Center's website.
  • ACE CAships:
    • There is a separate process for students wishing to apply for the Additional Calculus for Engineers (ACE) Course Assistant positions. To learn more about the ACE Program and how the responsibilities of these CA positions may differ, please visit the ACE website. 
    • Note: The ACE CA Application review and offer timeline is earlier than the CS Department's CA application timeline.

Research Assistants (RAs)

Research Assistants work on research projects under the supervision of a faculty member. RA positions are arranged with the individual faculty member.

• Enrollment requirement. RA's must enroll in 8-10 units in Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters. Exceptions are made for students in their final quarter who need fewer than 8 units to graduate, and who have an approved Part Time Enrollment request on file.

FAQ’s

Where can I find updated application deadline information?

You can view the application dates for AY 26-27 here. 

How will I know which courses offer CAs or TAs?

The specific appointment classification (CA or TA) will be determined based on the instructional duties assigned by the instructor and applicable university guidelines. Your official appointment classification will be confirmed in your appointment letter.

Can I request to be classified as a TA instead of a CA?

No. The CA or TA classification is based on the duties assigned to the position and applicable University guidelines. Students cannot request or choose their appointment classification

Where can I find more information on CA/TAships?

You can check out the Prospective CA/TA Deck here.