Teaching Assistant Recruitment
in the Colleges Writing Programs

Overview

Each of the eight undergraduate colleges at UC San Diego has its own writing program. Graduate students from academic departments are appointed each year as Teaching Assistants (TAs) in these programs to facilitate undergraduate instruction in university-level writing and understanding of course content.

The typical TA position is a 50% appointment (~20 hours per week, 220 hours per quarter) for the full academic year (Fall, Winter, and Spring). The number of available positions varies each year and not all applicants will be offered a position.

Writing programs accept applications in April for the upcoming academic year. Information on each writing program can be found on the sub-pages in the left navigation under “TA Recruitment.”

Non Discrimination Statement
In accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, the University of California does not discriminate, or grant preferences, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories.
More information about Proposition 209 can be found here. 
More information about the University of California Anti-Discrimination Policy can be found here. 

Qualifications 

• Applicants must be confident, competent writers, with extensive experience in standard written English. 
• Classroom teaching experience, especially as writing instructors or tutors, is desired. 

Please check with your home department Graduate Coordinator to ensure your eligibility (academic status, support time limit, etc.) to be considered for a TA position in the writing programs before applying.  

Application Process

Programs will review your application according to the order in which you rank the writing programs for employment consideration, starting with your first choice. If other programs are still in need of applicants after the initial round of interviews and you were not offered a position, your application will continue to be reviewed in the order of your ranked preferences.

The IA system will pull your campus information from your PID. New graduate students will first need to establish a TritonLink account. Please contact your graduate coordinator for assistance. Full application requirements are detailed in the campaign. You will need to submit:

• a  resume or curriculum vitae
• a letter of application explaining why you are interested in teaching in a program in which writing plays a central role 
• a writing sample 

Late applications are accepted, but most positions will be filled by mid-June. Applications will be considered for last-minute openings

Apply

2025-2026 Writing Programs Teaching Assistant applications are open from Tuesday, April 1, 2025, to Wednesday, April 30, 2025. 

Contact information for each writing program can be found on the sub-pages in the left navigation under “TA Recruitment.”

If you have questions about which College Writing Program is right for you, please contact Antony Lyon at alyon@ucsd.edu. If you have questions about the TA application process for the Colleges Writing Programs, please contact ercmmw@ucsd.edu. If you have technical difficulties submitting an application, please contact ats@ucsd.edu.