As members of the Penn Engineering Online community,
teaching assistants provide exceptional educational experiences to our students who are located across the country and around the globe.
Current Openings
Key Dates
| Hiring Semester | Spring 2025 |
| Application Opens | November 5, 2024 |
| Expected Interview Dates | November 11, 2024 – December 20, 2024 |
| Dates of Employment | January 6, 2025 – May 4, 2025 |
| Training Begins | January 5, 2025 |
| Courses Begin | January 13, 2025 |
Spring 2025 – Teaching Assistants
Teaching assistants guide Penn Engineering Online students to academic success by helping them engage with and understand the course materials. TAs will serve as one of the primary sources of knowledge and expertise for our students. Penn Engineering Online faculty, staff, and head TAs support the Teaching Assistants in establishing and maintaining these working relationships.
Which courses need TAs for the Spring 2025 Semester:
- CIT 5910: Introduction to Software Development
- CIT 5920: Mathematical Foundations of Computer Systems
- CIT 5930: Introduction to Computer Systems
- CIT 5940: Data Structures & Software Design
- CIT 5950: Computer Systems Programming
- CIT 5960: Algorithms & Computation
- CIS 5150: Fundamentals of Linear Algebra & Optimization
- CIS 5210: Artificial Intelligence
- CIS 5300: Natural Language Processing
- CIS 5450: Big Data Analysis
- CIS 5470: Software Analysis
- CIS 5490: Wireless Communications for Mobile Networks & IoT
- CIS 5500: Databases & Information Systems
- CIS 5530: Networked Systems
- CIS 5690: GPU Computation for Macine Learning Systems
- EAS 5160: Matematics for Machine Learning – Probability (.5 CUs)
- EAS 5240: Tech Ethics
- EAS 5740: How to Use Data (.5 CUs)
- EAS 5830: Blockchains (.5 CUs)
- ESE 5410: Machine Learning for Data Science
- ESE 5420: Statistics for Data Science
We are looking for individuals with the following skills and attributes:
- Troubleshooting
- Problem-solving
- Excellent written and verbal communication
- Willingness to learn something new and be challenged
- Enjoy working in teams
- Excellent time management
TA responsibilities include:
- Attend synchronous and asynchronous virtual orientation sessions
- Beta test material in Canvas
- Attend virtual synchronous course staff meetings (1 hour each week)
- Participate in virtual synchronous office hours, small group and individual (1 hour each week)
- Participate in virtual synchronous recitations, including problems chosen by course staff, and problems addressing the current difficulties of the students (1 hour each week)
- Monitor and respond to student questions in the communications forum based on a schedule, and ensure questions are answered within 24 hrs (1-2 hours each week)
- Provide 1:1 support to struggling students as needed and directed by the instructor
- Grade student work according to an established rubric, provide feedback and upload grades to the platform (may not be required for classes that use Grading TAs)
Time Commitment:
- 10-15 hours per week
- Since all student interaction is online, these positions provide slightly more flexibility than on-campus TA positions.
Compensation:
- TAs will be paid $18/hr
Prerequisites:
- Have completed and done well in an equivalent course, on-campus or online.
- Reside in the United States at time of employment.
Spring 2025 – Grading TAs
Primary courses that need Grading TAs for the MCIT Online Spring 2025 semester:
- CIT 5910: Introduction to Software Development
- CIT 5920: Mathematical Foundations of Computer Systems
- CIT 5930: Introduction to Computer Systems
Grading TA responsibilities include:
- Grading assignments based on a rubric
- Providing written feedback to students
- Processing re-grades
- Monitoring and answering students’ questions on Ed Discussion
Time Commitment
~10 hours per week
Compensation
$18/hour
Prerequisites:
- Reside in the United States at time of employment.
- Have completed and done well in an equivalent course, on-campus or online.
Teaching Assistants – Non-Credit Courses
Teaching Assistants for non-credit courses are dedicated to helping students engage with and understand the course materials. Penn Engineering Online is looking for Teaching Assistants to provide an exceptional educational experience to learners enrolled in our online open courses.
We are seeking current Penn students with advanced knowledge to monitor the following ongoing courses:
- Computational Thinking for Problem Solving
- Coursera Python/Java Specialization: Introduction to Python Programming; Data Analysis Using Python; Introduction to Java and Object-Oriented Programming; Inheritance and Data Structures in Java
We are looking for individuals with the following skills and attributes:
- Troubleshooting
- Problem-solving
- Excellent written and verbal communication
- Willingness to learn something new and be challenged
TA responsibilities include:
- Attending synchronous and asynchronous virtual orientation sessions
- Monitoring and responding to student questions in the communications forum based on a schedule, and ensuring questions are answered within 48 hrs (1-2 hours each week)
- Monitoring and resolving course problem reports
Time Commitment:
- Approximately 10 hours per week
- Since all student interaction is online, these positions provide slightly more flexibility than on-campus TA positions
Compensation:
- TAs will be paid $18/hr
Prerequisites:
- Reside in the United States at time of employment
To apply, please email: Kendall Reinisch (kj0y@seas.upenn.edu)
Teaching Assistant FAQs
How do I know if I’m authorized to work?
If you aren’t sure if you are authorized to work, contact your International Student advisor (either at Penn’s ISSS or your sponsoring institution). For information on Penn’s guidelines for on-campus employment, review Penn’s ISSS site. We recommend that you check your status each time you apply for a job, to make sure your situation hasn’t changed and that you are available to work on your start date.
You may also contact Kathryn Fogle (kfogle@upenn.edu), Immigration and Employment Compliance Manager, with questions about your work authorization status.
Please note that if you are applying for OPT or CPT, it can sometimes take weeks (or more) to receive it. Please plan accordingly, because you are NOT able to work until you have received your authorization.
What happens after I sign the Offer Letter and complete the PEFS Payroll Packet?
When you sign your Offer Letter and complete your PEFS Payroll Packet through Docusign, your paperwork will automatically go to PEFS to be processed. However, sometimes there are delays in getting students added into the system, which may take two weeks (sometimes longer). Once you are added, you will receive instructions for completing Onboarding in Workday. If you haven’t heard anything in more than two weeks, please contact Kendall Reinisch (kj0y@seas.upenn.edu), who can check on your status.
Do I have to sign the Offer Letter and complete the PEFS Payroll Packet again if I am a returning TA?
Yes. Each semester you are hired, you need to sign a new Offer Letter and complete a new PEFS Payroll Packet. If any of your information has changed, it will be updated by completing this paperwork.
Should I still complete the Offer Letter and PEFS Payroll Packet if I don’t have a SSN?
Yes, still complete the paperwork and you will receive information from PEFS on how to get a SSN.
What should I do if I have entered my information incorrectly when completing my paperwork?
Depending on what was entered incorrectly, you may need to contact PEFS (payroll@seas.upenn.edu) or the Penn Solution Center.
What should I do if I am unable to access Workday?
If you are unable to access Workday, you need to wait for PEFS to add you into the system. It may take two weeks (sometimes longer) for PEFS to process your paperwork. If it’s been more than two weeks since you submitted your paperwork, and you can’t access Workday, please contact Kendall Reinisch (kj0y@seas.upenn.edu). If you know that you have been added to the system and are still unable to access Workday, contact the Penn Solution Center.
For more information about Workday, see: https://www.workday.upenn.edu/home/your-workday/students
What should I do if I don’t see any onboarding tasks assigned in Workday?
If you are a new TA and you don’t see any onboarding tasks, most likely PEFS has not finished adding you to the system yet. It may take two weeks (sometimes longer) for PEFS to process your paperwork. If it’s been more than two weeks since you submitted your paperwork, and you don’t see anything in Workday, please contact Kendall Reinisch (kj0y@seas.upenn.edu).
If you are a returning TA, and you completed your onboarding tasks when you were previously hired, there is nothing further to complete unless PEFS contacts you.
When can I begin working?
If you are a new TA, you can begin working once the following steps are completed:
- You have signed and completed your Offer Letter and PEFS Payroll Packet
- You have completed any onboarding tasks sent to you by PEFS (listed in Workday)
- You can see your job in Workday
If you are a returning TA, the above steps still apply, but you may or may not have any onboarding tasks to complete. You will need to check Workday to see that your new job is there (you should not be submitting hours to a previous job).
How many hours can I work weekly?
Student workers cannot work more than 20 hours per week for any/all combined Penn jobs. If you have more than one job, you must ensure that you do not exceed 20 hours per week in total. Students are responsible for tracking their weekly hours to ensure they don’t exceed the 20-hour weekly cap. Reported hours beyond the 20-hour limit will be automatically unapproved in Workday.
What should I do if I forgot to enter my hours in Workday?
If you miss the deadline to submit your hours for the week (Sunday @ 9:00 pm ET), the system will lock you out from Monday @ 2:00 pm ET until Wednesday @ 12:00 pm ET. You can go into Workday once the system reopens to enter your hours, but those hours will not be paid until the following week. You should ALWAYS report hours under the correct week, and never submit two weeks of hours in one week.
If you have missed submitting hours for previous weeks, you can go into Workday and enter up to six weeks in the past. If you need to submit hours beyond six weeks, email Kendall Reinisch (kj0y@seas.upenn.edu) and CC your Course Manager to request a manual timesheet. Manual timesheets will take a few weeks to process once submitted.
