Requirements for International Teaching Assistants (ITAs)

All International Teaching Assistants (ITAs) whose citizenship is that of a non-English speaking country must demonstrate proficiency in spoken English.  Attendance at an English-speaking institution does not satisfy this requirement.

If you and your hiring department feel that you are fluent in spoken English, you may arrange with Cynthia Bjerk-Plocke to interview with Associate Dean Dr. Maria Teresa Velez for a waiver of this requirement.  Please email Cynthia at cbjerk@grad.arizona.edu.

Various tests exist that will satisfy this requirement.  The minimum passing scores of the applicable tests are listed below.  A passing score from any one of these tests is sufficient.

For ITAs who have scored below 26 in the speaking section of the TOEFL IBT or do not have a relevant score, the TBEST is strongly suggested.  The TBEST is specifically designed to measure one's ability to communicate in English related to instructional activities. This is test is also a less-costly alternative to the TOEFL IBT.

Please use the following link to register for the test.  An email message will be sent back to you confirming the location, date and time of your appointment to take this online test.  A $60 fee for the T-BEST test will be charged to your bursar's account.

Register for the TBEST

If you wish to improve your pronunciation prior to taking or re-taking the TBEST, the Graduate College offers courses through the Center for English as a Second Language (CESL).  CESL also offers tutoring programs.

Programs related to improving pronunciation for international students can be found at www.cesl.arizona.edu/pronunciation.html.

Part-time programs are also available through CESL to better accommodate your schedule.  Please refer to http://www.cesl.arizona.edu/PartTimeOptions.htm for more information.