The faculty believe that teaching experience is an essential part of training for academic careers. As such, Ph.D. students are required to TA for six quarter-long courses. Normally, this will be done as two courses each in each of years two, three and four. The course must occur in the autumn, winter, or spring quarters for a TA assignment to count toward the requirement. Only Harris "for credit" courses, those with a PPHA prefix, and/or large undergraduate courses taught by Harris instructors, are eligible to fulfill the requirement. University policy prohibits students from working on campus for more than 20 hours per week during the academic year, and student visa requirements prohibit international students from working more than 20 hours per week total (on or off campus) while classes are in session. TA roles are nominally 10 hours per week, and students are expected to work approximately 10 hours per week on average over the course of a quarter. Because of the twenty-hour limit, students are therefore prohibited from working other on-campus jobs that will occupy more than 10 hours per week during the quarters in which they will be required to TA; this includes roles such as Resident Head.

Ph.D. students are eligible to apply for additional teaching assignments if they are in good academic standing and have the approval of the Program Director. Such students are eligible to take additional assignments and Teaching Expectations concurrently. Students should apply for additional assignments in spring quarter during the annual Harris TA matching process, and additional assignments are made in coordination with the Senior Program Administrator for Teaching Assistants.