Join our Community of Online Teaching Assistants

We are an inclusive community of graduate thinkers from around the world. We all have unique backgrounds, skill-sets and experiences that make our individual services extremely valuable to others. Take a quick browse through the Online TA Profiles and you will realize just how far-reaching the talents of our members are.

The intent of the BrainMass initiative is to provide a structured system for mobilizing this talent pool. This community is focused on growth. We believe that if every member contributes, we will be able to achieve successes far greater than any one of us can alone.

The common interests of our community are: teaching students, earning supplemental income, collaborating academically on internal projects, sharing and creating new knowledge, changing the way students learn, and communicating actively with the outside world.

Please take a moment to read the requirements below. If you think this position is right for you, proceed by filling out the Online Registration Form. Please note that this is NOT intended to be a full-time position. The amount of work available varies depending on the subject areas you are registered in, but for all members of our Community, this opportunity is intended to be part-time only.

1. Required Qualifications

   Applicants may register as Online TAs if they are currently working on, or have obtained, a graduate-level (Masters or PhD) degree from an accredited university.

   We accept Online TAs from all university departments of study. We do, however, reserve the right to reject applicants in subject areas that already have enough members to serve our current demand. In these cases, we will hold on to the applicant's registration form and contact them when we are able to accept new members.

2. Job Expectations

   The following is expected of the Online TA:

   • Adherence to the Guidelines for Responding to Postings and Essays
   • Prompt response to emails and commitment to the creation of Solutions/Reviews
   • Responses that are accurate to the best of the Online TA's knowledge
   • Responses that are written in a step-by-step manner in order to aid the student in learning the concepts at hand
   • Restraint from the use of any foul language, prejudiced remarks, or the passing of personal contact information (phone numbers, email addresses, etc.) through the BrainMass system
   • Submissions to the Solution Library to help us increase the amount of material available to students
   • Professionalism when using the BrainMass name

   Each Online TA will have to complete a short tutorial before gaining access to his/her BrainMass Account. We also require that every member read through the Guidelines for Responding to Postings and Essays before signing out any student questions. A Reference Manual is provided within the account of each Online TA and Update Newsletters are distributed periodically.

3. Payment

   We cater to students around the globe, accepting credit card payments in $CAD (Canadian) funds. A standard fee of $3.99 CAD (3.91 USD) is paid for every custom credit; it will cost from 1 to 25 credits to purchase a Custom Post-A-Problem response, depending on the level of difficulty and urgency of the response. Our OTA pay rate works on a sliding scale, as follows: New OTAs are paid 60% of the Credit value recieved by BrainMass for their first 10 responses. After 10 responses have been submitted, OTAs are paid 70% of the Credit value. The remaining funds are retained by BrainMass to cover its hosting and administrative costs.

   The solution is then added to the Solution Library. Each time a solution is downloaded, the Online TA responsible for the solution will be paid 50% of the revenue that BrainMass receives. The idea of investing one's time and energy into a Solution Library that creates "royalty-like" revenue is one of the most attractive aspects of the system for many graduate students.

   Registered Online TAs have personal accounts (complete with an ID number and password login) on our system. The Financial page of every account tracks the monthly, annual and career earnings of our Online TAs. Monthly earnings of $50 CAD or more are paid on the 15th day of the following month via hyperWALLET, PayPal, or cheque. Monthly balances of less than $50 CAD are rolled over and continue to accumulate until the $50 CAD minimum is reached.

   Information about foreign students working in the US and Canada

The Registration Process

1. Fill out the Online Registration Form. You will receive an email that confirms receipt of your registration.
2. Send in verification of your credentials within 21 days. We do not require original transcripts; photocopies and scanned images are acceptable as long as they are legible. You can snail mail, fax or email your credentials.
3. If your application is approved, you will receive a second email advising you that your account has been activated.

Click here to register as a BrainMass Online TA