UCLA
Dashew Center
for International Students & Scholars

Working on Campus

F-1 Visa Holders

F-1 students are eligible to work part-time (up to 20 hours per week) during the academic year and full-time (more than 21 hours per week) during winter and summer vacation. On-campus employment may include teaching assistantships, research assistantships, reader appointments, or student positions at the campus library, bookstore, food/dining services, etc. F-1 students can work on-campus without obtaining employment authorization from DCISS or the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

J-1 Visa Holders

Students and non-degree students on J-1 status may work on campus part time (up to 20 hours per week) while the school is in session and full time during the quarter/semester breaks and summer vacation. In order to be employed, students must be in good academic standing and obtain on-campus work authorization from DCISS.
Work authorization is given for maximum one year. If you wish to continue employment after one year you can request an extension to your work authorization within a month of the end date. To receive employment authorization from DCISS, please fill out the following online form:

J-1 Student On-Campus Employment Authorization Form

If you change employment at any time, you must complete another request form. Allow 5 business days to process.

Work Study

Work Study is a federally subsidized hourly-wage job program awarded to college students through the federal government. International students are not considered eligible for federal work study. However, there are many places on campus that are willing to hire non-work study students.

** Note: International students are ineligible for work-study appointments

Suggested On-Campus Employers

  • Associated Students UCLA
  • Students can choose from numerous positions to work in under Administration, UCLA restaurants and UCLA stores under ASUCLA. One of the main goals of the Associated Students UCLA is to meet the everyday needs of students and the campus community through retail and other student union services. As a student staff member of ASUCLA, you are required to work on a team alongside other UCLA students and perform duties such as selling books or other items if you work under the UCLA Stores, cashiering and preparing food if you work under the UCLA Restaurants, and engaging in management and office work if you work under Administration. ASUCLA staff members also enjoy benefits such as discounts off purchased UCLA Store items, meal allowances, and much more!
  • Visit the ASUCLA website for more information.
  • Transportation & Parking Services
  • UCLA Transportation offers students valuable experience in customer service and building communication skills. Under UCLA Transportation, students can work on the parking and events teams, and have the opportunity to sell parking permits to campus visitors, mitigate traffic, prepare for current and upcoming events on campus, and assist with day to day parking operations.
  • Visit the UCLA Transportation & Parking Services website for more information.
  • UCLA Library
  • The UCLA Library system is composed of the Charles E. Young Research Library, Louise Darling Biomedical Library, Arts Library, Music Library, College Library, Law Library, Rosenfeld Management Library, Science & Engineering Library, East Asian Library and the Southern Regional Library Facility (SRLF). Students hired to work in the system can be stationed at any one of these libraries and are used for their abilities in both public service and technical processing work through duties such as discharging, sorting, shelving, shifting and retrieving books, utilizing various computer programs such as Microsoft Office, Excel and Photoshop, and delivering materials to other units in the UCLA Library system. There is a large variety of positions for students to choose from!
  • Visit the UCLA Library website for more information.
  • UCLA Recreation
  • From swim and tennis instructors to sports assistants to sales and cashiering clerks, the UCLA Recreation Center offers a wide variety of jobs that are sure to meet students’ interests! Whether students are hired to work through the John Wooden Center, the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center, or the Kinross Recreation Center, students are sure to build skills in interpersonal relations and customer service through duties such as cashiering, setting up and taking down equipment, and facilitating instruction in a variety of sports.
  • Visit the UCLA Recreation website for more information.
  • Dining Services
  • As student staff under UCLA Housing, students can be expected to engage in activities such as answering emails and phone calls, providing service and assistance for residents and interacting with guests, and perform other housekeeping duties. Under UCLA Dining Services, student staff is expected to be familiar with the nutrient data for various recipes and appropriate cooking and meal standards, and helping cooks with basic food preparation, in addition to other duties!
  • Visit the UCLA Dining and Housing Services for more information.
  • Residential Life
  • As a staff member for the Office of Residential Life, a student’s abilities and skill sets are challenged yet built in a variety of ways, from giving advice to mediating conflict to responding to emergencies and even representing residents on governing and advisory boards that address issues important to students living in On Campus Housing. A job with UCLA ORL allows students to build skills in leadership and communication. Depending on the position, employees could receive benefits such as monetary compensation to help pay for educational costs or room and board for those employed as Residential Advisors.
  • Visit the UCLA Office of Residential Life for a list of employment opportunities.
  • UCLA Athletics Department
  • The UCLA Athletics Department offers a range of employment opportunities.
  • http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=208274736
  • UCLA Daily Bruin Student Newspaper/Student Media
  • UCLA Student Media is the best place for a UCLA student to get hands-on, pre-professional experience in nearly every aspect of journalism and the business of media. Students get the opportunity to engage in awesome jobs such as covering basketball games or managing advertising accounts. Work with the UCLA Daily Bruin also includes valuable opportunities in business involving advertising sales and marketing.
  • Visit the UCLA Daily Bruin Student Newspaper/Student Media for more information.
  • UCLA Call Center
  • The UCLA Call Center allows you to connect with students, parents, and alumni to raise funds for the university. Interested candidates must be a second or third year student with excellent communication skills, pre-approval from their advisor, and have the proper documentation to be eligible for work. Please contact the Call Center for more details.

For other job opportunities, please check the Ackerman Union – Level A job bulletin wall.

** Note: International students are ineligible for work-study appointments

Teaching Assistant

Many graduate students work as Teaching Assistants as a way to get valuable classroom teaching experience. A TA's duties may include teaching, holding office hours, preparing course materials, and grading under the tutelage and supervision of regular faculty members who are responsible for curriculum and instruction in the University. TAs are academic student employees hired directly by departments, thus if you are seeking employment as a TA, first check that you are eligible to be a TA then contact the department in which you wish to teach directly.

Graduate students who plan to work as a teaching assistant (TA) at UCLA and are non-US citizens must pass the TOP before working as a TA in any department at UCLA. All non-U.S. citizens are considered international students (including permanent residents). However, international students who have earned a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. university are exempt from taking the TOP.

No alternatives to TOP are accepted. If you believe you should receive an exemption from taking the TOP, please contact Graduate Division directly. International students must pass the TOP before working as TAs in any department at UCLA, but students who do not plan to work as TAs at UCLA do not need to take TOP. We do not encourage newly admitted students to take the TOP upon arrival, before they have had interaction with native speakers.

For more details regarding the requirements of the exam please see the TOP Website.

TOP Contact Information Website: https://oid.ucla.edu/top

Phone: (310) 825-3106

Email: top@oid.ucla.edu