In order to be a graduate teaching assistant, one must first graduate from high school or obtain their GED. Next, they must be admitted to a four-year college or university, maintain a competitive GPA, and graduate with a Bachelor's degree. Then, they must enroll in a graduate program, and apply for an assistantship. Not all students who apply for an assitantship are accepted. Those that are accepted will spend their time working as a graduate teaching assistant, in addition to taking classes. Once a student graduates from the program they are enrolled in, they will no longer be eligible to be a graduate teaching assistant. Similarly, they must also resign from their position if they choose to withdraw from graduate school.

Some programs do not offer graduate teaching assistantships, so it is important to check and make sure that the graduate program that one is applying for offers this type of job, if it is something that a student is interested in. Many places that do offer assistantships only offer a limited number, the competition for which is steep. At many schools, only the best of the best students will go on to earn a graduate teaching assistantship.