Graduate Teaching Assistantships
The Department of English currently budgets for eight full-time graduate teaching assistantships, which carry full tuition remission and a stipend of $10,400 per eight-month academic year (September to April). Graduate teaching assistantships are awarded for the two years of the Program, given the standard two-year progression.
Several of these assistantships are committed to current graduate students. To ensure consideration for the limited number of available graduate teaching assistantships, applicants should apply to the Master of Arts in English Program as early as possible and well ahead of the College of Graduate Studies' posted application deadline. For full consideration, applicants for Fall admission must submit all application materials by May 1. Applicants for Spring admission must submit all application materials by November 1. All applications received by those times will be given equal consideration. Any applications received after May 1 / Nov. 1 will be considered if any assistantships remain. Assistantships will be awarded on a competitive basis.
The recipients of the Graduate Assistantship are considered on-campus students. That means that they are required to perform all of their Assistantship obligations in person on campus. They are also required to attend their classes in person, unless extenuating circumstances occur and the teacher agrees to hybrid attendance, or ADA accommodations are in place.
All of the Department's funded graduate teaching assistants take ENGL 6010: Teaching Composition, and receive excellent mentoring and support throughout the Program, preparing them for careers in teaching. In their first year, graduate teaching assistants typically observe and assist experienced instructors' teaching of ENGL 1010 and 1020 (English Composition I and II). In the second year, each graduate teaching assistant typically teaches a section of ENGL 1010, and then a section of ENGL 1020, as the instructor of record. Throughout both years, graduate teaching assistants meet weekly for professional development workshops and activities, and each graduate teaching assistant meets weekly with a designated faculty mentor for individualized mentoring.
To apply for a graduate teaching assistantship, an applicant submits three letters of recommendation, in addition to the other required application materials, when applying for admission to the Master of Arts in English Program. The applicant will provide contact information for the recommenders, who will receive an automated email from the College of Graduate Studies.
The applicant must also submit a statement of purpose, in which they are asked to explain their qualifications for an assistantship, how an assistantship would serve their future career goals, or any other relevant information (no more than 2pp. single-spaced). They must also submit the Graduate Assistantship Application, available on the College of Graduate Studies' Graduate Assistantship page. These documents are to be submitted with the graduate school application.
Please Note: Students applying for an assistantship should submit the cover statement of purpose and application form at the same time as their application to the graduate program. Do not wait until after you have been accepted to submit this form.
