Funding

All students admitted to the English M.F.A. program receive two years of funding through teaching assistantships and fellowships sponsored by the English Department and the Michener Center for Writers. These funding opportunities are intended to complement the academic and scholarly training that students receive in graduate courses, and are thus an important means by which the graduate program is able to produce scholarly teachers and writers.

Teaching Assistantships:

Teaching assistantships are designed to enable graduate students to develop their abilities as teachers of English literature and creative writing. As teaching assistants, students teach courses directly under the supervision and with the guidance of faculty members in the English Department. During their first year of study, students who have been awarded teaching assistantships commit to two semesters of E316K, a survey literature course in World, American, or British Literature. Students gain valuable experience leading discussions, attending lectures, designing lessons, and evaluating undergraduate writing. During the first semester of their second year, creative writing students who have been awarded teaching assistantships usually assist E315F or 315P, an introductory creative writing course. Typically, this consists of leading a small group of undergraduates through a weekly workshop in either fiction or poetry. For information about the duties, reappointment, and salaries of T.A.s, visit the English Department's page on Teaching Assistantships.

Fellowships:

In the final semester of their second year, students currently receive a semester-long fellowship sponsored by a grant from the James A. Michener Endowment. The fellowship will cover tuition, living stipend, and a supplement for student insurance, which allows students to concentrate fully on preparing their theses.

Eligibility:

Although no prior teaching experience is required, teaching assistants and fellowship recipients in the English Department must be in good academic standing and receive satisfactory TA evaluations in order to maintain their support.