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Student Resources and Opportunities

The department sponsors a number of co- and extra-curricular activities for students. Whether you want to develop your resume, gain valuable practical experience, develop your portfolio, meet new people, or just have fun with others who share your love of literature and writing, the department has opportunities for you.

Sponsored Activities for Undergraduate Students

  • English majors concentrating in business and technical writing can earn academic credit for an internship.
  • Experiential learning
  • Creative Writers Guild
  • Exit 109 Literary & Arts Magazine
  • Honors courses

Teaching Opportunities for Graduate Students

  • As part of the Graduate Program in English, you’ll take a wide range of courses in Scholarly Methods, English and American Literature, and Theory.
  • Graduate Teaching Assistants learn the craft of teaching from seasoned professionals.
  • Stipends and full tuition waivers are available.
  • As a member of a teaching team, you’ll receive guidance and support from experienced and engaging teachers. Mentors, GTAs, and GTFs help each other to succeed in the classroom.
  • Join a community of teachers, exchange ideas, share your experiences, and work directly with students.
  • In your second year in the classroom, you’ll take charge of your own class and receive guidance from a faculty mentor and teaching team.
  • Graduate Teaching Fellows design classroom activities, create grading criteria, and evaluate student progress, while developing their own philosophy of teaching.
  • Applicants should contact Sean Keck, Ph.D., Graduate Program Director, or Frank Napolitano, Ph.D., GTF Program Coordinator. 

Stipends and Tuition Waivers

  • In-state first-year Graduate Teaching Assistants receive a full tuition waiver for 9 graduate credit hours (the typical course load) each semester and a $11,000 stipend per year.
  • In-state second-year GTFs receive a full tuition waiver for 9 graduate credit hours (the typical course load) each semester and an $12,100 stipend per year.
  • The program offers a limited number of full tuition waivers and stipends for out-of-state students.

How to Apply

Applications for the Graduate Teaching Fellowship Program are due by March 1 each year.

In addition to materials required for admission to the graduate program, the committee that selects Graduate Teaching Fellows requires two additional documents:

  1. A letter of reference from someone who can recommend you specifically for a Graduate Teaching Fellowship.
  2. An essay of 3-4 pages reflecting on the teaching of writing to first-year college students and responding to the following questions:

Becoming an effective teacher draws on the skills involved in being a successful student, but it also requires the ability to communicate those skills to others.  Using the following questions as a starting point, discuss why you feel that you could be an effective teacher of writing at the college level:

  • How would you describe the ways that you learned to write?
  • What courses in writing did you take at the high school and college level?
  • How would you describe your writing methods and habits?
  • If you have been in situations in which you took a leadership or teaching role with people your age or younger,  describe those situations and reflect on your responses to them.
  • If you have been in situations in which you engaged in public speaking or other kinds of public performance, describe those situations and reflect on their possible relevance to your teaching.
  • What personal strengths do you think you would bring to teaching?
  • What weaknesses might you need to overcome in order to be an effective teacher?

GTFs are awarded each spring for the following academic year, and are normally renewable for a second year. 

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