The Department of English seeks to provide financial assistance to all of our graduate students. MA students receive a two-year funding package. PhD students receive five-year funding packages. We support our graduate students in the following ways.
First, we employ graduate students as graduate assistants (GAs) and as research assistants (RAs) in the department and in the Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities (IAH). These positions are posted each spring for employment in the following academic year. The application process is competitive, based upon GPA, progress toward degree, and letters of recommendation.
Second, we support graduate students in their applications to teach in Writing, Rhetoric, and American Culture (WRAC) and in the Writing Center.
Third, the department offers several fellowships and grants for students, including:
Research Enhancement Funds
Research enhancement funds are awarded by the department in two cycles (fall and spring). The funds can be used to support specific research projects, archival visits, language study, or other forms of professional and academic training. Awards range in amount, and can be up to $2500.
Summer Support Fellowships
Every summer, the Department offers several students with additional summer support. Graduate students apply internally for these fellowships. Applications are read and ranked by the Graduate Committee. These fellowships are generally awarded to doctoral students. Each student can plan to receive at least one summer support fellowship during their degree program. Summer support fellowships are either $4500 or $2250.
The John A. and Ruth Yunck Endowed Scholarship
This award, named after a former faculty member in the English department, recognizes outstanding graduate students who “have demonstrated the capacity to achieve educational and professional goals, and the initiative to seek opportunities to further their progress.” Preference is given to doctoral candidates.
Fourth, we nominate our best students at every stage of graduate education for college and university fellowships and awards, including:
- University Fellowships (new students)
- Special College Research Abroad Moneys (SCRAM)
- Graduate Merit Fellowships
- Dissertation Completion Fellowships
Qualified students are also encouraged to pursue external grant opportunities, including:
- Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships
- Woodrow Wilson Dissertation Grants in Women’s Studies
- Ford Foundation Fellowships
For post-doctoral funding opportunities, refer to:
- Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts
- Woodrow Wilson Postdoctoral Fellowships in the Humanities
- Ford Foundation Fellowships