Job Opportunities
UMass Amherst is dedicated to providing as many opportunities for on-campus employment as possible to our graduate students. The best place to start is to inquire about funding from your degree program. Notify your Graduate Program Director if you wish to seek an assistantship elsewhere on campus. See the links below to learn about more available positions. Faculty and staff may use the On-Campus Graduate Assistant Vacancy Notice form to post an open graduate assistantship on this page.
Graduate Internship - University of Massachusetts Press
3 Publishing Internships at the UMass Press
Type: Internship
Department: University of Massachusetts Press
Hours per week: 5 hours, approximately 14 weeks
Hourly rate: GEO minimum
Appointment Dates: 3 appointments available with start dates in September 2024, February 2025, and May 2025
Priority Deadline: April 20, 2024
Job Description: The University of Massachusetts Press is pleased to offer three graduate internships during 2024-2025 as a way to learn about publishing careers. The Press seeks applications from advanced graduate students in the humanities or social sciences with an interest in scholarly publishing—especially those from communities underrepresented in scholarly publishing—to join our team and learn the functions and workflows of a scholarly publisher/university press. The publishing industry follows an apprenticeship model, wherein job experience is frequently the key qualification for both entry-level and advanced positions. In order to explore or launch a career in publishing, applicants generally begin as assistants, providing support to acquisitions and marketing staff. Based at the Amherst office of the University of Massachusetts Press, this internship will offer exposure to the workings of a university press and provide the experience necessary to land an entry-level job in the industry. As such, applications are encouraged from those with limited or no prior experience in the scholarly publishing industry.
Please note this search is for three interns for Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025. The next search in March 2025 will be for Fall 2025 and beyond. If you are interested, please apply now!
The intern will carry out the following tasks:
- Under the supervision of staff at the University of Massachusetts Press, participate in training to learn the functions and workflows of a scholarly publisher/university press.
- Vet manuscripts and proposals. Research comparable projects. Participate in deliberations about which titles to pursue.
- Identify potential peer reviewers and track manuscript reviews
- Research areas of growth and emerging scholarly fields
- Assist authors with manuscript preparation, formatting, art preparation, and permissions
- Learn in-house systems, including Title Management and Manifold
- Write and proofread cover, catalog, and marketing copy
- Research publicity and review opportunities for specific titles
- Prepare reports for presentation to University Press Committee
- Other duties as assigned
The desired qualifications include:
- Advanced graduate training, with familiarity in the disciplines central to the Press’s publishing program, including American studies, African American studies, Native American and Indigenous studies, gender, and sexuality studies, public history, cultural history, literature, and the history of journalism.
- Commitment to using an understanding of the diversity of human experiences in developing, recruiting, and marketing trade and scholarly books.
- An interest in exploring a career in academic publishing.
- Sustained personal experience with or engagement with communities and cultures under-represented in scholarly publishing and an interest in bringing those experiences and that learning into the daily work of academic publishing.
We are looking for a curious, conscientious, detail-oriented person who appreciates books—whether print or digital—and scholarship. The internship will require five hours of work per week for approximately one semester. The position does not qualify for tuition remission or health benefits but would provide some supplemental income for a TA or RA position. Additionally, the position provides the chance to explore the work world of publishing and to consider it as a potential career pathway as well as the experience often required to land entry level publishing jobs. The successful intern will participate in a team effort to publish specific titles. After an initial training period, some portion of the weekly hours may be conducted remotely, based upon the Press’s needs.
This program is co-sponsored by the UMass Press, Graduate School, College of Humanities and Fine Arts,
and College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
How to Apply:
All application materials (cover letter, CV or resume) should be submitted through this form. In your cover letter, please describe your interest in publishing, any previous experience relevant to publishing, and how this experience will contribute to your professional goals. Additionally, please discuss your understanding of diversity and how you would like to bring that understanding to the work of academic publishing.
To maximize your chances of acceptance, you will be asked on the form to indicate ALL times (Fall semester 2024, Spring semester 2025, and/or Summer 2025) in which you would be eligible, per University workload policy, to accept a 5-hour assistantship.
Questions about this application may be sent to Matt Becker, Editor in Chief (mattb@umass.edu).
On Campus Graduate Assistantship
Type of Appointment: Project Assistant
Deadline: Priority Deadline May 20, 2024
Job Description (No Clerical duties permitted):
A Graduate Assistant is being sought to support Education & Development initiatives in the Office of Equity and Inclusion. Applications will be reviewed starting May 20th, 2024, and will continue until the position is filled. For more information and to apply see below.
Education and Development Graduate Assistant
This Graduate Assistant will work closely with the Director of Education & Development, as well as other student employees in the Office of Equity & Inclusion, to support whole community education on topics related to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging at UMass Amherst. This position will require substantial content knowledge on DEI topics, as well as experience crafting and delivering engaging, differentiated instruction on complex concepts to a variety of audiences, both in-person and online. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication, presentation, and facilitation skills, an ideological orientation toward restorative and growth mindsets, working knowledge of evidence-informed and culturally responsive educational pedagogy, and demonstrated success working both independently and collaboratively toward shared goals within a team environment. Some experience with basic graphic design (Canva, Google Suite) and social media engagement is preferred, but not required.
Experience Required:
- Substantial content knowledge on DEI topics
- Experience crafting and delivering instruction on complex concepts to variety of audiences
- Excellent communication, presentation, and facilitation skills
- Working knowledge of evidence-informed and culturally-responsive educational pedagogy
- Demonstrated success working both independently and collaboratively toward shared goals within a team environment
- Some experience with basic graphic design and social media engagement is preferred
Additional Information:
This position will pay the GEO minimum salary for 10 hours per week. The ideal start date for this position is July 1, 2024 in a remote capacity, with hybrid work continuing throughout the 2024-2025 academic year.
Dates of Appointment: From 7/1/2024 To 5/24/2025
Hours/Week
10 hours/week
Stipend $
How to Apply:
All application materials (cover letter and CV/resume) should be submitted through this form.
Dept. Name: Office of Equity & Inclusion
E-Mail contact: ppritchard@umass.edu
Contact Person: Penn Pritchard
Building Address: Whitmore 309 Phone: 413-545-5703