MFA Funding Opportunities

In accordance with MFA and university policies, to be eligible for funding, MFA students must be in good academic standing and achieving “progress towards the degree,” i.e., successfully moving towards the fulfillment of degree requirements in a timely manner. Failure to maintain good standing and progress towards the degree may result in not being recommended for funded positions.

MFA students receive funding through a range of appointments, including Teaching Associate (TO), Teaching Assistant (TA), and Research Assistant (RA). A TO is a graduate student who is responsible for teaching a class. A TA is a graduate student who assists a faculty member in teaching a class.

A “funded” position is defined as an appointment that includes a tuition and curriculum fee waiver, and a stipend of at least $6,205.40 per semester. It may or may not include the health insurance fee.

Teaching Associateships with the Writing Program are the only funding opportunity facilitated by the MFA program at the time of admission. Additional funding opportunities can be found on the Graduate School’s website.

Funding & Progress Towards Degree

The MFA Program administration, along with the Writing Program and the Graduate School, tracks candidates’ progress towards the degree by making note of incompletes, grades, and completion of degree requirements.

Incompletes:

  • If a student elects to take an incomplete in a class, the student is responsible for establishing and fulfilling a timeline for completion of all coursework in collaboration with the course instructor/independent study sponsor.
  • Incompletes (INC) automatically turn into Incomplete/Failure (IF) after one year. An IF will negatively impact a student’s GPA, which may make a student ineligible for TO reappointment.
  • Typically, anyone with more than one INC or IF will not be recommended for continued funding.

Teaching in the Writing Program

The Writing Program (WP) is an independent entity from the MFA Program and English Department. Each year, it serves more than 4,000 undergraduate students in their First Year Writing classes (Basic Writing and College Writing). The instructors for these classes predominantly consist of MFA and English PhD graduate students. These positions are generally retained for 6 semesters, or the 3 years of the MFA program. Teaching Associates in the Writing Program teach a one-two course load for a total of three courses during an academic year. (Note: This load is modified to accommodate visa regulations for international students.)

Any MFA student who has a position with the Writing Program, or is considering applying for a position, should become familiar with their website and be in regular contact with the WP administration about expectations and requirements.

Contact:

Heidi Terault, Office Manager

Office: W.E.B. Du Bois Library, Room 1322

Phone: 413.545.0633

@email

For information regarding: applications, appointments, scheduling and contracts

 

Additional contact info.

Teaching in the English Department

MFA students may apply to teach Creative Writing courses in the English Department. In October of each year, a call is sent out for applications to teach in the following academic year. The application requires submission of a course description, a reading list, and a paragraph on why you want to teach the proposed course. The number of courses available each year depends on funding availability and need as determined by the English Department and Continuing & Professional Education. The MFA faculty reviews the applications and makes decisions based on the criteria listed below. Students appointed to teach these classes are required to participate in the Creative Writing Teaching Practicum (English 698L) and/or Practicum in Teaching MFA Online Courses (English 698MA) in the semester prior to teaching and the semester during their teaching of these classes.

Those who also have TOs with the Writing Program will be released from teaching for the semester they are teaching in the English Department. The stipend for teaching in the English Department is

$12,410.80 (AY 2023-24) and includes tuition credit and health insurance. Details about benefits may vary with individual circumstances.

Appointments are made for the following English Department courses:

English 140, Reading Fiction / English 141, Reading Poetry: General Education literature courses designed to introduce students to the reading of fiction or poetry. Maximum enrollment of 35.

English 146, Living Writers: A General Education literature courses designed to introduce students to contemporary literature, in which writers on campus for the MFA’s Visiting Writers Series visit the class. Maximum enrollment of 35.

English 254, Writing & Reading Imaginative Literature: A General Education course that is both an introductory creative writing course and a literature course. These sections are generally mixed-genre (poetry and fiction) with a maximum enrollment of 20.

English 354, Creative Writing: Intro to Fiction / Creative Writing: Intro to Poetry / Creative Writing: Mixed Genre: These creative writing courses can also count for credit towards the Creative Writing Specialization, and have a maximum enrollment of 20.

University Without Walls (UWW) Courses: The MFA Program provides instructors for English 254 and English 354 sections offered through UWW throughout the year. All UWW classes are online. In addition to a Practicum led by the MFA, technical training and support for online courses is provided through UWW. Due to the training investment, online appointments may be renewed for a second session if positions are available. Stipends for UWW classes are dependent on enrollment and may be cancelled if enrollment is low. (See below for further information on teaching for UWW.)

Eligibility

  • Applicants should have completed at least two MFA writing workshops before the semester they will begin teaching.
  • Applicants should have completed at least two graduate literature classes, ideally one in poetry and one in fiction, before the semester they will begin teaching. Applicants who don’t meet this criterion may still apply.
  • Applicants must be making good progress towards their degree and may not have more than one incomplete. Any current incomplete must be resolved in a timely manner, usually within a semester barring extenuating circumstances.
  • Applicants must be eligible for at least one semester of time and funding in the academic year for the semester they will be teaching. (Applicants with extension requests pending may apply.)

Criteria for Evaluation

  • Merit of proposed course.
  • Teaching experience and publications are considered, but don’t outweigh the evidence contained in proposed course description.
  • Applicants who have already taught these courses are considered along with new applicants. However, the MFA faculty wants as many qualified applicants as possible to have the experience of teaching these courses, so when all other things are equal, the applicant who has not yet had the opportunity will be ranked more highly.
  • The MFA Committee attempts to divide its final ranking as evenly as possible among applicants in both genres.

Teaching for University Without Walls (UWW)

Each year, UWW asks the English Department to provide instructors for their English classes. Teaching a UWW class is not included in the 6 semesters of funding eligibility. Since Fall 2009, the MFA Program has provided instruction for English 354-Creative Writing Mixed Genre and English 254-Writing & Reading Imaginative Literature ranging throughout the year, including Summer and Winter sessions. These are online classes and the instructors must complete UWW online training in the semester prior to teaching. English 354—Creative Writing Mixed Genre is generally offered during the Summer and Winter sessions. English 254—Writing & Reading Imaginative Literature has been offered online during the past two Fall semesters only. As of December 2019, the number of enrolled students in a UWW 3-credit course taught by a graduate student must be 10 or greater for the course to be approved.

Salary: Salary is based on enrollment. The average enrollment for English 354 has been 15. It is incumbent on the instructor to recruit for the class. Suggestions for recruiting strategies are:

  • Ask Celeste Stoddard (@email) in Undergraduate English office to send email out to English majors
  • Ask instructors of English 254 to promote class to current students
  • Putting up flyers around South College and elsewhere on campus
  • If any inquiries are received from potential students who do not have the prerequisites for the class (if applicable), the instructor may waive prerequisites at their discretion. UWW must be notified that the prerequisites were waived in order for the student to enroll in the class.

As of Summer 2022, for each three-credit UWW class taught with an enrollment of 10 students, (the minimum enrollment for a class to be approved), the instructor would earn $4,468. With 12 students enrolled, the instructor would earn $5,763.

Teaching contracts are prepared by the English Department and are processed through UWW.

Benefits:

Tuition and curriculum fee:

  • Fall/Spring Semesters or Winter Session: For one 3 credit course taught during the Fall or Spring semester, or during Winter Session, the instructor is eligible to receive a tuition and curriculum fee waiver, regardless of enrollment.
  • Summer: For any two 3-credit courses taught over the summer, the instructor is eligible to receive a tuition and curriculum fee waiver for the Fall semester.

Health Benefits:

Health benefits are included for the semester the instructor is teaching, except for summer.

NOTE TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: International students may work 20 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semesters, and 40 hours per week during Winter Session and Summer. International students applying for a UWW position should take into consideration these work limitations as well as the uncertainty of the salary and benefits. UWW instructors work approximately 5–7 1/2 hours per week. International students who have a teaching position in the Writing Program and are offered a UWW position during the fall or spring semesters will need to work out a course reduction with the Writing Program that would take into consideration the work hour limits.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

On Salary & Benefits: For any questions or concerns about the salary and benefits associated with teaching UWW classes, please contact the Graduate Assistantships Office of the Graduate School, 517 Goodell. Telephone: 413-545-5287 or Email: @email

Learn more about teaching UWW classes.

Other Funded Positions and Jobs on Campus

MFA students have worked in offices and departments across the University, ranging from teaching Junior Year Writing in various departments, to administrative work, undergraduate advising, and information technology. There is not one central location where graduate student job openings are listed, so job searchers need to be proactive, persistent, and creative.

It is important to note that not all jobs on campus come with the tuition and curriculum fee waiver, and health insurance. Some jobs come only with an hourly wage and no additional benefits.

Resources & Suggestions:

  • Graduate School: Funding
  • Human Resources
  • Departments looking for TAs or other positions may list openings on their own website
  • If you have another skill or interest area (e.g., technology, film, foreign language), contact those departments or offices directly.