Cost of Study

Tuition for the Summer 2013 - Spring 2014 academic year is $817.50 per credit, or $2452.50 per three-credit course. Students should also plan for other graduate school costs such as purchasing books (up to $150 per class), on-campus parking permits, and the required technology fee ($45 for one graduate course and $91.50 for two or more graduate courses).  Finally, as an optional item, graduate students may purchase low-cost semester/term memberships to use the fitness equipment in the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex.

Financial Aid & Related Opportunities

Fellowships | Financial Aid | Writing Consultant Positions | Research Award | Teaching Mentorships | Editorial Internships | Conference Grants

Fellowships   

Three full-time and eleven part-time fellowships are awarded to students of exceptional promise. The full-time fellowships automatically renew each semester until completion of the degree and provide a tuition waiver for all ten classes in the program plus a stipend of $5,000 per semester. Students holding full-time fellowships are expected to take three courses each semester until the final semester, when the Master's Essay is typically taken as a stand-alone course. As full-time fellowships provide both a living stipend and tuition remission, students who receive this award should view their studies as a full-time commitment and not maintain full-time employment. Effective fall 2012, students with full-time fellowships must maintain a 3.7 GPA and may not receive more than one grade of "Incomplete" during their coursework in order to retain their fellowship award.

The part-time fellowships are awarded on a two-year cycle and offer a tuition waiver for one course per semester (excluding summer) for two years. Students may re-apply for these fellowships at the end of the cycle. Students with part-time fellowships must maintain a 3.5 GPA and may not receive more than one grade of "Incomplete" during their coursework in order to retain their fellowship award.

Fellowships are competitive and students are advised to prepare their application materials carefully. New students applying to the program may submit a fellowship application with their general application materials. This is a personal statement of approximately 500 words in which applicants should clearly and concisely discuss their eligibility for a fellowship, academic plans, and reasons for pursuing a Master of Arts in English degree.

Students already enrolled in the M.A. program are eligible to apply for fellowships as they become available, and must meet the same criteria listed above. In addition to the personal statement, current students are asked to supply at least one letter of support from a St. Thomas faculty member with whom they have studied plus a writing sample from a course taken in the program. Students may re-apply for fellowships in subsequent semesters and are encouraged to revise their personal statements in the light of intervening experience.

Deadlines for fellowship applications correspond with the program applications each year--October1 for the following spring semester, and March 1 for the following fall semester. The English Department will notify applicants within three weeks following these deadlines whether a fellowship has been awarded. Once a student begins classes in the awarded term, it is assumed that both full-time and part-time fellowship recipients will continue their degree progress in consecutive semesters without hiatus (excluding summers) until their award has completed its agreement.

Financial Aid   

To be eligible for financial aid you must meet the following basic requirements—

• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or other category of eligible non-citizen
• Be admitted as a regular degree-seeking student and enrolled in an eligible UST program located at an eligible site
• Be enrolled at least half-time (one 3-credit graduate course)
• Be meeting the "Satisfactory Academic Progress" policy standards for the program
• Not be in default on a prior Federal Education Loan or owe a refund of a prior federal grant
• If male, have registered with the Selective Service Administration before the age of 26
• If convicted of a prior drug offense, not have been restricted from receiving federal assistance

For additional information about costs, scholarships and grants, student loans, and other resources available to graduate students, please visit Graduate Financial Aid.

Writing Consultant Positions in the Center for Writing   

Graduate students in the M.A. Program are invited to apply to become peer writing consultants in the Center for Writing for one academic year. Through these positions, graduate students can gain experience working one-on-one with undergraduate and graduate students, gain insight into writing theory and pedagogy (including collaborative learning, process theory, writing across the curriculum, basic writing, and ESL), and learn writing center administration.

Responsibilities include:

• Consulting with writers face-to-face in the Center for Writing
• Keeping data on those conversations
• Assist with administrative projects

All graduate consultants take the required course, ENGL 300 Writing Theory and Practice, for graduate credit. This course provides students with the theoretical foundations of writing pedagogy and writing center practice while they are consulting in the writing center. Please note that this class is usually offered twice per week during the day, and not at night. The course also has a service learning component which gives consultants the opportunity to observe and affect the literacy development and writing abilities of different populations outside of UST. Graduate students are awarded $4500 which they earn hourly over the course of the year, averaging 10 hours per week. They must be enrolled both fall and spring semester in the M.A. Program in English. Applications are available in the spring semester and are due before midterm break. For questions or an application, please contact Dr. Susan J. Callaway, Director, Associate Professor of English at (651) 962-5602 or by email at sjcallaway@stthomas.edu. You can also find more information on the Center for Writing website under “Employment Opportunities.”

Luann Dummer Center for Women Research Award   

The Luann Dummer Center for Women offers an annual award of $3,000 to a St. Thomas graduate student conducting research on a topic related to women. Full-time and part-time students in all graduate programs are invited to apply. The research may be conducted as part of a course, a thesis, or a dissertation. It may consist of a credit or non-credit independent study. The research must take place during the grant period and the researcher must agree to present the results in a forum sponsored by the women's center at the end of the grant period. For additional information, contact the Luann Dummer Center for Women at (651) 962-6118.

Teaching Mentorships   

The Master of Arts in English Program funds six Teaching Mentorships each year for students interested in teaching.  These Mentorships carry a stipend of $500, paid at the end of the semester, but do not carry course credit. Applications are due March 1 for the following academic year.

Application Criteria:

• Students must have completed at least nine credits (three courses) with grades of "B" or better before the semester in which their Mentorship is to begin
• Students must submit a Teaching Mentorship Application Form
• Students must submit a letter of application indicating how the Mentorship fits their program of study
• Students must also have the recommendation of a St. Thomas faculty member who can comment on their qualifications and potential as a teacher. The faculty member should be someone with whom the student has previously taken a class. The completed Teaching Mentorship Recommendation Form  should be sent to the Graduate Program Coordinator and will be forwarded to the Graduate committee for their review. Note: Priority will be given to students with no previous full-time teaching experience.

Program Requirements:

• Students will be assigned to a faculty mentor and will observe and participate in a section of English 121, 201, 202, 203, or 204.  Note: Very few sections of these English courses meet in the evening
• Students will observe most of the course sessions and meet at least once every two weeks with the faculty mentor to discuss teaching strategies
• Students will teach at least three sessions during the semester in consultation with their faculty mentor
• Students will meet in conferences with the students at least once 
• Students will design at least one writing assignment in cooperation with the faculty mentor 
• Students will evaluate at least one set of papers. These evaluations will not substitute for those of the faculty member, but will be an opportunity for students and mentors to discuss the important issues involved in the feedback, evaluation, and grading of student papers
• Students will write a brief analysis of their experience within one month of completion of the mentorship. The analysis should be submitted to the Graduate Program Director 
• Faculty mentors will submit a written evaluation of the student mentor to the Graduate Program Coordinator within one month after completion of the mentorship. The evaluation should contain a detailed description of the activities performed by the student as well as a statement about the student's potential as a teacher

New Hibernia Review Editorial Internship   

The Center for Irish Studies at St. Thomas publishes the quarterly journal New Hibernia Review and offers a year-long editorial internship to one Master of Arts in English student each year. The student intern works with the editor and managing editor on all aspects of producing the journal, including proofreading, copyediting, editorial review, and author relations. Responsibilities increase as the intern gains familiarity with scholarly publishing. Student interns with Web site creation and maintenance or database skills may have an opportunity to use those skills.

This position begins in October and carries a stipend of $300 per issue, for four issues, for four issues, published in December, March, June, and September. It does not carry course credit. Applicants must have completed at least two courses in the Master of Arts in English program. A research interest in Irish studies is desirable, but not essential. In addition, preference will be given to students who do not hold fellowships or teaching mentorships. Availability to work on the internship during the summer is a definite plus, but not a requirement.

Benefits of the internship include the following:

• Hands-on experience in scholarly publishing appropriate for a resume or portfolio
• Financial support for professional development opportunities in publishing or in Irish studies
• Recognition on the masthead of New Hibernia Review
• Opportunities to establish professional contacts within the interdisciplinary field of Irish studies

Applications are accepted through the month of September and should include a letter outlining interest, qualifications, and hopes for this position, along with a list of courses taken in the Master’s program. Applications should be submitted to the Graduate Program Director.

Victorian Periodicals Review Editorial Assistantship

     Housed at UST and published by Johns Hopkins University Press, the Victorian Periodicals Review seeks applications from English graduate students for a year-long editorial assistantship. The selected student will work with the editor, Dr. Alexis Easley, in all aspects of producing the journal over the course of an academic year. This will include proofreading, copyediting, editorial review, and author relations. The assistantship begins July 1st and work will be concentrated during the weeks leading up to quarterly publishing deadlines: 1/25, 4/25, 7/25, and 10/25. The position will require approximately 10 hours a week and pays $10 an hour; no academic credit accompanies this position. For more information about VPR see: http://www.rs4vp.org/vpr.html.

Qualifications. Applicants must have completed at least one semester of graduate English coursework at UST. A research interest in Victorian studies is desirable. The successful candidate will be available to work over the J-term and during the summer months. Enrollment in Dr. Easley’s fall graduate course on professional editing is strongly encouraged. Experience working with images in Photoshop and working in online publishing/social media is also desirable. Benefits of this position include the following:

• Hands-on experience learning the techniques of scholarly editing.
• Acknowledgement on the editorial page of Victorian Periodicals Review.
• Opportunities to establish professional contacts within the interdisciplinary field of Victorian studies.

Applicants should outline their interest, qualifications, and hopes for this position in a 300- to 500-word personal statement and submit electronically to Dr. Alexis Easley, maeasley@stthomas.edu by June 1st. Please include the names of two faculty members in the English department who are willing to serve as academic references. Contact Dr. Easley with any questions.

Conference Grants   

Students are strongly encouraged to present papers at academic conferences. Calls for papers are frequently posted in the English department and forwarded to students by email; additional information about conferences can be found on our Conferences web page. Students attending conferences and presenting a paper may request a conference participation grant once each academic year. Conference Participation Grant Application forms must be submitted to the Graduate Program Director for prior approval and should include written confirmation of the student’s participation.  The maximum amount of Conference Participation Grant Award per academic year per student is $500, pending the director's approval. The grant will be disbursed after the paper has been delivered at the conference and a Student Reimbursement Request form with the original receipts has been submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator for processing.