Graduate Financial Support

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

Fellowships   

Students may re-apply for fellowships in subsequent semesters and are encouraged to revise their personal statements in the light of intervening experience. Students already enrolled in the M.A. program are also 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 and a writing sample from a course taken in the program.

• There are two deadlines for applications each year--October 1 for the following spring semester and March 1 for the following fall semester
• The English Department will  notify fellowship recipients within two weeks following these deadlines
• Students who fail to maintain a 3.5 GPA or receive more than one grade of "Incomplete" will forfeit their fellowships.
• It is assumed that, once awarded, both full-time and part-time fellowship recipients will continue their degree progress in consecutive semesters without hiatus (excluding summers) until their degree requirements are complete

Financial Aid   

• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or other category of eligible non-citizen
• Be admitted as a regular degree-seeking or certificate-seeking student and enrolled in an eligible UST program located at an eligible site
• Be enrolled at least half-time
• Be meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy standards for your chosen 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   

Luann Dummer Center for Women Research Award   

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 English 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 111, 112, or 190.  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 director of the program 
• Faculty mentors will submit a written evaluation of the student mentor to the Master of Arts in English Graduate Committee 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. This position carries a stipend of $300 per issue, for four issues, spanning late September through August; 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. Student interns with Web site creation and maintenance or database skills may have an opportunity to use those skills. 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.

Research Assistantships   

Research assistantships allow graduate students to work with faculty members on scholarly projects; they are designed to offer students a specific learning experience and help faculty members accomplish necessary research tasks. Those tasks include, but are not limited to, looking up sources in the library or on the Internet, collecting and summarizing research materials, preparing materials for and communicating with publishers, and discussing the project with the faculty member. Research assistantships pay a stipend of $500. A typical project takes about 50 hours which fluctuate with the project’s needs. Research assistants are paid at the end of the project, usually, the length of a semester.

When assistantship positions become available, information will be posted in the English department and forwarded to students by email. Students interested in pursuing an announced research assistantship should submit a one-page (250 words) statement to the graduate program director explaining their desire to work on the project. This statement is due three weeks before the semester in which the assistantship begins.

Conference Grants   

Students are encouraged to present papers at academic conferences. Calls for papers are frequently posted in the English department and forwarded to students by email. 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 director of the program 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 program coordinator for processing.