Assistantships

If you would like to be considered for a graduate assistantship, in addition to the material required for the general application, you will need to fill out an application for an assistantship and send it to the Director of Graduate Studies in the English Department (P.O. Box 70, Department of English, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132) along with a short statement of purpose (500 words or so) in which you present your reasons for wishing to pursue graduate studies in English (your professional plans, areas of interest, etc.) as well as any relevant experience that prepares you for graduate studies.

M.A.-level graduate assistants:
Until students have completed 18 hours of course work, they are generally assigned as tutors in the Writing Center for 20 hours a week. Some students may be given 20-hour assignments to work as a classroom assistant for particular professors. Once students have completed 18 hours of course work, they may serve as teaching assistants, under the guidance of our supervisor of teaching assistants. During their first year teaching, they are required to enroll in Seminar in Teaching Composition (ENGL 6560/7650) and Teaching Practicum (ENGL 6570/7470), in consecutive semesters.

Our M.A. assistants receive a stipend of $6500 distributed over a nine-month period with a waiver of tuition fees and out-of-state fees if the GA is a non-resident.

Ph.D.-level graduate assistants:
Doctoral level assistants are generally given teaching assignments (two courses a semester), if they have some previous tutoring or teaching experience. If they have not already taken appropriate pedagogy courses, they will be expected to take our two pedagogy seminars the first year. Doctoral-level stipends are presently $14,000 for a twelve-month contract, with a waiver of tuition and fees.

For more information, visit the MTSU Graduate College site.