Assistantships

Graduate Teaching Assistantships are awarded to the most highly qualified graduate students entering the Master of Arts degree program in the Department of English. All teaching assistants must maintain at least a "B" average in their course work in order to retain assistantships. Graduate students are allowed to teach two sections of composition in addition to taking nine hours of course work. Teaching assignments for graduate students range from Basic English through Composition I and II. Some teaching assistants are assigned to work in the Writing Center. Teaching Assistants also are trained in editing skills either through employment with the Mississippi Quarterly or through work on the Jabberwock, the department's student-run, literary journal.

Teaching assistants are trained in Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) which is used in all of our composition courses in order to improve students' grammar and usage skills. Ancillary skills include tutoring and mentoring. The graduate teaching assistants are not only the brightest students, but trained teachers who maintain a professional approach to classroom instruction. Their syllabi, office hours, and course requirements are available either from them or through the Department of English office. 

All applicants for the MA in English will automatically be considered for a Teaching Assistantship—there is no separate application. The deadline to apply for the MA program is March 15; however, applications received by February 15 will be given priority in the awarding of Teaching Assistantships.