Assistantships & Aid
Teaching assistantships, research assistantships, fellowships, and loans provide the most common form of support for graduate students. You must be admitted to the Graduate School to be awarded graduate assistantships or Graduate School fellowships. For more information, see the Graduate School website, call the Graduate School Fellowship Office at 612-625-7579, or One Stop Student Services at 612-624-1111.
Teaching Assistantships
Teaching assistants teach sections of the department's undergraduate writing courses. To be eligible for these positions, you must have completed Writing Studies’ Teacher Training Program (WRIT 5531 and WRIT 5532), have previous teaching experience in writing at the university level, or have completed similar teaching training at another institution. In addition, you must meet all of the Graduate School requirements for teaching assistants, including being registered for each semester of your appointment.
To be considered for a teaching assistantship, contact our director of undergraduate studies (DUS). To apply for a position, you will need to submit an application (PDF), a resume, and letters of recommendation. Normally, master's students may serve as teaching assistants for 1 to 2 years and Ph.D. students for 4 to 5 years, for a total of 6 years of support.
Research Assistantships and Administrative Fellowships
A limited number of research assistantships and administrative fellowships are available for graduate students in writing studies. You will also be eligible for research assistantships and administrative fellowships in other U of M departments. The Graduate Assistant Employment Office posts openings for research assistantships and administrative fellowships from all University departments.
Graduate Assistant Employment Office
200 Donhowe Building
319-15th Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-624-7070
612-625-9801 (fax)
gaoinfo@umn.edu
Graduate School Fellowships
The Graduate School's Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship Program and University alumni fellowships are particularly useful to students in their thesis-writing year. In addition to these, the Graduate School offers tuition scholarships to second-year students. For information about scholarships and fellowships offered through the Graduate School, contact:
Graduate School Fellowship Office
314 Johnston Hall
101 Pleasant St. S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-625-7579
612-625-6820 (fax)
gsfellow@umn.edu
Employment Opportunities and Loan Assistance
For information on full-time employment, contact:
U of M Job Center
170 Donhowe Building
319 - 15th Avenue SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-625-2000
612-626-7911 (fax)
If you are interested in loan assistance, contact:
One Stop Student Services
200 Fraser Hall
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-624-1111