Graduate Assistantships

The English Department has a limited number of Graduate Assistantships to offer each year.  Assistants receive a tuition waiver and a stipend.  Their duties are to assist faculty members in preparing for instruction, grading papers, conducting research, performing departmental administrative tasks, or other assignments as required by the Department. Some assistants are assigned to the JMU Writing Center.  Assistantships require 20 hours per week in the assistantship department and GAs carry a course load of 9 hours of graduate study per semester.  Students interested in these opportunities must apply using the form provided here or in the Forms section of this site by February 10 to receive full consideration.

Graduate Assistantships in other departments and other campus offices are available to English M.A. students. Interested students should search for such opportunities on JMU joblink system, and follow application instructions provided:  http://www.jmu.edu/humanresources/joblink.shtml

The Graduate Assistantship for most first year students in English is designed to introduce students to the teaching of literature. In the fall semester, GAs attend an English faculty member’s literature survey class and meet with the instructor once or twice a week to discuss the course: topics include pedagogy, classroom dynamics, grading, as well as lecture and discussion strategies for presenting literary texts to non-majors on the sophomore level. In the spring, GAs assist in a large section of the course and are responsible for weekly discussion meetings with small groups of 20 or 25 students. GAs must  be available three mornings or afternoons a week, depending upon when the class is scheduled.  In addition, some students are placed in the JMU Writing Center or assigned to faculty as Research Assistants.

GAs receive a tuition waiver for 9 hours of graduate credit and a stipend in compensation for their duties. Because GAs are not subject to the requirement of 18 hours of completed graduate credit, Graduate Assistantships are available to first-year students.  GAs must carry 9 credit hours each semester.
Criteria for Graduate Assistantships:

• Candidates must have achieved unconditional or conditional acceptance into the M.A. program: official transcripts and satisfactory GRE scores and Subject Test scores must be on file with The Graduate School. Candidates with incomplete applications will not be considered for a graduate assistantships.
• GAs must carry a course load of 9 hours during the semester of their assistantship.
• GAs must maintain a 3.0 GPA in order to retain or reapply for the assistantship.
• Candidates for graduate assistantships should have an interest in the teaching of literature, the maturity to assist faculty responsibly and work with students effectively, and the organizational skills essential to balancing academic and GA duties.
• Additional policies apply.  See the Graduate College Catalogue under Financial Assistance.
  

Teaching Assistantships

Students awarded a Teaching Assistantship are assigned to an academic department, typically the Writing Program, and are expected to instruct 6 credit hours of course work per year. Students may also be awarded a teaching assistantship to assist professors within the department with grading, etc. TAs carry a course load of 9 credit hours of graduate study per semester. TAs must have completed 18 graduate credits in the teaching discipline and be directly supervised by a faculty member (SACS requirement).  A Teaching Assistantship is usually awarded for the entire academic year (two regular semesters), and students teach one course each semester. In some cases, an assistantship may be awarded for one semester only.  Teaching Assistantships pay a stipend in compensation for teaching duties along with a tuition waiver for a maximum of 9 hours of graduate credit during the semesters of assigned teaching.
Criteria for Teaching Assistantships

• Candidates must have achieved unconditional acceptance into the M.A. program.
  Official transcripts and satisfactory GRE must be on file with The Graduate School. Candidates with incomplete applications will not be considered for a Teaching Assistantship.
• 18 credit hours of coursework must be completed before an assistantship will be awarded.
• Students are required to enroll in ENG 501: Professional Seminar in College Composition, offered through the Writing Program during the semester prior to their appointment as a TA.  Students must earn a grade of B or higher in ENG 501.
• TAs assigned to teach sections of GWRIT 103 will be required to attend orientation workshops organized by the Writing Program.  Orientation workships are held approximately one week before classes begin each semester. Teachers of GWRIT 103 also must participate in the mentoring program supervised by the Director of the Writing Program and offered by faculty of the Writing Program.
• TAs must carry a 9-hour course load, or submit an underload form for the semester in which they teach. Underloads may be used only one semester.
• TAs must maintain a 3.0 GPA in order to retain or reapply for the assistantship.
• Candidates for teaching assistantships should have the maturity, organization, knowledge, and enthusiasm needed to be a responsible classroom instructor.

Scholarships and Financial Aid
http://www.jmu.edu/grad/current/finassist.shtml

Student Employment
Student Employment

Fellowship and Grant Resources
The following links are provided for informational purposes only.  It is important to check the credentials of any site provided.  Be wary of any site offering to locate financial assistance for a fee.

http://www.jmu.edu/grad/current/finassist.shtml
www.jackkentcookefoundation.org/
www.military.com/scholarships
www.nscs.org/memberbenefits/
ScholarshipOpportunities/grad/index.cfm
scholarships.fatomei.com/minorities.html
www.grants.gov
www.ed.gov/news/fedregister/announce