All admitted students to our MA/PhD program are offered five years of funding in the form of an Academic Student Employee (ASE) position. There is no separate funding application to complete. Typically, students teach one undergraduate composition course (e.g. ENGL 131) per quarter in autumn, winter and spring quarters. The funding package includes a tuition waiver, health insurance, and monthly stipend during the academic year. (Sixth year ASE funding is available, contingent on progress to degree.)
In addition, we have a number of supplemental recruitment awards we can offer each year, as well as multiple sources of fellowship support for students at the dissertation stage.
- Academic Student Employee Positions
- Dissertation Fellowships
- Prizes
- Conference Travel
- Loans and Work-Study Eligibility
- Graduate Funding Information Service
Academic Student Employee Positions
In accordance with the UAW Academic Student Employees (ASEs) contract, the Department of English uses the TA/RA/SA Salary Schedule to determine pay rates for ASEs.
In general, academic student employees teach one course, assist in a large lecture, lead quiz sections, or assist in program administration in the Department of English.
Non-native speakers of English must satisfy the UW Graduate School's English speaking requirements by submitting test scores as part of their application. Spoken English proficiency can be satisfied in one of the following ways:
- a score of 26 on the speaking section of the TOEFL iBT
- a score of 7.0 on the speaking section IELTS
English graduate students also have success in applying for teaching assistantships in other departments, such as American Ethnic Studies, Comparative History of Ideas, Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies (GWSS), Honors, and Communication. Inquiries for how to apply for these positions should be directed to the individual departments.
Other on-campus and off-campus positions are posted by the UW Career & Internship Center.
Dissertation Fellowships
English Department Dissertation Fellowships
Each academic year, students working on their dissertation can apply for a dissertation fellowship that is offered through Department of English endowed funds. These fellowships include the Susanna J. McMurphy Dissertation Fellowship, the Robert R. and Mary Roberts Waltz Fellowship, and the Phyllis and Donald Dorset Graduate Fellowship. These fellowships are for one quarter, paid in a monthly stipend, and include a tuition waiver and medical, dental, and vision insurance.
English graduate students who have completed PhD Exams and the dissertation prospectus are eligible to apply. Selection is based on academic merit.
The English Graduate Program Manager will send a call for applications in winter or spring.
Alvord Endowed Fellowship in the Humanities
Every other year all Humanities Departments in the College of Arts and Sciences are invited to nominate a candidate for the Alvord Fellowship in the Humanities. The fellowship is a $16,000 award for a full academic year (nine months), to be paid monthly. The fellowship comes with a tuition waiver and medical, dental, and vision insurance.
English graduate students who have completed PhD Exams are eligible to apply, and priority will be given to those whose scholarly and research interests cross disciplinary lines. Selection is based on academic merit. The application of the nominee chosen by the Department of English will be forwarded to the College of Arts and Sciences to compete with nominees from other humanities departments for the fellowship.
The English Graduate Program Manager will send a call for applications in winter.
Graduate School Dissertation Fellowship
Each year all Humanities Departments in the College of Arts and Sciences are invited to nominate a candidate for Graduate School Dissertation Fellowship in the Humanities. The fellowship is a one-quarter fellowship, paid in a monthly stipend, and includes a tuition waiver and medical, dental, and vision insurance.
English graduate students who have completed PhD Exams are eligible to apply, and priority will be given to those who have a substantial amount of work completed on the dissertation. Selection is based on academic merit. The application of the nominee chosen by the Department of English will be forwarded to the Graduate School to compete with nominees from other humanities departments for the fellowship.
The English Graduate Program Manager will send a call for applications in winter.
Prizes
Hallien Johnson Memorial Fellowship in Women and Literary Study
The Hallien Johnson Memorial Fellowship in Women and Literary Study is a $500 prize awarded to a student admitted to the PhD program who has written an outstanding Master’s Essay (or subsequent revision of that essay) on a woman writer (or writers), portrayals of women in literature, or in feminist criticism and theory (that is, in the intersection of gender with race, ethnicity, sexuality, class, or national identity formation).
Papers are read anonymously by a faculty committee appointed by the Graduate Studies Committee. The committee will follow the policy of many academic journals in reading the essays without knowing who the author is. Essays may be submitted by the student or by her or his faculty director.
The English Graduate Program Manager will send a call for applications in autumn.
Robert B. Heilman Dissertation Prize
The Robert B. Heilman Dissertation Prize is a $500 prize for the best dissertation completed during the previous academic year. Any English dissertation which receives two (or three) Honors scores on their dissertation will be considered.
Conference Travel
Department funding
The Department of English has some funds to support English graduate students who are presenting at academic conferences. Priority goes to MA/PhD students at the dissertation stage. To be considered for departmental travel funding, students must complete the Application for Graduate Student Travel Funding and submit it to the English department administrator.
Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS)
Graduate students may also apply for travel funding through the UW Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS).
Loans and Work-Study Eligibility
Student Financial Aid
105 Schmitz Hall Box 355880
Seattle, WA 98195-5880
Phone: 206-543-6101
Graduate Funding Information Service
The GFIS is a resource offered by the UW Libraries to help graduate students locate funding opportunities for graduate school related expenses, including tuition, research, conference and research travel. Students can visit GFIS for drop-in hours, schedule individual appointments, or request information by e-mail.