Financial Support

Fellowships and teaching assistantships include full tuition and living stipend. Some, such as the University Fellowships and African-American Fellowships, are offered in university-wide competition; others, such as the teaching assistantships and five creative writing fellowships, are offered within the department. Five years' financial support is available to Ph.D. candidates. Consult the Graduate School for further financial information.

1. Appointments: Eligibility and Responsibility
2. University Fellowships
3. One-Year University Fellowships for Continuing Students
4. African American Fellowships
5. Creative Writing Fellowships
6. Benjamin Fellowship in Judaic Studies
7. Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program
8. Jacob and Valentina Hursky Ukrainian Graduate Fellowship
9. Teaching Assistantships
10. Summer Fellowships and Remitted Tuition
11. University Graduate School Scholarships
12. Graduate Prizes and Honors

1. APPOINTMENTS: ELIGIBILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY

M.A. candidates may hold teaching assistantship appointments for up to four semesters; M.F.A. candidates may hold appointments (fellowships and/or assistantships) for up to 6 semesters; doctoral candidates may hold appointments (fellowships and/or assistantships) up to an addition of ten semesters. Re-appointment to an assistantship or initial appointment for persons who have previously held fellowships requires:

• an overall graduate grade average of at least B (including incompletes which would count as F);
• no more than two incompletes;
• successful completion of the appropriate exams

2. UNIVERSITY FELLOWSHIPS

These are awarded to MFA and PhD candidates. Three MFA University Fellowships are awarded to new applicants of exceptional quality and determined by the Creative Writing Committee. PhD nominees are determined by the Graduate Committee and awarded by the Graduate School in a university-wide competition to outstanding students. These awards go to new students in the form of multi-year "packages," in which fellowships and teaching assistantships are held in alternate years. The fellowships consist of an academic-year award stipend (PhD $19,000; MFA $15,450) and a full-tuition scholarship for 30 credits for the academic year. MFA Applications should be filed by January 9; and Ph.D. Applications should be filed by December 1st. Fellows who have used up their fellowship eligibility--or do not wish to continue as fellows--may apply for an assistantship in the Department by notifying the Director of Graduate Studies by January 9.

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3. ONE-YEAR UNIVERSITY FELLOWSHIPS FOR CONTINUING STUDENTS

Approximately four one-year college-wide fellowships are available to support continuing students in the completion of their doctoral programs or in fulfilling the requirements of other terminal degree. They include an academic-year award stipend (PhD $19,000; MFA; $15,450) and a full-tuition scholarship for 30 credits for the academic year. Applications should be filed by January 9. All nominations must be made and supported by the Graduate Committee for Ph.D.'s and the Creative Writing Committee for MFA's.

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4. AFRICAN AMERICAN FELLOWSHIPS

These six fellowships, in a university-wide competition, are awarded to new and returning African American graduate students. They include an academic-year award stipend ($15,450) and a full tuition-scholarship for 30 credits for the academic year. African American Fellows are required to enroll in one three- credit graduate course taught by a faculty member of the African American Studies Program. These awards will be made by the Dean of Graduate School upon the recommendation of the African American Fellowship Committee, which will operate independently from the Syracuse University Fellowship Committee. Applications should be filed by January 9.

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5. CREATIVE WRITING FELLOWSHIPS

The department awards five of these: The Cornelia Carhart Ward Fellowship (Fiction), The Elise G. Mead Fellowship (Poetry), and three Creative Writing Fellowships. These fellowships include an academic-year award stipend (Cornelia $15,450; Mead $15,450; CWF $11,000) and a full-tuition scholarship for 24 credits for the academic year (12 credit hours per semester). Normally, these are awarded to new students and are not renewable.

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6. BENJAMIN FELLOWSHIP IN JUDAIC STUDIES

The B. G. Rudolph Professor of Judaic Studies is an endowed graduate assistantship for the first year, with renewal (or replacement by a departmental teaching assistantship) for the subsequent two or three years. The Benjamin Assistant will receive full tuition and approximately $12,600, which includes a summer stipend, and a research stipend of $2000. Field is open, but especially desirable would be Hebrew, Yiddish, or European/American Judaic writing. Other possible areas include art, music, philosophy, or the relationship between Judaic traditions and another field such as psychology. Duties involve roughly 15 hours weekly as teaching and research assistant for the B. G. Rudolph Professor.

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7. RONALD E. McNAIR POST-BACCALAUREATE ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM

The Graduate School invites nominations for up to six McNair
Fellowships in support of a graduate program of study at Syracuse
University . At least one Fellowship will be awarded to an applicant who has been an
undergraduate McNair Scholar at Syracuse , and at least one Fellowship
will be awarded to an applicant who has been an undergraduate McNair
Scholar at another participating institution

The Award: the Fellowship carries a value of $15,450 and a
Graduate Scholarship of 30 credit hours for the academic year.
Depending on the program of study, a multi-year award is possible. This
will require the student's department to commit to funding in a
non-Fellowship year.

Eligibility: nominees must have been McNair Scholars at their
undergraduate institution, including Syracuse University . Nominees must
be admitted to a graduate program at the University. Students may not
hold a McNair Fellowship for more than two years, either consecutively
or non-consecutively. Holders of McNair Fellowships may be
nominated for a second year of support.

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8. JACOB AND VALENTINA HURSKSY UKRAINIAN GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP

This single fellowship award carries a $15,450 stipend and includes a tuition scholarship for 24 credit hours. The fellowship is awarded to a full-time, matriculated or admitted graduate student of Ukrainian background enrolled in either Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs or the College of Arts & Sciences, for any Syracuse University graduate program whose area of study is the Ukraine or includes Ukrainian topics. Preference will be given to students whose study includes Ukrainian language and literature, Ukrainian linguistics, and or culture.

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9. TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS

The department offers these appointments to both new and continuing students. Teaching assistants may be appointed for a semester or an academic year. Renewal of an assistantship depends on good performance in teaching and other duties and in academic work. Any teaching assistant assigned to the Writing Program is supervised by Writing Program faculty and is subject to Writing Program policies. These awards include an academic-year award stipend (MA/MFA $12,469; PhD $13,285) and a full-tuition scholarship for 24 credits for the academic year (9 credit hours in the fall; 9 in the spring; and 6 in the summer).

Responsibilities of Teaching Assistantships Persons holding teaching assistantships for the first time are normally assigned to the Writing Program and must enroll in WRT 670 Practicum: "Teaching College Writing."

As instructors in the Writing Program, teaching assistants have full responsibility for no more than 60 students per year, in three sections. They are expected to attend regular staff meetings and workshops, to participate in a coordinating group that meets every week, and to stay on campus through the end of each semester.

There will also be ongoing mentorship and review of each teacher's performance. Assistants who have taught previously, particularly doctoral candidates, may be invited to teach in sophomore-level and some upper-division courses. The department also occasionally appoints full- or half-time administrative assistants. In such cases, the letter of appointment will indicate the member of the department faculty to whom the assistant is directly responsible.

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10. SUMMER FELLOWSHIPS AND REMITTED TUITION

The department offers several summer fellowships to persons who have held teaching assistantships during the preceding academic year. The awards are made by the Graduate School , on the advice of the Graduate and Creative Writing Committee, which invites applications during the spring semester. The strongest applicants--in terms of summer project, overall academic performance, and status in degree--are recommended for awards. ($700.00)

Summer Fellowships (for teaching assistants) provides stipend support for some students; others may be appointed as teaching assistants or to other responsibilities in the department during the summer. However, it is not possible to provide financial support for all students, and it is usually April before arrangements can begin to be made.

Graduate assistants who have completed a full year of service in the preceding academic year are entitled to 6 hours of remitted tuition in Summer Sessions; assistants who have completed one semester of service are entitled to 3 hours.

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11. UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS

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12. GRADUATE PRIZES AND HONORS

The English department and the University offer several prizes and honors each year to recognize outstanding accomplishments by graduate students.

a. English Department Awards
In Creative Writing, annual prizes for outstanding work by graduate students include, for poetry: the Raymond Carver, Hayden Carruth, Loring Williams (Academy of American Poets), Delmore Schwartz, Jeremy Lake Memorial, Ontario Review, Harriet Collins Jaycox, and Edwin T. Whiffen Poetry Prizes; in fiction: the Raymond Carver, Peter Neagoe, Stephen Crane, and Ontario Review Fiction Prizes. All are awarded in competitions held each spring.

The Mary Marshall Essay Award: One essay or article by a student currently enrolled in the M.F.A., M.A. or Ph.D. program. The essay can be written for a course or for publication, and there are no restrictions on subject matter, length, or on the language in which it was written.

Summer Research Fellowships (PhD): Two summer research fellowships ($1,000) will be offered per year for proposed research project conducted between May and August. Students who have completed their program of study in the spring semester are not eligible, as well as students who have received a summer fellowship in past years. Applicants should submit a detailed project proposal, anticipated budget, and a supporting letter from your advisor by the deadline. Fellowships will be announced by the beginning of May.

Cornell Sponsored Summer Session (amount: $2,500) The College of A & S and the Department of English, Syracuse University, will sponsor one graduate student to attend and participate in the Summer Session of SCT. In addition to the six week course, there are several three week courses that you will be eligible to participate in, including those offered this year by Seyla Benhabib, Biodun Jeyifo, Gayatri Spivak, and Richard Weisberg. The sponsored graduate student will be selected by the Graduate Committee at the end of February; among the criteria for selection will be an evaluation of the student's proposal, stage of program and progress toward degree. Students who have completed their program of study in the spring are not eligible. The sponsorship will be announced March 1st when the Director of Graduate Studies forwards the materials to Cornell. The sponsorship covers full tuition and includes $400 dollars in travel and/or material costs.

The James Elson Prize recognizes outstanding teaching by a graduate assistant in a course in the English department.

In addition, up to ten percent of the students in each graduate course may be cited by the instructor for distinguished work, and notice of such a citation is made on the students' transcripts.

b. Graduate School Prizes
The Graduate School makes several awards each year for outstanding doctoral dissertations and for excellence in master's-level work.

From a university-wide competition, four awards--including a cash prize and certificate--are made at the doctoral dinner each May for outstanding Ph.D. dissertations. For consideration for this award, approved copy of the dissertation must be submitted by March 1.

On the recommendation of the College, up to three Graduate School Master's Prizes may be awarded each year to M.A. and M.F.A. students in Arts and Sciences. This prize honors excellence in scholarship and research.

c. Outstanding TA Awards
The Outstanding Teaching Award was instituted to recognize TA's who have made a distinguished contribution to Syracuse University by demonstrating excellence as classroom teachers, laboratory or studio instructors, recitation instructors, assistant to senior faculty members for a major course, or in another significant instructional capacity. An awards presentation and reception is held and presided over by the Dean of Graduate School and the Vice President for Undergraduate Studies. Awardees receive a gift and certificate of merit. (Teaching Fellows are employed by the TA Program as staff for the summer orientation program and other activities sponsored by the Program throughout the academic year).

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