Apply To Be A Graduate Assistant, Work for the Department, and Get Tuition Covered

Each spring, the English Department awards approximately 5-6 Graduate Assistantships for the upcoming academic year. Any current or prospective student in the MA in English Literature and Publishing (MALP), MA in Writing and Publishing (MAWP), the MFA in Writing and Publishing, or either of the combined degree programs may apply for an assistantship. 

Graduate Assistantships carry: 

  • Full tuition for up to 6 graduate-level courses taken for credit towards your degree during the academic year (up to 12 courses over two years if the award is renewed);
  • A stipend of $8,000, payable September through May.

Graduate Assistants are assigned to work 20 hours per week at the Lincoln Park or Loop Campus during the fall, winter, and spring quarters. These assignments include: 

  • Tutoring/Working in DePaul’s University Center for Writing-based Learning;
  • Performing editorial or administrative duties in support of the English Department and itspublications and programs;
  • Maintaining a solid academic standing.

Current MALP, MAWP, and MFA students interested in applying for a graduate assistantship should submit the following materials to Marc Schell, Assistant Director of Graduate Programs, at mschell2@depaul.edu by January 31, 2022: 

  1. A completed admission application form;
  2. A 200-300 word personal statement specifically outlining your qualifications and goals for an assistantship;
  3. A 25-page writing sample;
  4. Undergraduate transcripts from all institutions;
  5. Two letters of recommendation from people familiar with your ability to perform academicand/or administrative work, especially former classroom instructors.

If you would like to access some of the materials you submitted with your original admissions application, please indicate as such in your email to Marc. 

If you have additional questions about admission to the MALP, MAWP, or MFA or about applying for a Graduate Assistantship, please contact either Professor June Hee Chung at 773-325-4089 for the MA in English Literature and Publishing program, or Professor Rebecca Johns Trissler at 773-325-1762 for the MA or MFA in Writing and Publishing program.

Download the Application