How do students typically pay for their studies at Mills? What are my financial aid options?
How can I be considered for need-based scholarships, and how much funding do these scholarships provide?
How can I apply for a partial-tuition graduate assistantship and how much funding do these provide?
How can I apply for the full-tuition assistantships in Community Poetics and Narrative Writing and Community Engagement?
What sort of teaching experience or training can I get through the graduate programs in English?
How long is the program? How many classes can I expect to take each semester?
Is it possible to attend your programs part time?
When are your courses offered? Is it possible to work full time while in the program?
Can I apply to the MFA program in more than one genre (concentration)?
What opportunities are there to work outside my genre in the MFA program?
I am moving to Mills from out of the area. What housing options are available for graduate students at Mills?
How do students typically pay for their studies at Mills? What are my financial aid options?
The English Department is committed to providing both need- and merit-based funding to all graduate students in our programs. We offer need-based scholarships, and a wide range of partial-tuition graduate assistantships designed to offer professional experience and funding. We also offer two full-tuition assistantships each year for MFA students in “Narrative Writing and Community Engagement” and “Community Poetics.” All prospective students are also advised to apply for federal and state financial aid in the form of loans.
2-year program:
Given higher annual tuition costs in the 2-year program, students who enroll in this option may receive both need-based and merit-based (Graduate Assistantships) funding each year.
3-year program:
Given lower annual tuition costs in the 3-year program, students who enroll in this option may receive either need-based or merit-based (Graduate Assistantships) funding each year.
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How can I be considered for need-based scholarships, and how much funding do these scholarships provide?
To be considered for need-based scholarships, applicants must submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) by February 1 at www.fafsa.gov. Whatever scholarships are awarded in the first year will be awarded again in the second year of study, so long as student FAFSA information remains generally the same. If you are enrolled in the 3-year program and receive a graduate assistantship award, this will replace your need-based scholarship during the academic year in which the assistantship is awarded.
Need-based scholarships for students in the 2-year program currently carry an annual award between $7,000-$11,000.
Need-based scholarships for students in the 3-year program currently carry an annual award between $3,000-$6,000.
How can I apply for a partial-tuition graduate assistantship and how much funding do these provide?
Students in the 2- and 3-year MFA and MA programs are invited to apply for a wide range of partial-tuition Graduate Assistantship positions available in the Composition Program, Book Art Program, undergraduate creative writing and literature classrooms, the Place for Writers, and 580 Split (our graduate student-edited literary magazine). Partial tuition assistantships are awarded annually and not guaranteed from year to year; everyone must re-apply each fall for the following year. Applications are always due by December 15 and are accepted online. You can find full instructions and descriptions here: mills.slideroom.com (For "Program,” select English Department Graduate Assistantships.) Students are always encouraged to submit applications for as many Assistantships as they are interested in and qualified for, although students can only be awarded one position in a given academic year.
All positions carry an award of $6,500 for the year and require 12 hours/week of work during the semester.
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How can I apply for the full-tuition assistantships in Community Poetics and Narrative Writing and Community Engagement?
New applicants to the MFA in Creative Writing program may also apply for these two full-tuition assistantships. Both are awarded for two years (if the student enrolls in the 2-year program) or three years (if the student enrolls in the 3-year program.) Full descriptions of both assistantships can be found here.
Applications are always due by December 15 and are accepted online. You can find full instructions and descriptions here: mills.slideroom.com (For "Program,” select English Department Graduate Assistantships.)
What sort of teaching experience or training can I get through the graduate programs in English?
There are a number of ways to obtain teaching experience and training in various areas.
Course Work. We offer four classes in pedagogy: ENG 271 Theories of Creativity and the Teaching of Creative Writing, offered in the spring; ENG 272 Theories and Strategies of Teaching Writing, which focuses on composition and is offered in both fall and spring; and ENG 287 Teaching English as a Second Language, offered in the spring. ENG 272 requires a practicum, typically in a local community college classroom as a teaching assistant. Many of our alums have utilized connections made during these practicum experiences when job hunting after graduation. Finally, we offer English 222A and 222B: Arts, Education Theory, & Pedagogy, which places MFA and MA students in local community centers, youth programs, libraries, and retirement homes, where they teach creative writing or a writing project of their own design. This course is offered for a .5 credit; in the fall you create the project, find a site, and get pedagogy training on working in diverse communities; in the spring, you teach the project in your chosen site.
Graduate Assistantships (paid). You can apply for a graduate assistantship in the composition program at Mills. You will work with students in our first year composition classes, and/or tutor in the Writing Center. We also offer graduate assistantships in our senior (undergraduate) thesis classes in literature and creative writing.
TA in an Undergraduate Literature or Creative Writing Course (for credit). You can gain valuable experience by arranging a teaching practicum (ENG 277) with a Mills professor in an undergraduate classroom. These can be done in a wide array of classes, including creative writing and literature. While not paid employment, a teaching practicum will appear on your transcript as evidence of classroom teaching experience.
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How long is the program? How many classes can I expect to take each semester?
We offer both 2-year and 3-year course of study program options. Degree requirements are exactly the same for both programs, but study is completed over a different time frame in each program. Residency requirements for each program (the required number of semesters you must complete) are four semesters for the 2-year program and six semesters for the 3-year program.
2-year program:
Students in the 2-year program complete their eleven required courses over the course of four semesters. Generally, students take three classes in their first two semesters, and at least 2.5 classes in their last two semesters. Students in the 2-year program may, however, take up to four total courses in a semester depending on their course of study and interests.
3-year program:
Students in the 3-year program complete their eleven required courses over the course of six semesters. Generally, students take two classes in their first four semesters, and at least 1.5 classes in their last two semesters. Students may enroll in no more than two classes every semester.
Is it possible to attend your programs part time?
2-year program:
If you are enrolled in the 2-year program, you can drop down to a “part-time” status and take one class per semester; tuition is paid on a per-course-credit basis (which is higher than the 3-year program tuition). However, you must be a full-time student to qualify for any English Department scholarship or assistantship (full-time students take two or more courses per semester).
3-year program:
The 3-year course of study requires only two classes per semester, giving students more flexibility and time to work outside of Mills College. This 3-year model is our version of a “part-time” program, since it enables students to maintain other work, family, or personal commitments and still complete the program in a timely and economically-wise fashion.
It is possible if, due to unforeseen circumstances, you wish to switch from the 2-year to the 3-year program. But be aware that once you enroll in the 3-year program, you are committed to six total semesters of study, regardless of how many class credits you have already completed.
If you wish to switch programs, you must first obtain permission from you academic advsisor and the Department Chair.
When are your courses offered? Is it possible to work full time while in the program?
2-year program:
Our courses are scheduled throughout the day and the evening so students need to have flexible schedules to allow the most course options. However, many courses meet only once a week and students can often manage to work around a course schedule that requires them to be on campus only two or three times a week. In short, the 2-year program is not specifically designed to accommodate students who work full time; we recommend the 3-year program for people who plan to work full time. Many graduate students in the 2-year program often work part time to take full advantage of their two years at Mills.
3-year program:
Our courses are scheduled throughout the day and the evening so students will find that a flexible work or family schedule will allow the most course options. Many courses meet only once a week and students can often manage to create a course schedule that requires they be on campus only once or twice a week. The 3-year program is more flexible to accommodate a busier work schedule outside of Mills.
Please look at our current course schedule to get a better sense of course offerings and schedule.
Can I apply to the MFA program in more than one genre (concentration)?
Yes, but if you are accepted in more than one area, you will need to choose one area of concentration when you enroll. An application to more than one genre will be reviewed by separate faculty committees in that area and you may or may not be accepted into one or both genres.
What opportunities are there to work outside my genre in the MFA program?
In general, our MFA program encourages focused study in the admitted genre, with the goal of completing a risky, investigative, and confident thesis. We require three workshops in the admitted genre, two taken consecutively in the first year of study. However, there are no genre restrictions around electives or craft requirements.
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I am moving to Mills from out of the area. What housing options are available for graduate students at Mills?
Mills offers a variety of housing options for graduate students to live on our beautiful residential campus. Graduate women have the option of residing in one of our historic Mediterranean-style residence halls that accept graduate students. Men and women can enjoy our new Courtyard Townhouses which overlook the Bay Area. We also offer family housing and some specialty housing choices. When you apply to Mills, please indicate your interest in on-campus housing, and you will be sent a separate housing application.
Many students moving from out of the area also choose to live off campus. Some popular neighborhoods include those around Lake Merritt, Piedmont Avenue, and Rockridge. Craigslist is a good reference to start looking for local housing.
A car is definitely useful in the East Bay, but many of our students do not drive and use public transit instead. There is a campus shuttle which goes to the Rockridge BART station on its way to UC Berkeley. There is also an AC Transit bus stop right outside the Mills front gate. For full information on local public transit, visit www.511.org.
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