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How do students typically pay for their studies at Mills? What are my financial aid options?
How can I apply for a graduate assistantship?
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 works very hard to provide as much scholarship funding as is possible to all students, though we are unable to offer full funding to any student. The department offers both merit- and need-based forms of funding. Students are also advised to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the priority deadline in order to be considered for need-based scholarships from the English Department. Whatever scholarships are awarded in the first year will be awarded again in the second year of study. If you are awarded a graduate assistantship in the second year, this is an additional source of funding (see below).
All prospective students are also advised to apply for federal and state financial aid in the form of loans.
How can I apply for a graduate assistantship?
Graduate assistantships are only awarded to students for their second year of study. All first-year students have the chance to apply in the spring of their first year for these competitive assistantships. These assistantships are not need-based. Details regarding application deadlines are distributed with the applications each spring.
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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, including:
Course Work: We offer three 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 the fall; and ENG 286 Teaching English as a Second Language, offered in the spring. ENG 271 and ENG 272 both require a practicum. The ENG 271 practicum partners with the Community Teaching Project, which places MFA (and interested MA) students in local community centers, youth programs, libraries, and retirement homes, where they teach creative writing. In ENG 272, the practicum is 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.
Graduate Assistantships: You can apply for a graduate assistantship in the composition program at Mills, teaching a pass/no-pass study section connected to an ENG 001 class, and by tutoring in the Writing Center. Graduate assistantships are available only in the second year of study (see above).
TA in an Undergraduate Literature or Creative Writing Course: 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.
How long is the program? How many classes can I expect to take each semester?
Both the MA in literature and MFA in creative writing are two-year programs if attended full time. Full-time students must be registered for at least two classes a semester, although the average course load is three classes per semester if you want to complete the program within two years.
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Is it possible to attend your programs part time?
Yes. Part-time students take one class per semester, and tuition is paid on a per-course-credit basis. 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).
When are your courses offered? Is it possible to work full time while in the program?
Our courses are scheduled throughout the day as well as in the evening, so all 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 program is not specifically designed to accommodate students who work full time, but it can be done. More commonly, our graduate students work part time in order to be able to take full advantage of their two years at Mills.
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, i.e. both prose and poetry.
back to top What opportunities are there to work outside my genre in the MFA program?
One strength of our program is its flexibility. Of your four required creative writing workshops towards the MFA degree, only three must be taken in your main genre or concentration, and none of your four required literature courses must be in your main genre or concentration. Two electives can be taken anywhere across the curriculum, including workshops in other genres.
Depending on the availability of open slots in other workshops (MFA students are only guaranteed a spot in one workshop each semester in their genre), it is conceivable that you could enter as a poetry student and take three workshops in poetry and another three in fiction or creative nonfiction. Or, for example, you might enter as a fiction student and take literature courses in poetry.
Craft classes provide particularly good ways to work outside of your concentration. These classes are designed for MFA students and often include creative assignments in response to readings in contemporary literatures.
back to top 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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