TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Paying for Graduate School
The total cost of tuition depends on the number of credits taken. The English MA requires a minimum of 30 credits. Per credit costs are available in the table here. (English is in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.) As an estimate, students, as of 2023, would pay just over $16,000 in tuition costs for a 2-year, 30-credit degree (as Colorado residents); non-resident and international students could expect to pay about $46,000 for the degree. (Costs vary according to specific situations.) More information about tuition and billing is available at student finances.
Residents of other Western States may be able to qualify for in-state tuition through the Western Regional Graduate Program. And more information about the cost of living in Denver is available here.
Information for international students is available at the International Admissions page.
Teaching Assistantships
English graduate students have the opportunity to serve as Teaching Assistants. TAs in the Department of English teach at least one section of first-year writing (FYW) per semester and receive a stipend of $3,864 per course (as of Spring 2024). For more information and to discover how to apply for a teaching assistantship, click here.
Research Assistantships
Sometimes, individual faculty members have grant funding that they can use to hire MA students as research assistants. Availability is limited and depends on faculty funding and needs.
Loans, Fellowships, and Scholarships
Please visit the general and Graduate Education financial aid pages for more information about grants, loans, scholarships and work-study.
Some prospective MA students in English Studies may be eligible for the Concurrent Enrollment Expansion and Innovation Grant Program. This grant awards up to $50,0000 per approved applicant. If you are currently a high school teacher and you are interested in teaching concurrent enrollment, ask your institution if they would be willing to support your graduate education through applying for this grant. (Note: if your institution is interested in partnering with the University of Colorado, Denver’s dual-enrollment program in English, please contact Lisa Spears at Lisa.Spears@ucdenver.edu.)
The Colorado Graduate Grant is awarded to eligible graduate students who are Colorado residents with documented financial need as demonstrated through the FAFSA; students must be enrolled in a minimum of four credit hours to receive this award.
The Office of Graduate Education also maintains a database of fellowships and a list of search tools and resources. Some specific funding is available for study abroad courses. International students should visit this page for more information about scholarship and work opportunities.
Finally, CareerOneStop is a large database of scholarships, and the Council of Graduate Schools maintains another database of federal funding sources for graduate students and postdocs.
In-state tuition
Establishing Colorado residency, which may be occur before starting or, in some cases, after the first year, enables students to pay in-state tuition. (International students on F1 and some other visas cannot qualify for in-state tuition.)
Additionally, residents of other Western States may qualify for in-state tuition through the Western Regional Graduate Program.
Travel Funds
Graduate students who present papers at out-of-state conferences approved by the English Department Chair are eligible for travel funds each academic year, subject to availability. The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) and the Office of Graduate Education often match funds from the department to further defray the cost of travel to conferences. To apply for funds from CLAS, please fill out this form. To apply for funds from the Office of Graduate Education, please fill out this form.