Costs for Attendance

Read More: COSTS FOR ATTENDANCE

Resident Tuition & WRGP (see below)

As of Fall 2021 graduate in-state tuition & fees total $9,294 per year for full-time students (more than 6 units). These costs do not include living expenses, travel, and books.

Non-Resident Tuition

As of Fall 2021, there is a non-resident tuition fee of $396 per course unit ($7,128 in non-resident fees per year) added to the $9,294 tuition & fees per year for full-time students. These costs do not include living expenses, travel, and books.

Financial Aid

Read more: PAYING FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL

Western Regional Graduate Program

HSU is a member of the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP). WRGP is a program that allows students from fifteen western states to attend HSU and pay California Resident Tuition: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The English Department participates in this program. For more information, please visit the WRGP website.

Non-Resident Tuition Fee Waivers

Executive Order 605 authorizes the university to waive full or partial non-resident tuition for the most highly qualified non-resident applicants. The Department of English Graduate Committee reviews application files and awards these partial waivers shortly after fall priority admission decisions are made in February. 

Federal and State Financial Aid

The Office of Financial Aid is a good starting point for any student looking for information on funding. Please also see the “Just For Graduate Students” page. All students are encouraged to complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as early as possible. The Office of Financial Aid also posts current information about statewide grants and scholarships and provides access to search engines for finding additional scholarships. For details on how to apply for financial aid, click here. Please note that for many California State financial aid programs, the deadline is March 2 by midnight (Central Time). October 1 is the opening date for FAFSA applications for the following academic year, and California recommends you file your FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1.

Federal Work Study Graduate Research Assistantships

Read more: FEDERAL WORK STUDY GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS

Qualified MA students who are eligible for work-study funding may be matched with faculty or staff members whose research or creative projects require a research assistant. Awards of up to $5,000 per academic year (up to 15 hours of work per week) are typically available—contingent upon federal funding. Students must be enrolled in 6 units or more of course work to be eligible. While faculty members typically nominate students for these positions, students are also encouraged to seek out faculty and initiate a conversation about the possibility of working as their research assistants.

Paid Employment

Graduate Teaching Associate Position

Students in the M.A. in English Program may be interested in Graduate Teaching Associate (GTA) positions in the English department.  Selected GTAs will teach English 104: Accelerated Composition and Rhetoric to (primarily) first-year college students.  English 104 meets the General Education Writing Requirement at HSU.  Professor Lisa Tremain, the First-Year Writing Program Director, guides GTAs during the planning, training and teaching experience. 

In order to be eligible to apply for a GTA position, applicants to the program and/or current M.A. students must either:

• Take English 581: Seminar in Teaching Writing during a spring semester prior to the teaching semester, or

• Show evidence of similar preparation or coursework for teaching first-year composition at the undergraduate level. Similar preparation might include previous classroom teaching experience in writing-intensive contexts. Similar preparation and/or coursework will be evaluated by the hiring committee.

Selected Graduate Teaching Associates may receive a full- or part-time tuition waiver during one or more semester(s) they are teaching although this is not guaranteed. To qualify for a full-time tuition waiver, GTAs must be enrolled in 7 or more units during the semester(s) they are teaching. All 7 units must be related to their academic program. To qualify for a part-time tuition waiver, GTAs must be enrolled in at least 6 units during the semester(s) they are teaching. All 6 units must be related to their academic program. In addition to meeting the unit requirements listed above, GTAs may still be denied a tuition waiver for one of the following reasons: 

• Student qualifies for a State Grant in Aid (SUG) 

• Student did not complete a FAFSA by the deadline 

• Student has already completed 125% of the published minimum required units of the Master’s program 

• Student has already completed 5 semesters as a GTA

• Lack of University funding

The English Department offers a minimum of two GTA positions for the Fall semester each year for successful applicants. More than two positions may be available based on first-year student enrollment. Please note that completion of English 581 or similar preparation does not guarantee a GTA position. GTA positions are contingent on the availability of funds and student eligibility (as determined by financial aid awards).  

For Fall applicants who wish to apply for a Graduate Teaching Associate position, complete an application for Job #252 (TA - English), including all materials in the “How to Apply” section. The application can be found on the HSU Student Employment website.

Please submit the following materials by Feb. 15: 

• letter explaining your qualifications and relevant experience, including if you have taken ENGL 581: Practicum in Teaching Writing or an equivalent course

• résumé listing relevant professional experience and coursework

• statement of teaching philosophy (500 words)

• application for academic employment [with link]

• supplemental application for employment [with link]

• interview with Writing Program Director and Graduate Coordinator (via zoom)

All Graduate Teaching Associate application materials should be sent to the following address with your name and prospective enrollment semester and year clearly identified: ldt142@humboldt.edu

Prof. Lisa Tremain

Writing Program Director

Humboldt State University

Department of English

1 Harpst Street

Arcata, CA 95521

Applications are due on February 15 of each year, with hiring decisions determined by March 15. Interviews will be conducted with eligible candidates during this period.  

For more information, contact Prof. Lisa Tremain at ldt142@humboldt.edu or Prof. Janet Winston at janet.winston@humboldt.edu.

Instructional Student Assistants

Graduate students are encouraged to work as paid Instructional Student Assistants (ISAs) in the First-Year Composition Program. ISAs will work with an instructor of first-year composition and engage in curriculum development, lesson planning and delivery, and feedback to students. For more information, review application for Job #166 (English Graders/Tutors) including all requested materials in the “How to Apply” section. The application can be found on the HSU Student Employment website: the application for academic employment and the supplemental application for employment. Please contact Lisa Tremain, English Co-Chair/Writing Program Director with any questions: lisa.tremain@humboldt.edu.

Writing Studio Consultants in the Learning Center

Writing Studio Consultants help other students organize and revise their writing assignments for courses in any subject area. Consultants meet with individual students in 30-minute blocks of time, either by appointment or on a drop-in basis. Consultants work with students to identify areas in their writing that would benefit from revision, and assist the students’ efforts to strengthen their overall papers, rather than proofreading or making changes for students. Regular paid meetings are mandatory. Applicants must have completed English 450 Tutoring Developing Writers (typically offered during the Fall semester)  or equivalent prior to being hired. Positions typically open before the start of each semester. For more information, please contact Jessica Citti: jessica.citti@humboldt.edu.

AWARDS

DEANS' GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP FOR NEW APPLICANTS

Apply with Admission

The Dean's Graduate Scholarships are awarded to exceptional students who are entering into one of Humboldt’s 11 Master’s programs. This scholarship application will be used in conjunction with the application to the program in order to determine which students are selected for scholarships. 

Please submit the general HSU scholarship application form. Include a 1- to 2-page personal statement that addresses the following points: 

• Why are you interested in HSU to pursue your Master’s degree? 

• What will your primary area of focus be in your research or graduate work, and why? 

• What are your goals after you earn your degree, and how do you plan to contribute to a better world?

In your 1- to 2-page personal statement for the scholarship, address how your preparation and/or goals for graduate study meet the following English Department criteria: listed below.

• 8-unit minimum enrollment per semester

• Preference given to applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to scholarship, professional development, and/or activism on issues of racial and/or social justice.

The Graduate Committee will begin reviewing scholarship applications on March 15. Applications submitted by the April 15 and July 1 deadlines will be considered if there is money available.

GRADUATE EQUITY FELLOWSHIP

Applications Due April 15 Each Year

The Graduate Equity Fellowship is awarded to a full-time graduate student who is also a California resident. You must demonstrate financial need as determined by the FAFSA. The $2500 awards are estimates, dependent on funding. Please submit a two-page typed statement addressing your educational and career goals, your motivation to pursue a masters degree, obstacles you have overcome in reaching your goals and potential obstacles you will face. Also, please tell us how you intend to use your degree.

JACK THOMPSON HEARST SCHOLARSHIP

Applications Due Janaury 31 Each Year