Funding and Assistantships
Financial support takes the form of administrative or teaching assistantships. Since the program’s beginning we have worked to provide funding to our students and have seen increases in funding over the past few years. We hope to continue this trend. We are currently able to provide assistantships to 82% of all our students. This fall 10 out of 10 incoming students received administrative assistantships. Our average administrative assistantship (.25 AA) comes with full tuition and partial fee waiver as well as a stipend of $3712.50. The stipend for those awarded teaching is $8053.50. A number of our students are able to secure additional graduate assistantships through other departments and programs on campus. Visit the Bursar’s Office for complete information on fees and stipends.
Administrative Assistantships
Incoming students are automatically considered for administrative assistantships. Our administrative assistants are active in the Boston community. All .25 AA’s work a modest 4.5 hours a week over the semester for a total of 67.5 hours. Below are some of our recent opportunities.
Co-Managing Editor at the Breakwater Review
The MFA program’s online journal is edited by graduate students and open to submission to all writers. Since Breakwater is run and staffed by UMB MFAs, students have a large say in its continuing evolution.
Graduate Writers of Boston—Queer & Community Teaching Network
The Queer and Community Teaching Network is a network of MFA students who volunteer their time and talents teaching fiction, poetry, personal essays, and nonfiction to youth, elders, and other queer community groups in the greater Boston area.
CONSEQUENCE Magazine Editorial Intern
CONSEQUENCE Magazine was started by UMB MFA alum George Kovach to take a closer look at the culture of war in America. It publishes fiction, poetry, photography, interviews, and non-fiction.
Wordjam
Wordjam teaches creative writing to school-age children in Boston Public Libraries and community centers like the Walter Denney Community Center, with volunteers coming from the majority of MFA/MA programs in Boston, including UMass-Boston, Lesley, Emerson, and Boston University. Students will recruit, coordinate, and oversee workshops at designated sites.
Hanging Loose Press Editorial Intern
Started in 1966, Hanging Loose has published 172 titles and 97 issues of Hanging Loose magazine. Hanging Loose stresses work by new writers and by older writers whose work deserves a larger audience. In 1968, the magazine introduced a feature which has become celebrated over the years, a regular section devoted to writing by talented high school writers.
Teaching Assistantships
UMB’s MFA Program provides some of the best teacher training in the country. After successfully completing course work and a teaching apprenticeship with an experienced faculty member, students may teach their own creative writing class by qualifying for a limited number of teaching assistantships. Teaching typically occurs in the third year.
