University of Minnesota
Department of English
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Department of English

Home > Graduate Studies : Academic Job Market

The Academic Job Market

The Department of English provides extensive support for graduate students on the academic job market. Our students have a thorough training in teaching as well as in research skills, and graduates of our program have obtained tenure-track positions at a wide variety of institutions, including the University of Wisconsin (Stout), University of Massachusetts (Amherst), University of Utah, Carleton University (Ottawa), SUNY Plattsburgh, Washington University in St. Louis, Hamline University, Eastern Illinois University, Otterbein College, Augsburg College, St. Vincent College, and Mount St. Mary’s College (New York). In addition, recent graduates were awarded the following: the two-year ACLS Postdoctoral Fellowship (SUNY Stony Brook), the three-year Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Fellowship (Georgia Tech), the two-year Lilly Postdoctoral Fellowship (Valaparaiso), and the CIC Postdoctoral Fellowship (Michigan State).

Graduate students participate in a series of workshops on job search topics such as the application process, interviewing, job talks, and on-campus visits. We provide sample application materials for students to use as well as up-to-date links concerning the academic job search. Job candidates participate in mock-interviews with faculty in preparation for candidates’ first-round interviews. Most PhD students will interview at the MLA convention, and MFA students may also interview at the AWP convention.

Job-seekers in their first and second year on the market are given a membership to the MLA to help support their job search. PhD students manage their job search materials through Interfolio. MFA students who are members of Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) may choose to use the AWP dossier service or Interfolio.