All PhD students making satisfactory progress as students and teachers receive funding in the form of non-teaching fellowships in their first year and, for four or five subsequent years, appointments as Teaching Assistants and Teaching Fellows. These fellowships and TA and TF appointments provide full tuition remission and a stipend, and the TA and TF appointments include medical benefits. A number of competitive non-teaching dissertation fellowships are also available to advanced graduate students.
PhD students making satisfactory progress as students and teachers are typically eligible for summer grants after their second and fourth years in the program and summer teaching after they have completed at least three years in the program.
Teaching Assistants
Qualified students in their second and third years of teaching in the PhD program are usually appointed as Teaching Assistants. A Teaching Assistant is in this case a funding category: Teaching Assistants are most often assigned to be the instructor of record for independent courses, although they may in some cases assist faculty members as a discussion section leader and/or grader. For teaching services requiring approximately 20 hours per week, TAs receive a stipend, full tuition scholarships (provided on the basis of academic merit), and benefits.
For University of Pittsburgh policies affecting TAs.
For information about medical coverage.
Teaching Fellows
Graduate students who have taught for two years in the department and who have demonstrated that they are qualified to undertake more responsible teaching duties are appointed as Teaching Fellows. For teaching services, requiring approximately 20 hours per week, TFs receive a stipend, full tuition scholarships in recognition of academic merit, and benefits.
For University of Pittsburgh policies affecting TFs.
For information about medical coverage.
Conference Travel Expenses
PhD students can expect to tap at least $2000 in conference funds over their first five years in the program.
The English Department has usually been able to provide $400 each year toward any student's travel expenses for a conference at which s/he is presenting a paper. Students may also apply for funds through the Dietrich School, as described here, Additional conference expenses can often be covered by the department’s PhD R&D Grants.
Research & Development Grants
The English Departments awards more than $20,000 each year in PhD R&D Grants, which support dissertation research and other forms of intellectual and professional preparation for PhD students. Students have used these funds to do research within the U.S. and abroad and to attend special symposia such as the Cornell School of Criticism and Theory, Dartmouth’s Futures of American Studies Institute, the Collegium of the Silent Film Festival in Pordenone, Italy, and the International Writing Centers Association Summer Institute.