GRADUATE SCHOOL

Anyone thinking of pursuing GRADUATE SCHOOL—whether an MA in English, an MS Ed English Teacher degree, an MFA in creative writing, or doctoral study for a PhD—should TALK EARLY AND OFTEN TO FACULTY MEMBERS, who will always help you think through your educational and employment options.  Two sane websites that will help you get started in MA/PhD conversations are Linda Troost’s “Advice for Those Interested in English Graduate School” and the English Department at Washington and Lee University’s “Getting a Ph.D. in English”. 

NB: There are many other graduate and professional degrees to think about besides education and English.  See the CAREERS CHART on page 12 & go online to graduate schools to see what courses they offer and what professions they prepare you to enter. Consider art/entertainment/museums, multimedia/communications, editing/publishing, business/finance, health services, government/law, IT, non-profit organizations, etc. 

If you plan to attend graduate school right after Lehman, you should consider taking the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) during the summer or early fall of your senior year.  Lehman’s Department of Continuing Education offers courses each semester and every summer.  Go to Brochure or Test Prep .  The Philosophy Department is also working on the interdisciplinary Reasoning and Exposition Minor , which it intends for students honing their theoretical and analytical skills in preparation for professional-school tests like the GRE.

Sophomores who are considering eventual doctoral study may want to think now about applying to the CUNY PIPELINE PROGRAM in their Junior year. Pipeline provides first-class support for graduate- school-bound juniors (who become seniors while in the program). Accepted students take a summer honors course to prepare them for senior-year study, receive assistance in preparing and paying for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and graduate-school applications, work on an independent project of their own devising with a mentor from their home institution during their senior year, and receive a generous stipend of around $4,000. The deadline for applications is Feb. 1, 2023.

Want a taste for graduate studies in English first? Or some extra preparation before entering your program? Consider the following paid opportunities:

  • The Rutgers English Diversity Institute (REDI), founded by Professor Cheryl A. Wall, is a one-week summer program at the New Brunswick campus of Rutgers University. REDI is designed for advanced college students and recent graduates whose cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds may contribute to diversity in the fields of English and American literary studies. You get paid $750 to study for a week! Deadline is in early February.

  • Summer Research Program at Columbia University: The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences hosts the eight- to ten-week Summer Research Program (SRP) for undergraduates with a demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion. Participants conduct graduate-level research under the supervision of a Columbia faculty mentor, approximating the graduate experience through exposure to the mentor/advisee relationship, scholarly research opportunities, and independent living. This year the SRP program will run from June 4 - August 5. $5000 stipend. The deadline is in early March.

  • Another Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity can be found at Yale in June and July for 8 weeks with a $3,000 stipend. Deadlines are Feb. 1.

  • Here’s even more of these types of summer programs. Deadlines tend to be in January - March.

If you decide to apply to graduate schools (or jobs), here are a few basic tips:

  1. Stay in close communication with faculty members—don’t be strangers.

  2. Apply to SEVERAL schools at all levels!!!!  It’s expensive to apply, but you don’t know where you will or will not get in and you don’t know who will or will not give you (lots of) money. 

  3. Do your RESEARCH.  Look into CUNY and SUNY for sure, but ALSO PRIVATE institutions near and far, which often have money for scholarships.  Fordham, to cite a nearby example, often fully funds students for 5 years with teaching duties during only part of that time.

  4. Never ever send in an essay/application without having a faculty member review it!

  5. Letters of Recommendation.  Click here for more information.