Graduate Program
Placement
Overview
As part of our broader emphasis on professional development, we offer doctoral students in English at Miami extensive assistance in securing employment after graduation. Two members of our faculty serve as directors of our Job Placement program, in which we help students to prepare the materials they will need to complete successful applications and coach them through every step of the interview process. While some masters’ students go on to teach in two-year institutions or high schools directly after graduation, many continue their education in M.F.A. or Ph.D. programs.
A committee on graduate job placement and other members of the English Department will counsel job seekers on the search process, including preparation of application letters, curriculum vitae, and other materials. A good source of help will be the student’s thesis or dissertation advisor. The department and its Graduate Committee will support their efforts in every practicable way. The Department subscribes to the MLA Job Information List and The Chronicle of Higher Education (both online and print versions). Job announcements are posted regularly on department bulletin boards and are sent by e-mail to students on the job market.
The placement coordinators will schedule a series of meetings with job seekers starting in September to discuss preparation of materials, mock interviews, and practice research and/or teaching presentations. Typically students planning to do an academic job search should prepare a Curriculum Vitae, application letter, Teaching Portfolio (teaching philosophy, sample syllabi and assignments; evidence of teaching effectiveness), a dissertation abstract, and a writing sample (a polished chapter or two from the dissertation). Students planning to seek a teaching position should establish a credential file with the Office of Career Services. The file should include three to six letters of recommendation (especially from those able to testify to teaching effectiveness and otherwise to support candidacy for professional employment). Materials for setting up a credential file may be obtained at the Office of Career Services; information and downloadable forms are also available on their website: www.muohio.edu/careers. Student should make sure to keep their credential files up to date as necessary.