Assistantships

World Languages has approximately eight assistantships available yearly for qualified individuals to tutor, assist in, and teach introductory language courses in French or Spanish. Assistantships in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) may be possible if the applicant can assist in or teach Spanish or French, but these vary from year to year. Inquire by sending an email to the Graduate Director. Assistants receive a monthly stipend, access to health insurance, and a full tuition waiver during the fall and spring to pursue work on their degrees. Assistants may also be eligible for possible summer appointments, which pay an additional amount. Assistants must be admitted to the department's Master of Arts in the Teaching of Languages (MATL) degree program. Within the MATL, students concentrate on one of three possible emphasis areas: French, Spanish, or TESOL. An assistantship in French or Spanish to teach courses at the university generally requires that the TA complete 18 hours of graduate credit in the target language. Assistantships are most often awarded in French and Spanish for a two-year period to give students a chance to teach their own classes and to work on a dual emphasis in the MATL.

Graduate students who do not receive an assistantship may also be able to find other employment on campus.

Student employment
Financial Aid Information

Admission to the University of Southern Mississippi requires the submission of an application, official transcripts, and scores for the GRE, as well as IELTS or TOEFL scores, if the applicant is an international student and a nonnative speaker of English. Because of the time needed between applying for these tests and receiving the scores, individuals interested in the MATL, and particularly in an assistantship, should initiate the process as soon as possible. For those interested in an assistantship, application materials to the MATL program through the Graduate School are due April 1. A separate letter of interest in an assistantship addressed to the Graduate Director and a resumé are required for consideration for a teaching assistantship. Assistantships cannot be awarded until an individual is fully admitted to the university.

The granting of an assistantship is based on the merits of the student’s application materials, qualifications, and departmental need. The department reserves the right not to award an assistantship.