Become A Jaguar 
Request Info 
Apply Academic and Professional Opportunities for Graduate Students in the English Program
The English program at Texas A&M University-San Antonio is committed to maximizing the experience for our M.A. students. This dedication is found not only in the classroom and advising sessions, but also in the many opportunities for academic and professional development offered or encouraged by the program. These opportunities empower students to make the most of their degrees by preparing them for possible future careers and putting them in touch with relevant professional and intellectual communities. See below for some of these opportunities.
Academic Conferences
Presenting research at academic conferences is an important part of graduate study at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Faculty members proactively help M.A. students find possible conferences of interest, craft an abstract and proposal, prepare their presentations, and know what to expect from—and how to maximize—the conference experience. Our students have been accepted to several regional, national, and international conferences at institutions in Louisiana, New York City, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, and across Texas, among other locales.
The English Graduate Student Committee at Texas A&M University-San Antonio also hosts an interdisciplinary graduate and undergraduate conference—click here for more information.
Below are some recent English M.A. student conference presentations and prizes (2014-2015):
- Stephanie Fillmon, “Derailing the Monomyth: Gender and Genre in Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere,” Intersectional Approaches to Popular Fiction and Film, English Graduate Conference, University of New Hampshire.
- Antonio Garza, “Writing Center as Borderland: Initiating Students of Color into the Academy,” El Mundo Zurdo 2015, University of Texas at Austin.
- Caitlin Garza, “The ‘Girl’: An Examination of Teresa in James Dashner’s The Maze Runner,” Intersectional Approaches to Popular Fiction and Film, English Graduate Conference, University of New Hampshire.
- Lisa Sanna, “‘But Edna. My goodness. She was a Birthmother’: An Examination of Othering the Birthmother in Lois Lowry’s The Giver,” Losing/Becoming Self, Graduate Conference, Louisiana State University.
- Caitlin Garza, “The ‘Girl’: An Examination of Teresa in James Dashner’s The Maze Runner,” Intersectional Approaches to Popular Fiction and Film, English Graduate Conference, University of New Hampshire.
- Sheridan Santens, “Chuck Palahniuk’s Choke: A Gag Reflex to the Masculinity Crisis of the 1990s,” Losing/Becoming Self, Graduate Conference, Louisiana State University.
- Mercedes Torrez, “Revising a Cosmopolitan Composition: The Ambiguous Relationship Between World Englishes and the Writing Center,” South Central Writing Center Association, The University of Texas at Austin.
- Mercedes Torrez, “Disability, Transgression, and Fetishized Fascination in Reimagining the Cultural Haunting of San Antonio’s Legendary Donkey Lady,” International Society for Contemporary Legend Research: Perspectives on Contemporary Legend, San Antonio.
- Mercedes Torrez was awarded the Dr. Buchan Student Essay prize by the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research for her essay “Disability, Transgression, and Fetishized Fascination in Reimagining the Cultural Haunting of San Antonio’s Legendary Donkey Lady.” As part of the prize, Ms. Torrez’s essay will published in the society's journal, Contemporary Legend.
Language and Culture at Louisiana State at University of Louisiana-Lafayette in 2015.
Internships
Internships are increasingly an important step of one’s career path. The M.A. program at Texas A&M University-San Antonio works closely with local employers—including schools, non-profit organizations, and private companies—to help students locate and apply to internships that fit their professional interests and goals. For example, we recently helped place one of our graduate students in an internship at the technology company Rackspace.
Workshops
The M.A. program at Texas A&M University-San Antonio is committed to supplementing students’ academic work with regular professionalization workshops. These workshops focus on skills students need to maximize their degree and be prepared for their future careers or further graduate study. Workshops are small, led by faculty, and focused on important topics such as crafting curriculum vitae and applying to conferences, among other topics.
Tutoring at Writing Center
Since many of our English M.A. students are interested in teaching, they often seek positions as writing tutors in the Writing Center, part of Tutoring Services at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Tutoring positions give graduate students the opportunity to learn more about the theory and practice of writing tutoring, as well as honing widely applicable teaching skills. These positions are also valuable for students’ academic work and professionalization: our students have written theses on writing center practice and gone on to work, after graduation, in writing centers at area universities, such as Palo Alto College.
For more information on tutoring opportunities at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, please follow this link to Tutoring Services or contact:
Dr. Katherine Bridgman
Assistant Professor of English and Director of the Writing Center
Office: Central Academic Building #318D
Phone: (210) 784-2236
Email: ktbridgm@tamusa.tamus.edu
Research Symposium
The student research symposium is a two-day event recognizing the outstanding scholarly accomplishments of Texas A&M University-San Antonio students. This annual event is an opportunity to showcase student research, scholarship, and creative activity. Over the years the English program has been well-represented at the symposium, with several graduate students presenting their work.
English M.A. student Nicole Frisbey presents her paper, “Geopolitics of Caribbean Tourism in James Bond Novels & Films” at the 2015 Student Research Symposium
English M.A. students Aaron Patiño, Teresa Ruiz, and Lila Espinoza present their research as part of a roundtable on “trash cinema” at the 2015 Student Research Symposium.