FAQs – Department of Romance and Classical Studies

What resources are available at MSU?

What is MSU? Where is MSU?

Michigan State University was founded in 1855. It was the prototype for 69 land-grant institutions established under the Morrill Act of 1862. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community. MSU has approximately 50,351 students: from all 83 counties in Michigan, all 50 states in the United States and Washington, D.C. and 141 other countries:39,423 undergraduate, 10,928 graduate and professional; 51.9 percent women, 48.1 percent men; 20.6 percent students of color, 12.4 percent international students. See more information about the quality and the research and academic programs at MSU

City of East Lansing

East Lansing is the home of MSU. It is located in the center of the state just east of Michigan’s capital city, Lansing. This is a prime location in the Midwest: about 1 and a half hours to Detroit, 1 hour to Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor, and 3 hours to Chicago. The area offers a variety of places to live near MSU: some are rural and some more urban.

City of Lansing

How can I finance my degree from beginning to end? We offer…

Graduate School Fellowships
Teaching assistantships, technology assistantships, and editorial assistantships, which include a full tuition waiver (24 credit hours/year), health and dental insurance.
Summer teaching assignments available
Opportunities for summer employment abroad in Spain and France.

Is funding available for research and travel?

In CAL Graduate Funding Resources
The Dissertation Completion Fellowship offers a 1 semester release from teaching. (PhD students)
Summer Support Fellowship (PhD students)
Generous travel funding for professional conferences and research (MA and PhD students)

How will the RCS allow me to achieve my academic goals?

Close faculty interaction and mentoring from world-class scholars
Innovative and interdisciplinary research topics
Graduate Certificates available with units throughout the university – College Foreign Language Teaching (College of Arts and Letters), College Teaching (College of Arts and Letters), Chicano-Latino Studies, Center for Latin American and Caribbean studies, Digital Humanities, Center for Gender in Global Context, Global Studies in the Arts and Humanities, Film Studies.

Does RCS prepare me for what’s next?

Numerous teaching opportunities
- Graduate students gain teaching experience in the basic- and intermediate-sequence language courses as well as in the major.
- Training in current teaching methods
Involvement in TROPOS graduate student journal
Extensive professional development through workshops, presentations, practical experience
Outreach and service experiences in the community
Graduate Student Association – participation in governance in the Department, College, and University
Job-search preparation