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Job Placement

English PhD Placement: Trends

Image Description

The graph shows the percentage of USF English PhDs who entered tenure-track and/or full-time permanent professorial jobs for each year from 2014 to 2023.

The percentages are as follows: 67% (2014); 56% (2015); 43% (2016); 67% (2017); 60% (2018); 63% (2019); 50% (2020); 57% (2021); 25% (2022); 75% (2023)

Job Placement Information

Below you will find job placement information from our graduates in all three tracks over a twelve year survey (2013-2025) as well as spotlights on some of our recent graduates.

MFA 12-year career placement

mfa career tracking pie chart from 2013-2025

Image Description

The graph shows a percentage breakdown of the types of roles our USF English MFA graduates are hired for from 2013 - 2025; across 97 graduates.

The percentages are as follows: 40% (Other Humanities Careers); 17% (Academic Administration/Staff); 17% (No Data); 9% (FT Permanent professorial jobs); 6% (Other Degree Program); 5% (Other); 4% (Adjuncting); 2% (FT Temp professorial jobs).

Current employment, MFA graduates 2013-2025
Tenure-track / full-time permanent positions
Ball State University Bethune-Cookman University Warren Wilson College Ringling College of Art and Design	Pennsylvania State University University of South Florida Full Sail University Florida Gulf Coast University
Academic administration
Career advisor, Eckerd College Library assistant, Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library System Administrator of Cognitive Skills Programs, American College of Surgeons Academic and Career Advisor to the Media, Arts, and Expression Flight path, University of Oregon	Associate Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Vanderbilt University Associate Course Director, Full Sail University SI coordinator, University of Central Florida
Other humanities careers
Scriptwriter, 4:33 Creative Lab (South Korea) Page designer/copy editor, The Tampa Tribune	Senior proposal manager, WWC Global E-commerce product copywriter, Helly Hanson

MA 12-year career placement

pie graph showing ma career tracking from 2013-2025

Image Description

The graph shows a percentage breakdown of the types of roles our USF English MA graduates are hired for from 2013 - 2025; across 96 graduates.

The percentages are as follows: 33% (Other Humanities Careers); 23% (Ph.D. Programs); 19% (No Data); 14% (FT Permament/Tenure Track professorial jobs); 5% (Academic Administration/Staff); 4% (Adjuncting); 1% (Part-Time/Freelance jobs); 1% (Other).

Current employment and degree programs, MA graduates 2013-2025
Degree programs (PhD)
University of South Florida University of Tennessee University of Mississippi University of West Virginia	University of Washington University of Florida University of Houston
Academic administration
Assistant librarian, University of South Florida Advisor, Florida Institute of Technology	Outreach coordinator, Fairfield University Director of Student Advising, Florida Institute of Technology
Other humanities careers
SEO blog strategist, Progressive Dental LLC Operations specialist, Vision Government Solutions, Inc. English teacher, Sunlake High School English teacher, Spruce Creek High School Senior software test engineer & technical writer, Jacobs Technology	English teacher, Palm Beach Central High School Legislative aide, Florida House of Representatives English instructor, Sarasota High School Instructional design manager, Publix Super Markets

PhD 12-year career placement

pie graph showing phd career tracking from 2013 - 2025

Image Description

The graph shows a percentage breakdown of the types of roles our USF English Ph.D. graduates are hired for from 2013 - 2025; across 81 graduates.

The percentages are as follows: 52% (Tenure Track/FT Permanent professorial jobs); 19% (Other Humanities Careers); 11% (Academic Administration); 9% (No Data); 7% (FT Temp professorial jobs); 2% (Adjuncting).

Current employment, PhD graduates 2013-2025
Assistant professor positions, tenure-track / full-time permanent
University of South Florida Sebelas Maret University (Indonesia) Warner University Hillsborough Community College Wabash College St. Petersburg College Fairfield University Southeastern University Bethune-Cookman University State College of Florida, Bradenton Polk State College Virginia Tech University of California, Davis Seminole State College Dalton State College	Eastern Kentucky University University of Tampa Washington State University, Vancouver Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University University of Kentucky Pasco-Hernando State College Appalachian State University LaGuardia Community College New England Institute of Technology Old Dominion University Louisiana State University, Shreveport Danville Community College
Visiting instructor / FT temporary / adjunct positions
University of South Florida Eckerd College	University of Tampa Bryn Mawr College
Academic administration
Senior Academic Advisor I, University of South Florida Associate Director, Office of Prestigious Fellowships, Fordham University Instructional consultant, University of Michigan	Head of Information & Research Services, Florida International University Faculty developer/instructional designer, Valencia College Director of Marketing and Communications, Public information Officer, Mitchell Community College
Other humanities careers
Full-time writer, DC Comics Content product manager, EverFi Education Head of adult services, Palm Harbor Library	Product content specialist, Qgiv Writer, Creative Pinellas Freelance author

We recognize that there are many wonderful career paths for graduate students outside of being a professor. In the 21st century, students in the humanities should be open to opportunities that will arise in unforeseen areas. As a department that offers programs in literature, writing and rhetoric, and creative writing, we are well aware of the value of skills that our students embody, and we create opportunities to build upon these transferable skills.

We have a robust and unique internship program that places graduate students with sponsors where they work and are mentored in wide-ranging career opportunities. In recent years, our students have gone on to work in industry, nonprofits, publishing, education, and the federal government.