Each department has established a Mentored Experience Implementation Plan (MEIP) that outlines the required Mentored Teaching Experiences (MTE) and/or Mentored Professional Experiences (MPE) to fulfill the MER. Each required mentored experience necessitates enrollment for each applicable semester. Please review your program’s MEIP in the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences Bulletin. Departments are encouraged to review their MEIPs and amend them as necessary each academic year to account for emerging changes in their respective fields. 

Only students whose department-defined Mentored Experience Implementation Plan (MEIP) includes Mentored Professional Experiences (MPEs) are eligible to enroll in the MPE course, ASGS 8120. In order to register, each student must submit an MPE Registration Form and receive approval from their department and from the Office of Graduate Studies.

Students who have completed their Mentored Experience Requirement (MER) may continue to teach if they are hired as an adjunct instructor and compensated for their work. Elective opportunities for additional teaching are subject to the availability of appropriate positions within a department as well as the approval of the student’s advisor and department/program. Students can also participate in other professional experiences as long as they heed the part-time employment policy and receive any necessary approval for their work from their department and the Office of Graduate Studies. 

No, paid experiences may not be counted toward your degree requirements. However, professional experiences that encourage the exploration of diverse careers are certainly supported by the Office of Graduate Studies. Students should always heed the part-time employment policy when considering engagement in a paid professional experience. 

Departments can update their Mentored Professional Implementation Plans (MEIPs) once a year in line with Bulletin annual updates. Departments must submit all proposals to change MEIP requirements to the Office of Graduate Studies to ensure that changes remain in alignment with the Office of the Provost’s guidelines. 

Generally, students should be held to the defined plan that was in effect when the student was admitted. However, plans that are expanded to become more inclusive of diverse options may be offered as the guideline to students who were admitted in a previous term. Under no circumstance should a student be required to complete more Mentored Experience Requirement units than what was defined by the department when the student was admitted to the program. 

Master’s students are not eligible for enrollment in mentored experiences with the exception of students in the MFA in Writing and MFA in Dance programs. All other master’s students engaged in teaching activities (and master’s students in the MFA in Writing and MFA in Dance programs who are teaching after they have completed their Mentored Experience Requirement) must be compensated by the department.