Admission Requirements
The application process is competitive. Satisfying the admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. The applicant must meet or submit the following:
- Completed application to the University.
- Completed Application for Admission to English Graduate Studies.
- B.A. in English, or a B.A. degree that includes at least 30 hours of sophomore-, junior- or senior-level English courses, or the equivalent.
Applicants with fewer than 30 hours of undergraduate English courses,
may be admitted and assigned additional coursework as part of their
program. These extra hours are added to the hours required for graduation.
- 3.0 cumulative grade-point average and a 3.0 average in English
coursework. In unusual circumstances, the graduate commitee may
consider applicants with lower grade-point averages.
- A recommended 60 percent or higher score on the verbal aptitude portion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), or 60 percent or higher on the GRE Subject test. The GRE is only one element of the overall application. Applicants with lower scores will be considered.
- Writing Sample. The writing sample is expected to demonstrate the applicant's writing abilities. For an M.A. in literature or language and literature, a recent academic paper up to 15 pages long is required. For the creative writing emphasis area, submit creative work in your area of concentration (six-10 poems; 20-30 double-spaced pages of fiction). Creative writing applicants who are applying for Graduate Assistantships must also submit a sample of their scholarly writing.
- Statement of Purpose. In a typed essay of 400 to 500 words, applicants
should describe their academic and professional objectives, discussing in
detail their interest in their emphasis area, and their research or writing
in the area. If applicants are applying for Graduate Teaching or Advanced Preparation Program Tutoring Assistantships, they should also write a brief statement describing their strengths and qualifications for teaching.
- Three letters of recommendation: evaluations of the applicant's readiness
for graduate study by three professors or others who know the applicant's abilities and potential well.
Admissions decisions are made by the graduate committee.
The application deadline for admission and for Graduate Teaching or APP Tutoring Assistantships is February 15 for the Fall Semester. Students who miss the deadline may enroll in up to six credit hours of gradaute coursework in English as Community Students (contact the admissions office for more information). Students may not take more than six hours before entering the program as a "fully admitted" student.
