An applicant for the M.A. program is expected to have an undergraduate major in English consisting of approximately 30 credit hours in English and American literature above the freshman level. The average in this work should be at least A-/B+ (3.5 on a scale of 1 to 4). The applicant must take the Graduate Record Examinations and is expected to score at least 1100 in the combined Verbal and Quantitative tests and at least 500 in the Advanced Test in English and American literature. Three letters of recommendation and a writing sample (a critical paper) are required. 

Students with a B.A. who seek to enter the Ph.D. program must first gain admission to the M.A. program. Students who distinguish themselves in the M.A. program are then given permission to enter the Ph.D. program. 

Transfer students with M.A.'s from other institutions may also apply for the Ph.D. program. They are expected to have an academic index of at least 3.75 in their M.A. courses, a combined score of at least 1200 in the Verbal and Quantitative tests of the GRE, a score of at least 600 in the GRE Advanced Test in literature, and strong recommendations from their graduate professors. Their writing samples should evidence strong analytical abilities. 

The English Department recognizes the application deadlines of July 1 for the Fall semester and December 1 for the Spring semester, but the department encourages much earlier applications, especially for the Fall semester, and it requires a deadline of March 1 for anyone seeking a fellowship or teaching assistantship in the Fall semester. In recent years, during which the increasing number of applicants has made the competition for admission much more rigorous, most of the admissions for the Fall semester have been determined by April 15. 

Admission is selective and competitive based on the number of well qualified applicants and the limits of available faculty and facilities. Those who meet stated minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths. 

The Department of English funds students each year, reserving awards for first-year M.A. and Ph.D. students. Funded students are granted one of the following awards: a fellowship; a teaching, research, editorial, or administrative assistantship; an assistantship in the University Writing Center; or an internship in a university administrative office. All students on stipend receive tuition scholarships and have the opportunity to purchase, at low cost, coverage under the University's Graduate Student Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan. 

Teaching assistants in the classroom normally teach one section of freshman composition in one semester and two in the other semester. Experienced teaching assistants have opportunities to teach other composition and literature courses. Teaching assistants who serve as research, editorial, or administrative assistants and those who teach in the Writing Center work 15-20 hours per week each semester, as do those who serve as interns in other university offices. Fellows have no teaching or other duties. 

The M.A. in Literature is granted upon the completion of eight semester courses (24 credit hours), a demonstration of ability to work in a foreign language, and the writing of a thesis (ENGL 869, 6 credit hours). In lieu of a thesis, the candidate for the M.A. may complete two additional courses (6 credit hours), ordinarily at the 800 level. 

The Department of English also offers an M.A. in Literature and Pedagogy, in which students may elect up to half of their course work in pedagogy and may satisfy their language requirement by taking an additional course in the history of the English language. Candidates seeking state certification must also take student teaching. 

The Certificate Program in Business and Technical Writing requires five courses in the Department and two electives to prepare participants for careers in a number of professional writing specialties. 

The Ph.D. is granted when the following requirements have been met: (1) completing at least eight courses (24 credit hours) beyond those taken for the M.A.; (2) satisfying the residency requirement of full-time study in two consecutive semesters; (3) demonstrating an ability to work in a second foreign language or advanced ability in one foreign language; (4) passing oral Ph.D. Comprehensive Examinations; (5) passing an oral Ph.D. Qualifying Examination in an area of specialization; (6) writing a dissertation; (7) passing an oral examination on the dissertation and related topics.