Graduate Admissions

The Department of English welcomes applications from all individuals to our Master of Arts (MA), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and joint MA/Ph.D. programs.

Fall Application Deadline

 

January 1

Learn more about admission requirements to the Graduate School. For questions about UConn English graduate admissions, email gradenglish@uconn.edu.

Applications and Criteria

Students must apply to the UConn English graduate program through the Graduate School’s online system.

  • Please submit your CV, unofficial transcripts, personal statement, contact information for three people writing letters of recommendation, and writing sample through the online application system. If a recommendation letter must be dispatched separately, it can be sent by mail to the Department of English or by email to the Graduate English Office, but this may delay your application review.
  • Applications to the English graduate program must be for either the MA or the Ph.D. program - not both. Applications for the MA/Ph.D. should be marked Ph.D.
  • Please indicate whether you are interested in a Teaching Assistantship (TA) in your application. If you wish to be considered for an award from the Graduate School, please indicate it on your application. The Graduate Executive Committee can only consider those applicants who have communicated their interest in the application.
  • Neither the general GRE nor the GRE subject test are required.

UConn’s English Department evaluates graduate program admissions holistically, taking into account an applicant’s academic preparation, experiences inside and outside the classroom, and potential contributions to the culture of our program and university. See the information below about some of the documents we require.

Personal Statement

This statement should be approximately 750 words and include a header indicating your name, the degree program to which you are applying, and your proposed field of concentration (e.g. Victorian literature, children’s literature, rhetoric and composition, digital humanities). The statement should give the English Department’s Admissions Committee a sense of your background in English studies, the questions and ideas that interest you in your proposed field of concentration, and your purpose for pursuing graduate work. Feel free to include information about any experience you have in teaching and research.

Writing Sample

A writing sample is required for both the MA and the Ph.D. application. The Graduate Admissions Committee would like to see a researched critical paper about 12-20 double-spaced pages.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation are required. While those letters can be written by anyone who knows the applicant and their work, we suggest that applicants ask for letters from professors who know them well, preferably from their last two years of coursework. We suggest contacting your professors several months before our application deadline. Please have recommendation letters submitted directly through the Graduate School’s application website. Do not send recommendations through Interfolio. If a recommendation letter must be dispatched separately, it may be sent by mail to the English Department or by email to the Graduate English Office (gradenglish@uconn.edu). Be sure that all letters indicate the applicant’s name and desired degree program.

TOEFL or IELTS Scores

The University requires TOEFL or IELTS scores for all students whose native language is not English. For more information or to review circumstances under which this requirement can be waived, reference the Graduate School’s Application FAQs.