English

Bachelor's degree (or its equivalent) from an accredited college or university.

Demonstration of the potential to pursue graduate study successfully - that is, attainment of a minimum undergraduate Grade Point Average of 3.0 in the undergraduate record as a whole and a 3.0 in English.

Study of a minimum of 18 credit hours in courses beyond the introductory level in English.

Submission of three letters of recommendation, at least two of which must be from a person who can testify to the candidate's ability as a student of literature, writing and rhetoric, or creative writing. (as appropriate).

Submission of a personal statement of some 500 words indicating as precisely as possible the applicant's preparation for master's work and career plans.

Submission of a 10-25 page writing sample, depending on concentration. For students applying to the Literature Concentration, this must be an essay demonstrating critical analysis of a literary text or set of texts. One 12-25 page essay is preferred, but two shorter essays can be submitted in its place (totaling 12-25 pages). For students applying to the Writing & Rhetoric Concentration, a 12-25 page sample of creative nonfiction can be submitted in place of the critical analysis, although students may choose to submit a critical analysis. Again, one long essay is preferred, but two shorter essays can be submitted in its place (totaling 12-25 pages). For students applying to the Creative Writing / Poetry Concentration, at least 5 poems totaling 10-12 pages should be submitted. For students applying to the Creative Writing / Fiction Concentration, a 12-25-page sample of short fiction or excerpt from a longer work should be submitted. One short story is preferred, but multiple stories can be submitted to fulfill the page-requirement.