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Home > Graduate Studies > Admissions : How to Apply

How to Apply

When you apply for graduate study at the University of Minnesota, your application will have two parts: a general application to the Graduate School, the official admitting unit that approves your general ability for graduate work; and supplemental materials specific to the Department of English, which considers your prospects for study in disciplinary areas. Please be sure that you do not send the materials listed below under “Application to the Department of English” to the Graduate School. It may be four to six weeks before they forward your mail to us.

The Department of English admits graduate students one time a year, based on applications received by December 20, for study to begin the following fall. (If December 20 arrives on a weekend, materials are due the following Monday.) We formally announce our decisions by mid-March, and we need to have your commitment by April 15.

Our admissions committee has the preferred performance level of at least one of the following: an undergraduate English GPA of 3.5; a graduate GPA of 3.8; or a verbal score in the 85th percentile of the GRE. If you are not sure if you meet these preferred performance levels, write a note or email the Director of Graduate Studies with an explanation before you make a formal application.

As a doctoral student, you may elect to earn an M.A. degree in the course of your doctoral work, but need not do so. Please note that students in our M.A. and M.F.A. programs are not guaranteed acceptance to the Ph.D. program, though they may apply. If you wish to apply to both the Ph.D. and M.A. programs, you do not need to make two separate applications to the Graduate School. You will, however, need to submit two sets of materials to the Department of English, the elements of which are described below: two cover sheets, two sets of letters, two separate statements of purpose, two copies of your writing sample. You do not need to submit the GRE scores twice.

If you wish to apply to both the Ph.D. (or M.A.) program and the M.F.A. program, you will need to make two different applications to the Graduate School, and pay the fee twice. You will also need to submit two sets of materials to the Department of English, as described above. Again, you do not need to submit your GRE scores twice.

Application to the Graduate School

Send materials by December 15 to:
University of Minnesota
Graduate School
309 Johnston Hall
101 Pleasant Street SE
Minneapolis, MN  55455
USA

Materials may also be faxed to 612-625-6002.

• One complete set of transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, including your current school. The graduate school accepts official and unofficial transcripts; they may be mailed or faxed. International transcripts may need special certification and/or translation. See the graduate school’s FAQ page for details about transcripts. (Official transcripts will be required before admitted students can register for classes.)
• Graduate School application. The Graduate School requires that you apply online. If it is impossible for you to apply online, please contact the English Graduate Office, and we will send you a printed form. Indicate the degree for which you are applying. For the M.F.A., indicate your area of specialization (fiction, poetry, or nonfiction). If you are applying for one of the master’s degrees through the College of Continuing Education (CCE), please note it on the application.
• English proficiency exam scores. If you are not a native speaker of English, you must take one of the following tests: the TOEFL, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB). If you have taken substantial coursework in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, etc., the Graduate School may waive an English proficiency test but require the GRE. Contact the Graduate School for more information.
• Application fee.

Application to the Department of English

Send materials by December 20 to:
English Graduate Office
204 Lind Hall
207 Church Street SE
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN  55455
USA

Do not use the 'supplemental information' upload page on the on-line application.

• Cover sheet (PDF)
• Statement of one to three pages expressing your choice of graduate study in English at Minnesota in terms of your academic and general experience, and your personal and professional goals. In other words, explain what you can gain from and contribute to our department. This is a separate statement from the one required as part of the Graduate School application but may include the same text.
• Three letters of recommendation from people who can judge your academic performance and promise as a graduate student. We prefer that the letters be on the letterhead of the institution with which your recommender is affiliated. We cannot accept photocopies, although we can accept faxes (612-624-8228) sent from an institutional address or photocopies of letters held on file by your school placement bureau, if mailed by that bureau, or by a recognized company such as Interfolio. Do not have letters uploaded onto the graduate school application. Do not attach the general 'Applicant Recommendation' forms from the graduate school site. We will accept letters sent separately from your school under confidential cover if they arrive by December 20. Send an envelope to each of your recommenders and put your address and a stamp on the envelope so that when the recommender seals and signs the back of the envelope, he or she can return it to you. Once you have collected all three letters, you can include them with the materials that you send to the English Graduate Office.  Be sure that your recommenders sign across the back flap of the envelope.
• A writing sample. For the Ph.D. or M.A., your sample should be expository, typically a paper for a literature course that represents your interests and skills (20 pages maximum). For the M.F.A., the sample should be a substantial example of your creative work (25 pages maximum). Include a description of your writing background. Do not upload a writing sample onto the graduate school application.
• Official GRE results, not a photocopy. Institution code for the U of M–Twin Cities campus is 6874. The department code is 2501. The GRE must have been taken within the 5 years of your application. We do not require that you take the English area exam, called the Subject Test in Literature, unless your undergraduate transcript is narrative or chiefly pass/fail.
• GPA in English courses only. In addition to your grades, this paper should list grade points (quality points) and number of credits per class. Use this form (PDF) to calculate English course grade points and GPA. Do not include creative writing or composition courses, even if you are applying for the M.F.A. International students who were not graded on a A-F (4.0) scale do not need to do this form. For the M.A. and Ph.D., a minimum of 12 semester undergraduate credits (or 16 quarter credits) in English, American, or Anglophone literature or language is required. The courses should be widely distributed, and at least three courses must be at the upper division level.
• If you are not a native speaker of English, in order to hold a teaching assistantship you must take the College Board's Test of Spoken English (TSE) or the University's SPEAK test (Spoken Proficiency in English Assessment Kit) and send the results to the department. Those who are admitted to the graduate program, but were unabe to take the TSE in their home country, must take the SPEAK test upon arrival in Minnesota.
• OPTIONAL: Enclose your Curriculum Vitae, which provides the sites and dates of your education, relevant employment, published writings, and so on.

Important Reminders

We ask that you apply on-line to the Graduate school by December 15.

By December 20th, the department must have received your supplemental materials packet. We consider only applicants whose supplemental packets have arrived by this time. A missing letter or GRE score may be added later, but the packet including cover sheet, writing sample, statement of purpose, gpa sheet, and most or all letters must be received by December 20th.

The Graduate School will send you an email when they get your form, transcripts, and fee. They will email you if you are lacking materials (usually a transcript). Be sure to check your graduate school application on-line. Your "In Process Status" should be marked 'Sent to department.' It is your responsibility to follow up on transcript issues.

Questions about the status of your supplemental materials? Please email gradeng@umn.edu. We do not notify you when all your materials have arrived, unless you include a self-addressed postcard.

Make sure your name is on everything. If your name was different when you did some of your studies or took the GRE, include a note to that effect with your application.

Finally, we are chiefly interested in your successes as a writer and a reader, and we pay more attention to the profile of your previous studies and letters of recommendation than to numerical indicators such as your GPA and GRE score. We also read your personal statement and your writing sample closely. We are looking for people who have the background and potential to do well in English studies at Minnesota.