English

Website: http://english.utah.edu/graduate/

Phone: 801-581-6168

Masters studies is an integral part of the English Department at the University. To learn more about the programs offered, choose from the following:

Literary and Cultural Studies

The MA in English is designed to help students develop their knowledge of British and American literature and explore a range of cultural studies fields and interdisciplinary areas, including American studies, film studies, digital humanities, race and ethnic studies, gender and sexuality studies, and religious studies. In addition, students develop a strong background in literary criticism and theory.

Rhetoric and Composition

Masters’-level study in Rhetoric and Composition is designed to help students understand theories of persuasive discourse and related pedagogical, public, and scholarly practices. Through coursework in the University Writing Program and its allied departments, especially English, students will have opportunities to develop their knowledge of rhetoric and writing as they interact with faculty members and fellow students in a range of fields, including literary studies, communication, education, and linguistics.

Eligibility

Students applying for the M.A., M.F.A., or Ph.D. degree programs must hold a B.A or B.S. degree from an accredited college or university, and have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or higher. Students holding an M.A. or M.F.A. in English are eligible for admission into the Ph.D. program.

The B.A. to Ph.D. direct track option is available to applicants to any program who do not hold a master's degree in the field. A candidate with a B.A. will submit application materials at the same time as other candidates (December 15). If accepted, the student receives a teaching assistantship for the first year. Those denied admission into the B.A. to Ph.D. direct-track program may instead be offered admission into the M.A. or M.F.A. program. am.

Instructions for Application Submission

Please read the following instructions carefully and submit a complete application by the deadline of December 15 each year for the following fall semester. Please be sure to indicate in the appropriate places your name, address, and the specific program to which you are applying. If you are applying for admission to our doctoral program but will not have a master's degree in the field of English upon entering our program, please choose "English-PHD," and in the section labeled "Additional Information" indicate that you are applying for the B.A. to Ph.D. track.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You may only apply to one program. Please indicate the program to which you are applying. With the exception of those applying to the B.A. to Ph.D. track (who will be considered for admission to the M.A. or M.F.A. programs if they are not admitted to the Ph.D. program), applicants will not be considered for admission to a more than one program.

Applications that are not submitted by the department deadline date of December 15 will not be considered. Student portions of applications that are not complete by the appropriate deadline, or that are filled out incorrectly, will also not be considered. Please be sure to put your name on all application materials.

1. All applications must include a completed electronic University of Utah Graduate Application Form; there is no separate English Department application.

All application materials must be submitted and/or uploaded via the online application system: https://app.applyyourself.com//?id=utahgrad. The English Department will not accept application materials by mail.

1. All applications must include a critical writing sample of at least six pages. The critical sample should demonstrate your ability to elucidate the critical issues pertinent to a text and to conduct a sustained reading of a text or texts.

2. Applications for creative writing must include, in addition to the critical sample, a creative writing sample, either poetry, fiction, or non-fiction of approximately 10 pages. For the poetry sample, a small collection of poems is acceptable. For fiction or non-fiction samples, a short story, or a chapter or selection from a novel, memoir, or essay is acceptable. If your fiction or non-fiction samples are short, you can submit more than one piece. Creative writing samples should reflect the genre of the program to which you are applying.

3. Writing samples must be uploaded into your electronic online application: https://app.applyyourself.com//?id=utahgrad.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Applicants submitting both creative and critical writing samples, please note that the application software allows applicants to submit two files. Upload one critical and one creative file. If your creative sample, for example, consists of a few short pieces, you should incorporate them into one file.

1. All applications must include three academic letters of recommendation from faculty who can assess your ability to do English graduate work; most recommendations, therefore, should come from faculty who know your work. You must submit the email addresses of your three recommenders via the online application: https://app.applyyourself.com//?id=utahgrad.

2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: All applicants must include a statement of purpose explaining their professional interests and goals. Please address those aspects of the study of literature or creative writing that have influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree in English.

3. International applicants who are not native speakers of English should note that they must demonstrate proficiency in English before they can receive financial assistance that involves teaching English Composition. Proficiency is partly demonstrated by a score of 26 or higher on the Speaking section of the iBL exam or a score of 7 or higher on the Speaking band of the IELTS exam. In addition, the graduate admissions committee will carefully assess applicants' writing samples when considering international students for financial aid.

4. The University must receive GRE SCORES directly from ETS. There is no minimum cut-off score on this exam. Instead, we are interested in applicants' overall performance overall and their performance on the verbal portion of the general exam in particular. Please note that GRE scores tend to arrive approximately three weeks after the date of the exam. Therefore, the exam should be taken by the middle of November at the latest to meet the December 15 deadline. To expedite the arrival of your GRE scores, please use the University of Utah institution code (#4853) and the English Department code (#2501 for literature programs or #2503 for creative writing tracks).

International applicants must upload the appropriate fee, one official set of transcripts, and TOEFL results to: https://app.applyyourself.com//?id=utahgrad.

Applications will be distributed to members of the English Department graduate admissions committee soon after the application deadline. The English Department generally informs applicants of its decisions via email in the second week of March. The University of Utah Graduate Admissions Office will send official confirmation of this decision later.

Deadlines for Application Submission:

The following deadlines may differ from the general University admission deadlines. Please follow the deadlines listed below if you are applying to the English graduate program.

All application materials must have been entered into the Apply Yourself system no later than December 15 for admission the following Fall (https://app.applyyourself.com//?id=utahgrad). All applications will be considered for funding. Applications for admission to all programs will be reviewed only once each year. Note: If a deadline falls on a holiday or weekend, applications will be accepted through the following business day.

Please note that there is NO Spring Semester admission to the English Department.