Graduate Admissions

Requirements

Students applying to the M.A. English program should familiarize themselves with all admission requirements, application materials, and procedures. Generally, students should hold a minimum GPA of 2.8 and should have majored in English or a related discipline as undergraduates. The GRE examinations are not required for admission to the graduate English program.

Applicants who do not have a strong undergraduate record in English or do not meet the minimum GPA requirement can still apply to the program and may be accepted provisionally; those students may be asked to take additional courses (undergraduate or graduate) before being fully admitted.

Application Materials

In addition to submitting the materials listed below for each specific program, applicants for graduate study should also be prepared to provide their contact information; citizenship status; social security and credit card number; semester and program choice; academic and employment history; and other pertinent information.

• Applicants for the M.A. in English will need to submit the following materials:
  1. Completed application
  2. Official transcript(s)
  3. Statement of academic and professional goals (included on the application)
  4. Writing sample (5-6 pages) of analytical writing on a subject related to the study of English
  5. Two letters of recommendation
• Applicants for the Graduate Publishing Certificate Program will need to submit the following materials:
  1. Completed application
  2. Official transcript(s)
  3. Statement of academic and professional goals (included on the application)
  4. Writing sample (3-5 pages), either professional or academic
  5. Resume
  6. Two letters of recommendation
• Applicants for Certification in Secondary English will need to submit the following materials:
  1. Completed application
  2. Official transcript(s)
  3. B.A. degree with GPA of 2.8 or higher

Application Procedures

Students who wish to apply to any of our graduate programs—the M.A. in English, the Publishing Certificate, or the Secondary English Certification—should do so via the WCU Office of Graduate Studies and Extended Education's Online Application Portal.

Please do not submit applications directly to the English Department.

All questions about application procedures should be directed to the Office of Graduate Studies and Extended Education. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, but students interested in pursuing a Graduate Assistantship should apply before April 15 for fall semester admission and October 15 for spring semester.

Read more about Graduate Studies