| Prospective Student FAQs |
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Page 1 of 2 Dear Prospective Applicants:
The English Department is undertaking some reimagining and
reconfiguring of its PhD and MA programs, in order to be responsive to the
nation’s fiscal crisis and to the various changes that are taking place within
literary and humanistic education. Under
those circumstances, we have decided that we will be admitting students only
into the PhD program for Fall 2010, and that we will not be making admissions
into the MA program for that fall. We do
not take this decision lightly and recognize and regret that it may be a
disappointment to many of our prospective MA students. I know you will understand that, for the
moment, our efforts are best directed toward devising great programs for the
future and supporting our current students, and, in both, ensuring the highest
quality of the education.
We will be working to craft a new MA program and plan to admit students into that new program for Fall 2011 enrollment. The Department’s Director of Graduate Studies, Professor Kandice Chuh, will be writing to those of you who have already submitted applications, and she will be most happy to answer any questions. She may be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Yours, Kent Cartwright Professor and Chair
please note: Applicants to the PhD program for fall 2010 enrollment must have an MA already in hand, or be positioned to complete an MA before fall 2010. Also, the MFA program is admitting students for fall 2010.
Because many of our applicants share general questions about
Generally applicants with an MA in fields other than English should apply to the MA program in English. An applicant with an MFA should apply for the MA if the applicant's MFA program did not include significant graduate coursework in literature. During the PhD admissions process, every application is evaluated individually to determine its suitability for the PhD program. If we determine that the applicant is more appropriate for the MA rather than the PhD program, we will review it as part of the MA pool of applications. In all cases, application to the PhD for those holdings masters' degrees from other institutions is highly competitive.
We do not currently offer direct admission to the PhD program for applicants with a BA degree. However, especially promising applicants with only an undergraduate degree are accepted to the MA with guaranteed admission to the PhD program, assuming successful academic performance at the MA level.
No.
Although we pay close attention to GRE scores, we do not specify particular scores as a requirement for admission. Strong GRE scores are obviously an asset to an application; low GRE scores (below 500 Verbal; below 4 Analytical) need to be offset by other strengths in an application (see next question).
We believe that GRE scores from the past four years provide the surest assessment of an applicant's potential, but we will accept GRE scores older than four years. The applicant must decide how s/he wants this part of the application file to be represented.
The admissions committee looks closely at all the materials in an application: GRE scores, transcripts, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and writing sample. The critical writing sample, however, is probably the single most important element of a successful application.
In evaluating writing samples for both MA and PhD programs, we look for clarity and detail of argument; familiarity with literary, critical, and theoretical concepts; familiarity with literary research; and engaging ideas. We expect writing samples submitted by applicants who already have the MA to demonstrate an accomplished, focused presentation of these elements appropriate to advanced graduate study. Generally an applicant submits as a writing sample a paper originally completed for an upper-level undergraduate or graduate course and revised for the application process. Samples of non-academic writing are not acceptable for this purpose.
You can check on the status of your application by logging on to your online application. Admissions decisions are generally made by no later than the end of February. We typically have spaces for around 15 entering MA students and 8-10 entering PhD students.
The Department of English has distinguished faculty in all areas of its curriculum. For details see Faculty List by Area of Specialization .
We have an excellent record of placing our PhDs in tenure-track jobs. Please see the Placement page on this website for details.
We have a limited number of fellowships that we distribute for recruitment. A larger portion of financial aid is in the form of teaching assistantships. Fellowships pay a stipend of approximately $20,000/year; the stipends for teaching assistants for 2009-10 start at around $15,350 and range up to around $18,200. Both forms of financial aid carry a full tuition waiver (12 credits/semester for fellowship awards; 10 credits/semester for teaching assistantships). All applicants to both the MA and PhD programs are automatically considered for financial aid, which is awarded solely on the basis of academic merit.
A full-time student with financial aid, depending on the kind of support, will finish the MA in four to five semesters. Students with an MA who enroll in the PhD program can complete the program within four or five years of initial enrollment. Progress to degree will vary depending upon an individual's circumstances. The Graduate Office is committed to facilitating students' progress to degree. English Department faculty recently approved a set of expectations for the PhD student's progress to degree. All PhD students will be provided with a copy of these guidelines.
Some MA students, e.g. those working as school teachers or in other professions, pursue the MA part-time. All those working toward a PhD must be full-time students.
Yes. We realize that occasionally an applicant's GPA, especially for the BA degree, will not accurately reflect an individual's ability to perform successfully in a graduate program. In a case where an applicant has a gpa lower than that specified, we look all the more closely at other elements of the application. Please note that the Graduate School of the University of Maryland does stipulate 3.0 as the minimum gpa required for admission to any to any graduate program.
Applicants to the MA program without an undergraduate major in English should demonstrate that they have successfully completed approximately 24 upper-level credits in English. Prospective applicants who do not meet this criterion should consider taking upper-level undergraduate courses at the University of Maryland or elsewhere. For additional information on this option, contact the English Graduate Office.
The University provides the category of Advanced Special Student for non-degree seeking individuals. Information on how to qualify for and obtain Advanced Special Student status is available on the Graduate School website. Individuals admitted to the University as Advanced Special Students can take 600-level courses in the English graduate program, on a space-available basis, with the permission of the Graduate Office. The University permits an individual to transfer into a regular degree program up to 12 credits earned as an advanced special student.
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