Application for Admission

Applications can be found on the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences website. The deadline for applications is January 2, 2010.

Only complete applications will be considered for admission. A complete application consists of the following:

  • A completed application form, including the Statement of Academic Interests (called the "Personal Statement" in the on-line application form).

  • Official transcripts of all previous undergraduate or graduate coursework.

  • Three confidential letters of recommendation.

  • Results of the GRE 3-part general test and the subject test in English literature.

  • Results of the TOEFL for international applicants whose native language is not English.

  • Two writing samples not to exceed a total of 25 pages (sent separately to the English Department).

  • The $60 non-refundable application fee.

International applicants, if accepted, must submit the international applicant financial statement. Students admitted to the PhD program may submit the University's letter offering financial aid as documentation along with the form.

The writing samples should be sent to the English Department, 219 Bryan Hall, Box 400121, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4121, and marked "Attention Graduate Admissions." The application and all other supporting materials should be sent online to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Admissions procedures cannot be completed until the Department has received a final transcript of grades indicating satisfactory completion of the degree program in which the student was enrolled at the time of application. Admission to the Graduate School and class registration are contingent upon receipt of this transcript in the Dean's office.

Candidates for the PhD need not apply separately to the MA program, since they are automatically eligible to apply for an MA in the course of earning the PhD However, applicants to the PhD program may apply concurrently for admission to any of the English Department's specialized MA programs (excepting the MFA, which is an entirely separate program).

Graduate Record Examination

Students should order a copy of the results of the GRE to be sent to the University (code 5820) and to the Department (code 2501). These tests are given at various times during the year by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), Princeton, New Jersey. Application to ETS should be made well in advance of the desired examination date. The Graduate School requires the three-part general aptitude test and the subject test in English literature (Code 64). Generally, action on applications will be postponed until the GRE scores are received. Testing should be done in time to allow for official reporting of scores to the University. (If you take the GRE subject test in November or December, make sure that ETS will send the score to us when it is available, and indicate on your application that the subject test score is forthcoming.)

Letters of Recommendation

Applicants should request letters of recommendation from at least three English professors who are well acquainted with their recent work. Letters from instructors in other departments are less valuable, and letters from non-academic sources are useless. Applicants who have done graduate work elsewhere should request three letters from instructors familiar with their graduate work.

The Graduate School provides a form for letters of recommendation. It is advisable to use this form if you wish to waive your right to examine your recommendations. It is acceptable for your recommender to attach a separate letter of recommendation to this form. A packet from your school's credentials service is also acceptable.

Writing Samples

Applicants to the MA and PhD programs must submit two critical papers. Applicants may submit an excerpt from a thesis or longer paper as one of these samples, but are still expected to submit a second writing sample. In any case, they should send no more than twenty-five double-spaced pages. Writing samples should be chosen with special care, since they provide the Admissions Committee with its most direct evidence of an applicant's abilities and constitute the most important part of the file.

Completion of Applications

Since the Department receives a very large number of applications, it is impossible to notify an applicant that a file is incomplete. The applicant must therefore assume responsibility for making sure that the application package is complete and that it is mailed promptly. If contacting the English Department about application status, please wait at least three weeks after the application deadline, as it takes that long to process applications. Confirmation cannot be guaranteed before this time.

Financial Aid and Fellowships

The application deadline for work-study eligibility and other financial aid is March 31; prospective students should apply without waiting for an admission decision.

Admission Policies

The formal deadline for PhD and MA applications is January 2, 2010. Authority to admit students to graduate work in English rests with the Dean of the Graduate School; the English Department acts in an advisory capacity by reviewing applications and making recommendations. In general, a candidate should have had twenty-four semester hours of elective undergraduate English courses above the elementary level. The Department is also happy, however, to consider applicants with distinguished undergraduate records in fields other than English. Most students admitted for graduate work in English have at least two GRE scores in the ninetieth percentile or higher.

Because competition for places in the program is keen, admissions standards are necessarily rigorous. Admissions standards for MA transfer students are higher still.

Admission is not granted for the start of the spring semester; students admitted for the fall semester may, if they wish, begin their graduate work in the Summer Session (though summer course offerings are notably leaner than during the regular academic year). No deferrals of admission are permitted, but students who are unable to accept offers of admission may reapply by filing the basic application form and fee. Supporting documents such as transcripts, GRE scores, and letters of recommendation are kep t on file for two years in the department's Admissions Office pending such reapplication.

In accordance with federal law, the law of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the policies of the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, the University does not discriminate in any of its programs, procedures, or practices against any person on the basis of age, citizenship, color, handicap, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era. The University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Questions should be directed via email to Colette Dabney, the Admissions Coordinator for English: cdt4u@virginia.edu.