INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

(M.A. and Ph.D inEnglish)

For application procedures to our other graduate programs, please click the appropriate link below.
Comparative Literature
Programs in Creative Writing and Translation

Application Requirements

The application process for admission to Graduate Programs in English has two separate components. First, the applicant must be admitted to the University of Arkansas Graduate School. Instructions concerning this process (including an on-line application form) can be found on-line at http://www.uark.edu/depts/gradinfo/prospective/index.html. Second, the applicant must complete an application to the specific program of study in the Department of English.

 
Application Materials


All applicants to either the MA or PhD program in the Department of English must submit the following materials to the department:

  1. Departmental Application Form (click here to download the form in PDF format) A copy of Adobe Acrobat may be obtained by clicking here. 
  2. Copies of official score reports for the GRE General Test
  3. Transcripts of previous undergraduate and graduate work
  4. A writing sample of 10-25 pages, demonstrating critical thinking and writing abilities (An essay of literary criticism is generally preferable.)
  5. Letters of recommendation from three individuals who are in a position to assess the applicant’s aptitude and preparation for graduate study (Letters from previous college-level instructors are generally preferable.)
Students who wish to be considered for Teaching Assistantships should indicate that fact on the departmental application form and attach a written statement of intention.  

In addition, a score report for the GRE Subject Test in Literature in English is highly recommended (though not required) for applicants to the PhD program.  

All application materials should be sent directly to:
 
Professor M. Keith Booker
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of English
333 Kimpel Hall
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701 

Letters of recommendation should be sent directly to Professor Booker by the persons writing those letters.  

All inquiries concerning the application process should be directed to Professor Booker at
 kbooker@uark.edu.

 

Application Deadline


In order for applicants to receive priority consideration for both admission and financial aid for the fall semester of a given year, all application materials must be received by the Director of Graduate Studies by March 1 of that year. Applications for fall admission after that date can be considered on a case-by-case basis, but the chances of admission or receiving financial aid will be substantially diminished for late applications. Applications for admission in the spring or summer semesters can also be considered on a case-by-case basis, but it is unlikely that students admitted in those semesters will receive financial aid before the next fall semester.

NOTE: All students who wish to be considered for the distinguished doctoral fellowship for Fall 2008 must have all application materials in by January 31, 2008.

 
Application Review Process


Once all application materials have been received, each application to the MA program will be reviewed by one member of the department’s Graduate Studies Committee (GSC). Each application to the PhD program will be separately reviewed by three members of the GSC. Each GSC reviewer will recommend either that the applicant be admitted to the program or not. If the recommendation is that the applicant be admitted, and if the applicant has requested a teaching assistantship, each GSC reviewer will then rate each applicant on a scale of 1-100 (100 being the highest) in terms of the overall strength of his or her application.

The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) will then review each of the applications, along with the recommendations of the GSC. The DGS will then make a final determination of whether the student is to be admitted to the requested program and whether that admission is contingent upon factors such as the student’s agreement to take additional coursework to overcome deficiencies in preparation. For students who are admitted and who have requested a teaching assistantship, the DGS will rate each applicant on a scale of 1-100 (100 being the highest) in terms of the overall strength of his or her application in relation to other applicants to the same program.  

All completed applications received by March 1 of a given year for admission in the fall semester of that year will be reviewed by March 31. Applicants who are not admitted or who are admitted but have not requested a teaching assistantship will be advised of their admission decision soon after that date. The numerical rating of candidates for assistantships will produce a prioritized ranking of those applicants by March 31. Teaching assistantships will then be awarded on the basis of that ranking as they become available in the judgment of the department’s Director of Composition Studies, who is charged with managing the department’s financial resources for assistantships. Applicants who receive the top ratings should be offered assistantships soon after March 31. Other applicants will be placed on a waiting list for additional assistantships as they become available, which sometimes occurs as late as mid-summer. Applications for the fall semester that are completed after March 1 will be reviewed by the GSC and the DGS but will receive lower priority consideration for admission and assistantships.  

All applicants to the PhD program will automatically be considered for any fellowships that might be available to students in that program. (Click here for information on available doctoral fellowships.)