About Master’s Program,
The department offers MAs and PhDs with focused areas of studies in literature, including a specialized literature subprogram in Renaissance Studies, and in composition and rhetoric studies.
Department faculty mentor students at all stages of their graduate experience, from coursework to teaching, from examinations to the writing of master’s theses and doctoral dissertations.
Master’s Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
For non-native English speakers applying to the MA-TESOL program, a score of at least 100 (IBT) with a minimum score of 25 in both the speaking and writing sections. Note that this departmental requirement is more stringent than the Graduate School’s requirement.
For the PhD program, successful applicants normally have a GPA of 3.5 or better in master’s or equivalent graduate work.
For all other programs, consult the Graduate School’s minimum requirements.
Master’s Funding Coverage,
Students admitted to the graduate program are guaranteed up to five years of full financial support (up to four years for the MFA; up to two years for the MA). Unlike many other graduate programs, all of UA English’s admitted students qualify for Graduate Assistantships, which include a stipend paid over nine months (currently $17,100), and full payment of up to 15 credit hours of graduate tuition. Individual programs additionally offer one-time or ongoing stipend enhancements from endowed funds, and there are a variety of additional fellowship opportunities as well.
For information regarding current Graduate School policy on Graduate Assistant health coverage, please consult the Graduate School directly. The Graduate School will provide single-coverage health insurance for each qualified assistantship, based on the FTE (Full-Time Equivalency, or number of assigned work hours) of the appointment.
New and returning graduate students are also eligible for awards other than assistantships, including
- Graduate Council Fellowships ($20,000 plus full tuition)
- Dean’s Graduate Recruiting and Opportunity Awards ($6000 enhancements to the GA stipend, renewable for a total of three years)
- McNair Graduate Fellowships ($20,000 plus full tuition)
- National Alumni Association Fellowships ($20,000 plus full tuition)
- Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholarships
- Alumni Heritage Scholarships
There are no separate application processes for these awards; all eligible students receive consideration. More information is here. Other awards, fellowships, special positions, and grants include
- Excellence in Teaching Awards – Open to all MA, MFA, and PhD students who have taught at least 2 semesters
- Excellence in Research Awards – Open to all graduate students
- Outstanding Service Awards – Open to all graduate students
- Buford Boone Fellowships – Open to all MA and PhD students
- Harrison Fellowships – Open to all MA and PhD students
- Prison Arts Fellowships – Open to MFA students
- Black Warrior Review editorial positions – Open to MFA students
Application Requirement,
Complete an online application form. All applicants must enter one of the following for the “Specialty Area” field: “Literature,” “Renaissance,” “Composition/Rhetoric,” “Prose,” “Poetry,” “Prose & Poetry,” “TESOL.”
Pay the application fee. Once steps 1 and 2 are completed, the applicant will be assigned a Campus Wide Identification Number (CWID), which will enable him/her to log in to the Supporting Documents System to complete step 3. Applicants should complete steps 1 and 2 well before they are ready to upload supporting documents as it can take several days for the system to generate a CWID.
Upload the following supporting documents/information:
Statement of Purpose (the first line should mention the desired Specialty Area in the English Department). Tip: the Statement of Purpose describes your main research interests. Effective statements avoid generalizations and developmental narratives. Instead, they identify where you are with your work now and where you want to go. It can help to address the relationship between your writing sample and your research interests; and to connect your work to the faculty in the department. 500-750 words is usually right; just don’t go over 1000.
Writing Sample:
For the MA and PhD Programs, this should consist of 10-20 pages of critical writing for the MA and 20 pages for the PhD. The writing sample is usually a single essay written for an upper-level English course or an excerpt from a senior or master’s thesis. A strong essay positions your argument in relation to other scholars in the field.
For the Strode focus area, the writing sample should be on some aspect of English Renaissance literature.
Applicants to the Creative Writing Program must specify the specialty area in which they wish to apply (“Prose,” “Poetry,” or “Prose and Poetry”) in the space designated “Specialty Area” in the online application. For applicants in prose, the writing sample should consist of 20-30 pages of prose (fiction, nonfiction, or a combination of the two). For applicants in poetry, the writing sample should consist of 10-20 pages of poetry. Applicants who wish to apply in both prose and poetry should upload two separate writing samples, one of prose and one of poetry.
Names and institutional email addresses of three (3) referees who will submit letters of recommendation online via a link that will be sent to recommenders directly by the Graduate School. Please note that neither the Graduate School nor the Department of English can accept letters via Interfolio or Parchment.
Unofficial transcripts from each institution of higher education at which you have completed 15 or more credit hours. Accepted applicants will be required to furnish official transcripts prior to enrolling.
Application Deadline,
Dec 01, 2025
Application Fee,
- $65 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
- $80 for international students.
