Three (3) letters of recommendation: These should be from faculty who know your academic record. MFA applicants can also get letters from writers familiar with your creative work.

Official transcripts: We will need these from all universities and colleges you have attended.

Writing Samples:

Literature and Creative Writing Applicants


PhD applicants - two research papers. These should demonstrate excellence in literary including engagement with scholarship in the field. These can be papers written for MA/MFA classes. At least one must be in Spanish. If you intend to write a dissertation with a creative component, also submit a sample of creative work in Spanish. These should be substantial (12-15 pages for research, 20-50 pages for creative work
PhD applicants - One or two papers showing excellence in linguistic analysis. These can be papers written for an MA class and at least one should be in Spanish. If you have any questions, please consult Dr. Christine Shea.

Applicants to the PhD program must have completed the equivalent of an MA in Spanish or an MFA in Spanish Creative Writing with at least a 3.50 grade point average. In addition, for applicants to the PhD in Spanish Linguistics, previous coursework in linguistics is required.


TOEFL iBT - Total score 81
TOEFL PBT - 550
IELTS - Overall score of 7 with no subscore less than 6