Applicants must meet the general requirements of the Graduate School, with the additional requirement that they have a 3.000 grade point average in their previous work in English courses. The Graduate Coordinator will then evaluate the applicant's transcript, prescribing additional undergraduate hours for those who have fewer than 24 credit hours in English and American literature or in other work acceptable to the Department of English. Courses in freshman composition, grammar, teaching methods, journalism, speech, etc. may not be included in the required 24 hours. Exceptions may be made for outstanding students who have majored in related fields.

In addition to Graduate School application materials, applicants to the English MA program should submit a 500 word statement of purpose explaining their goals or reasons for pursuing an MA in English as well as their skills, accomplishments, or experience that suggest they will be able to succeed in the program. The English department Master of Arts program accepts applications for admission on an ongoing basis.

Applicants who earned their undergraduate degrees more than ten years before the time of application must be interviewed by the Graduate Coordinator before admission to the degree program.

Applicants who have earned degrees at institutions in countries in which English is not the native language of instruction must score at least 600 paper­based, or 100 Internet-based on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Examination, or an overall band score of 7.5 on the IELTS before being admitted to the MA degree program in English.