English Ph.D. Admissions
Admissions Requirements
In making admissions decisions, the department relies on five distinct criteria: transcripts, letters of recommendation, GRE scores, writing sample, and statement of purpose.
- A completed online application for admission: Transcripts of all academic work must be submitted with the online application.
- For the doctoral program, M.A. or M.F.A. in English or a related field required by time of enrollment. Preference will be given to students with an M.A. or M.F.A. with an emphasis in the appropriate subfield: creative writing, literary history, or rhetoric and composition.
- Minimum GPA of 3.0.
- Three letters of recommendation from professors familiar with your academic work.
- Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) not required.
- Writing sample that reflects your best work. Applicants in literature should submit a critical essay of 10 to 15 pages in length. Applicants in creative writing should submit a portfolio of poems, a selection of short fiction, or a selection of creative nonfiction. The recommended length is approximately 10 poems or 20 to 40 pages of prose. In addition, applicants for the Ph.D. program in creative writing should submit a critical essay (does not apply to M.A. applicants). Applicants in rhetoric/composition should submit a piece of scholarly writing 10 to 15 pages in length.
- One- to two-page Statement of Purpose to the admissions committee outlining your educational background, interests and goals, and the ways you think Ohio University's program can foster and help you implement your plans. Indicate at the top the name of the concentration for which the prospective student is applying (literary history, rhetoric and composition, or creative writing).
- Resume or Vitae recommended.
- English Proficiency. Applicants for whom English is not a native language are required to demonstrate English Language Proficiency for admission and potential funding. To be considered official, test scores must be reported directly from the testing agency to Ohio University. Students provisionally admitted to the program from countries meeting the Ohio University criteria for English as the official and majority-used language must fulfill English Language Proficiency criteria by April 15.
More information on English Proficiency.
There are no additional application requirements for students transferring from another degree.
Application Deadline
The deadline for submission of materials is Feb. 1 for admission in the following Fall semester. This is the only annual admissions period. The English Department does not admit students for Spring semester; all accepted students should begin work in their degree program in the fall semester.
After the Feb. 1 deadline, all completed applications are passed onto the admissions committee for consideration. Students will be notified of the decision of the admissions committee sometime after March 1.
For more information, contact Dr. Jeremy W. Webster, Director of Graduate Studies.
Non-Degree Application
Applications for non-degree students should include the application, transcripts, a statement of purpose (explaining why you want to take graduate-level classes in English), a writing sample, and one letter of recommendation.
All graduate applications must be submitted electronically through the Graduate College.
Please consult the Graduate College's website for instructions for applying online or through the mail. All documents, including undergraduate and graduate transcripts, should be sent to the Graduate College, and not to the English Department.