7 – Admission Procedures and Policies

Each applicant is required to submit through the WSU Graduate School applications site.  Since the file cannot be shared with the Graduate Studies Committee until it is complete, it is important that applicants promptly supply all materials within their immediate control and keep informed of the progress of materials due from other sources. Applicants are encouraged to telephone the department to check on the status of their files: (509) 335–4795, or e-mail the Graduate Coordinator, Kim Pedersen, at kimberly.pedersen@wsu.edu.

Deadline Dates

Application materials are reviewed by the Graduate Studies Committee in the spring semester of each academic year.  Application materials must be received before the deadline of January 10 for those applying for admission the following fall semester.

Application Materials for All MA and PhD Programs

Application Form

All applicants must apply through the WSU Graduate Admissions portal.

Academic Transcripts

Applicants must upload academic transcripts from all previous universities at the time of application. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for the application process.

Upon the student’s acceptance to the Graduate School, however, official, certified transcripts must be supplied from the college or university where the academic work was completed. Transcripts representing work from the current year (not yet finished) are acceptable.

Three Confidential Letters of Recommendation

When applying through the WSU Graduate Admissions site, the applicant is required to list three referees, each with his/her email address.  The WSU Graduate School will then contact these referees, sending them electronic recommendation forms which will subsequently be made available to the admissions committee members in the English Department.  Applicants should select referees who are capable of evaluating their qualifications for graduate study in English, and, if appropriate, for teaching at the college level.

Brief Statement of Purpose

The applicant should submit through the WSU Graduate Admissions site a description of his or her interests in English studies, along with reasons for wishing to begin (or to continue) graduate work, background or experience in teaching, career goals, and expectations regarding Washington State University.  This statement should be no longer than about 500 words (two double-spaced pages.).

Writing Sample

All applicants should submit through the WSU Graduate Admissions page a recent sample of scholarly or critical writing. For those applying to MA program, this sample would most likely be an essay written for an upper-level undergraduate course. For PhD applicants, the sample might come from a graduate seminar in literature, rhetoric, cultural studies, theory, etc.  In either case, the sample should represent the applicant’s critical thinking skills and ability to write effectively for an academic audience. Essays with a significant research component are especially appropriate. The length of the writing sample should be 10-20 typed, double-spaced pages.

Non-Native Speakers of English

Non-native speakers must take the TOEFL exam (preferably the TOEFL internet-based test [TOEFL-iBT]), the IELTS, or the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency.

The minimum scores for the English Department Graduate Program are as follows:

See the international requirements at the WSU Graduate School website

TOEFL:

Minimum TOEFL Scores	Paper	Computer	Internet	MELAB
English	580	237	93	82

IELTS:  

The minimum acceptable IELTS score is 7.

A Note on Confidentiality

All student files are strictly confidential. They are kept in the office of the Graduate Coordinator, and under normal circumstances will only be seen by the following people: the Department Chair; the Director of Graduate Studies; the Graduate Coordinator; and the student (except for those portions of the file – such as letters of recommendation – which the student may not read). During the admissions process application files may be read by the members of the admissions committee (normally the members of the Graduate Studies Committee). Thesis and dissertation advisors may also see their students’ files, with the permission of the Chair or Director of Graduate Studies.