English Department | Sam Houston State University

Graduate Program: Admissions

admissions

Admission Status

Students are admitted to take English graduate classes under regular, conditional, or probationary admission status. The student enters the English MA Program officially when he or she has been accepted in regular admission status.

Regular Status

A student in regular status has submitted all of the required application materials and satisfied the minimum standards for unconditional admission. The applicant should have at least a 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA.

Conditional Status

A student under conditional status may be missing a key piece of the application file (for example, the GRE scores) and is accepted with the condition that she or he will submit the missing materials by the end of the first long term of enrollment and will satisfy the minimum standards for regular admission. A conditional student must have at least a 3.2 overall undergraduate GPA. The conditional student is limited to taking six hours before submitting the missing materials.

Probationary Status

A student admitted under probationary status has submitted all of the required materials but fails to meet the minimum standards for full admission. A probationary student must have at least a 2.8 undergraduate GPA and an 800 GRE score and must take nine credit hours (full load) during the first long term, earning at least Bs in all classes. The student may not earn a C in any class. A probationary student may take no more than twelve hours in this status. Any hours beyond these twelve cannot be applied to a degree, should the student later apply successfully for admission to the English MA Program in regular status.

Admission Standards

For regular admission, an applicant must meet the following standard:

GRE Score (combined Q + V) + (GPA X 300) = 2,000 or better.

Admission Process

In applying for the English Graduate Program, you must submit the following materials:

A Graduate Application Form.
A one-time $20.00 graduate application fee.
Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work. The undergraduate transcript must show proof of a Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.

The applicant should have at least four non-freshman English classes (twelve credit hours), preferably upper-division (junior/senior) courses, with at least a 3.0 GPA in those classes.

A student admitted under regular admission status should have at least a 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA; a student admitted under conditional status must have at least a 3.2 overall GPA.

An applicant with credentials from a foreign university must have the transcript reviewed by a transcript evaluation service, which will translate classwork and grades into United States equivalencies.
A score report for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) verbal and quantitative sections. Students should have a minimum 500 score in the verbal area. Scores for the subject test (“Literature in English”) are not required.
A formal writing sample of at least ten full typed pages. While we will accept papers from outside disciplines that give evidence of your critical thinking abilities, we prefer samples that demonstrate (1) research and critical reading skills particular to the study of literature and English language and (2) your ability to formulate and defend a cogent critical argument in a scholarly idiom appropriate to upper-division English classes. We also prefer samples that demonstrate your familiarity with MLA documentation methods. While the writing sample should be a single, sustained piece of work, of the kind typical of graduate-level writing, we will accept combinations of shorter pieces in exceptional cases.

A student wishing to pursue the Creative Writing Emphasis may also submit for consideration a portfolio of creative work. The creative writing sample will supplement but not replace the critical writing sample.
Letters of recommendation from three referees qualified to assess your general intellectual abilities, academic accomplishments, writing skills, and potential for success in a graduate English program. Provide each of your recommenders with a copy of the Request for Letter of Recommendation and Waiver Form, which must be attached to the recommendation letter. Letters should be addressed to the Director of Graduate Studies in English; they should bear original signatures from the referees.
Applicants for a graduate assistantship should also submit the Application for Assistant Instructorship Form. For a fall assistantship award, the deadline for submitting the assistant instructorship application is May 15; we would prefer to have applications as early as March 15. A graduate assistant must be admitted into the Graduate English Program in regular admission status and must have earned a minimum combined verbal and quantitative GRE score of 1,000, with a minimum verbal score of 500. For further information, see The Graduate Assistantship in English..

Submit items 1-4 to the following address:

Graduate Studies Office
C/o Ms. Lou Ann Miles, Secretary
Sam Houston State University
Box 2478
Huntsville TX 77341-2478

Submit items 5-7 to the following address:

Kristen Mack
Secretary, English Graduate Program
Department of English
Sam Houston State University
Box 2146
Huntsville TX 77341-2146

Application Deadlines:

Fall Admission:                        August 1
Spring Admission:                   December 1
Summer I Admission:              May 15
Summer II Admission:             June 15
International Applicants:          60 days before first class day

International Applicants:

The English Graduate Program welcomes qualified international applicants. However, an applicant who does not hold American citizenship must be accepted under regular admission status, without conditions.

An international student must submit the same materials as all other applicants, with a couple of qualifications:

An applicant whose native language is not English must submit a score report showing a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). This score translates to 213 on the computer-based version of the test and to 79 on the Internet-based version.
An applicant with credentials from a foreign university must have the transcript reviewed by a transcript evaluation service, which will translate classwork and grades into United States equivalencies. The transcript evaluation service should send its report directly to the Graduate Studies Office.

For more information, please see the Sam Houston State University International Programs Office.

Questions and Concerns?

For further information, contact

Dr. Paul Child
Director of Graduate Studies in English
936-294-1412
GraduateEnglish@shsu.edu or eng_pwc@shsu.edu

Kristen Mack
Secretary, Department of English
936-294-1404
amw@shsu.edu

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Graduate Program: Admissions