Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

• Baccalaureate Field Applicants who intend to specialize in English Studies or English Education must have an undergraduate major in English or the equivalent that includes a balanced program in English and American literature beyond the level of sophomore surveys. Applicants who intend to specialize in Creative Writing may have an undergraduate major or a graduate degree in any field, if they show substantial evidence of ability to complete the work in literature required for the degree in English.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study and for all graduate work.
• Tests Required None, except in cases of English competency for some non-native speakers of English (see below).
• Minimum English Competency Score
  • TOEFL 95, with minimum subscores of Reading 24, Listening 24, Speaking 24, and Writing 22 (iBT Test); 60, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Writing 21 (revised Paper-Delivered Test), OR,
  • IELTS 7.0, with subscores of 6.5 for all four subscores, OR,
  • PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
• Letters of Recommendation Three required, preferably from individuals acquainted with the applicant’s recent academic, professional, or creative work.
• Statement of Purpose Required.
  • Domestic applicants must submit a statement of about 500 words presenting their reasons for wanting to take graduate work in English at UIC and the relationship of this advanced training to professional and other goals.
  • International applicants must submit a two- or three-page summary of their educational experience that emphasizes their work in English and American literature and language. They should conclude this summary with their reasons for wanting to do graduate work in the English department.
• Other Requirements
  • Coversheet: All MA and PhD applicants must submit an Application Review Coversheet (.docx) with application materials.
  • Writing sample: All MA and PhD applicants must submit a sample of their written work.
    • Applicants for the specializations in English Studies and English Education should submit a sample of no more than 20 pages appropriate to their proposed area of study.
    • Applicants for Creative Writing (also known as the Program for Writers) must submit a sample of no more than 20 pages of material in genre of interest (at least five poems, one or more stories, a chapter from a novel, comparable work, etc.). Applicants for the Program for Writers must also submit an optional critical writing sample of no more than 20 pages.
  • CV/Resume
• Deadlines Application deadlines for this program are listed on the Graduate College website.

Additional information on the application process can be found on the Department of English website under Admissions.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 32. Students can select from the department's 400-500 level course offerings. 

Creative Writing

As part of their required 32 hours of course work, Creative Writing MA students take at least 12 and no more than 16 hours of creative writing workshops.

English Education 

• Additional Requirements for Teacher Licensure: Students who wish to seek teacher licensure must take additional courses in the College of Education and complete student teaching to be eligible for state licensure. Such students are also more restricted in their choices of courses within the concentration. Courses should be selected in consultation with an advisor. Contact the Department of English for the current requirements. At the time of this writing, in addition to the MA requirements and the requirements for the Concentration in English Education, students seeking licensure must complete additional courses.

• The teaching license is not automatically awarded upon successful completion of degree and licensure requirements. For more information on application procedures for the teaching license, contact the Council on Teacher Education in the College of Education.​
• Comprehensive Examination None.
• Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options Project consisting of a qualifying paper required for all areas of specialization. No other options are available. Students must register for 4 hours of ENGL 597. No more than 4 hours may be applied toward the degree.
• Other Requirements Teaching: ENGL 555 is required in order to hold a TAship. MA students who wish to compete for a TA position in their second year should take ENGL 555 in their first year. ENGL 555  may count toward the 32 required hours. All MA teaching assistants teach sections of ENGL 160 and  ENGL 161.

Interdepartmental Concentrations

Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in select concentrations after consulting with their graduate advisor. Interdepartmental concentrations available for this degree include:

• Black Studies
• Central and Eastern European Studies
• Gender and Women's Studies
• Latin American and Latino Studies