OU's English Graduate Program offers a vibrant intellectual community with specializations in literary and cultural studies, rhetoric and writing, and creative writing.
The strengths of our graduate program are flexibility, immersion, and student engagement in developing unique courses of study based on areas of interest. In close consultation with departmental advisors, our graduate students design an individualized program of professional study through selecting a chosen field of specialization or the broader study of literature and culture, writing and rhetoric, theory and research, or creative writing.
Our signature areas of study include:
The department gives out several recruitment awards, such as the Rader and Sutton fellowships. The majority of our Ph.D. and M.A. students are supported through graduate teaching assistantships in First-Year Composition courses to offset tuition, though students are still responsible for paying University fees.
For ABD students, our department offers dissertation fellowships in additon to those offered by the Graduate College.
Gain valuable experience while funding your graduate studies through graduate teaching assistantships in First-Year Composition courses.
Fund your research with our competitive travel grants for conference presentations and in support of archival and on-site research.
Learn more about the application process, admissions, and get some general insight by exploring this FAQ.
The English department offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees as well as a new accelerated B.A./M.A. program, which you can learn more about here.
To be considered for admission into the M.A. program in English, we require the following: a Grade Point Average of 3.00 or better on a 4.00 scale (admission on probation is possible with a G.P.A. of 2.75); and a major in English or at least 15 hours of courses (6 hours must be upper-division) or the equivalent in closely related fields. Candidates are admitted on a competitive basis.
Prospective graduate students must submit an application for admission and official transcripts to the Office of Admissions.
A $50 non-refundable application processing fee is required of all applicants for admission to the University of Oklahoma.
To be considered for admission into the Ph.D. program, we require the following: a Grade Point Average of 3.5 or better on a 4.00 scale in graduate work already completed; and an M.A. in English or in a closely related field. A student with a slightly lower G.P.A. may be considered if the application is otherwise very strong. Candidates are admitted on a competitive basis.
Prospective graduate students must submit an application for admission and official transcripts to the Office of Admissions.
A $50 non-refundable application processing fee is required of all applicants for admission to the University of Oklahoma.
The typical time to degree for Master’s students is 3 years, and for Ph.D. students, 5 to 6 years, although it is quite possible to complete all the requirements sooner.
Financial aid is offered on a competitive basis. Competitive offers of admission to the English M.A. and Ph.D. programs are generally accompanied by graduate support packages that include full tuition waivers, a stipend, health insurance, and access to various fellowships, awards, and teaching releases (at the Ph.D. level).
Please also note that international students have to be approved by the English Assessment Office before they can have a teaching assistantship. For additional guidance on this requirement as well as English training and certification for potential TA's available through OU, refer to the Graduate College's ETCS guide here.
Additional funding is available on a competitive basis for subsequent years of study. The English Department, in conjunction with the College of Arts & Sciences and the Graduate College, is also committed to sponsoring students' involvement in professional activities and pays many of the expenses for research travel, summer language study, and participation in academic conferences, which you can learn more about on our funding page.
M.A. and Ph.D. candidates must prove reading knowledge of one foreign language. Ideally, applicants will have language proficiency before admission, but there is sufficient time allotted for students to satisfy this requirement during their degree.
Pedagogy is an integral part of our program and we require students to participate in a pedagogical seminar in the first year. All Ph.D. students are required to fulfill a one-year teaching requirement. During the first year of graduate study, M.A. and Ph.D. students will teach one class per semester and take three courses per semester. After the first year, M.A. and Ph.D. students will teach two sections of composition courses each semester.
The People page on this website lists faculty both alphabetically by last name and by research area. Applicants are encouraged to contact faculty directly regarding research interests.
The department does not offer online or distance-learning instruction in English. Students in an English degree program are expected to be in residence.
Theoretically, it is possible to pursue either of these degrees part-time, but part-time students will run into the Graduate College’s degree deadline--although it is possible to petition for extensions of the deadline. Another problem, however, is that students studying part-time would not meet the enrollment requirements to hold an assistantship. Prospective students wanting to attend part-time should contact the department’s Director of Graduate Studies to explore the possibilities of this option in their specific case.
No, the department admits applicants only in the fall semester.
Yes. Visiting students go through the same application process as regular students, but they can do so at any time. Visitors can take our graduate classes, but they are not considered part of our program. According to the Graduate College, “Graduate Visitors are graduate students in good academic standing, seeking an advanced degree at another accredited institution. Typically, these students plan to transfer their OU coursework back to their home institution.” As graduate visitors, students have all the rights and privileges of other graduate students, except that they are not admitted to our graduate program and thus are not considered degree-seeking students at the University of Oklahoma. Should you desire to become a graduate visitor, the following rules must be followed, as instated by the Graduate College:
A student in the M.A. program may transfer a maximum of 6 credit hours for coursework done at other institutions. These transfer credit hours must be approved by the student's advisor as well as by the Director of Graduate Studies. Any plan of study approved for an M.A. student requires a minimum of 33 credit hours beyond the completion of the baccalaureate degree. The Ph.D. degree requires 57 hours beyond the 33 hours of the M.A., or 90 hours beyond the B.A. For the Ph.D. degree, a student may transfer up to 6 credit hours of coursework done at other institutions; the transfer must be approved by his or her advisory committee as well as the Director of Graduate Studies. In addition, the Director of Graduate Studies may request transcript, syllabi, and/or other course materials before approving these transfers.
The most up-to-date information about English at the University of Oklahoma can be found on this website, including faculty and graduate student interests, courses currently offered, and degree requirements. For specific questions not answerable through this site, you may reach out the Graduate Studies director or even to SAGE, the Student Association of Graduates of English.
Yes. If you wish to visit the department, contact our graduate liaison or our Director of Graduate Studies. In your email, please indicate which department members you are interested in meeting and when you wish to make your visit.
The University of Oklahoma uses an online application system; click here to begin the process.
The application fee is $50 for U.S. citizens and $100 for foreign citizens. The application website allows applicants to save data and work on their application from any computer on multiple occasions.
OU's Graduate College does not offer application waivers.
The deadline for applications to be submitted is January 5.
You are eligible for admission to graduate programs at OU as long as you have either completed a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association; or completed an international degree that is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a college or university of recognized standing. Your B.A. must also be in English or in a closely related field. The Director of Graduate Studies can help you determine what constitutes an appropriate closely related field before you apply to the department.
We are able to matriculate about 50% of all applicants, whether M.A. or Ph.D., each academic year.
In reviewing applications for our Ph.D. program, we look for evidence that the applicant will not only thrive in our graduate program, but will also go on to put the training we offer to fruitful use in an academic or non-academic career. We look for evidence of: academic potential as evidenced in past academic achievement; an understanding of, and passion for, research; and a good fit between the applicant’s interests and the interests and capabilities of our faculty.
A sample of critical or scholarly writing, no more than 25 pages long. This may be an excerpt from a longer work, such as a senior thesis. It should, however, be clear of grading comments and should preferably be in your expressed area of concentration.
We want to know what you’ve done in English or in related fields, why you want to study English and particularly why you think the University of Oklahoma is an appropriate place for you to do it. We want to know what your research interests are, and what areas of concentration you are planning to declare. If you aren’t sure yet what you plan to do in English, that’s fine, but we want to know that you have some idea of the possibilities. Don’t repeat things that we will learn from other parts of your application, such as the courses you have taken, but do highlight things you think are particularly important, and do feel free to explain any things in your other materials that you are less proud of.
We are looking for a professional self-presentation, detailing a sense of purpose in pursuing graduate studies in English, not stories about your childhood fascination with literature. The statement of purpose should be around 250-500 words (1-2 pages).
No, you do not need to take the GRE. We do not use GRE scores when considering applicants.
Possibly. If you have a degree from an English-speaking institution, you may not have to take the TOEFL. TOEFL is one of several ways that applicants can meet the English proficiency requirement. Please consult the Graduate College's ETCS page for more information regarding English proficiency assessment and paths towards certification.
If you do take the TOEFL, you will need to arrange with the Graduate College to send your TOEFL score to the University of Oklahoma using the University code 6879. The University downloads the scores from ETS on a weekly basis. Departments and programs access the scores electronically for the applicant's file. You will not need a code for the English Department, since the scores are sent directly to the University, not the department.
Yes. Your undergraduate degree should be in English or in a closely related field that would make sense for you to be admitted to our department. Please consult the Director of Graduate Studies to determine if your degree constitutes a "closely related field."
No. The prompt to upload letters of recommendation goes out to recommenders after the application has been submitted online.
All materials for admission to the M.A. and/or Ph.D. program, including letters of recommendation, must be submitted by January 5. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application materials by mid- to late February.
The purpose of submitting letters of recommendation is to give the department's faculty an indication of your ability to do scholarly research. We recommend that you ask current or former professors in your major field to submit letters of recommendation, as they would have the best idea of your research potential. If, however, no former professors are available, you can ask someone else whom you think can give a good assessment of your potential for graduate study to write the letter.
It is the quality not the quantity of letters that matters. You should submit no more than three letters.
For information on this policy, please consult the Graduate College Bulletin, which can be found on the Graduate College’s website: http://gradweb.ou.edu/
Once you have submitted your application, you can check the status of your application materials through the application website.
We make every effort to make offers of admission by the last week in February. Notices of admissions status are delivered by email. Offers of assistantships and awards will follow separately by mail.
Yes, if you complete the online application again and pay the fee. Your application should include a revised statement of purpose. We can reuse your transcripts and letters of recommendation; however, you should consider submitting new letters if they could attest to your improved suitability to the program.
Yes. Accepted students can defer their admission to the following academic year. If you are offered a teaching assistantship, however, you are not guaranteed to have one the following year; you will be considered alongside the next year’s applicant pool for assistantships.
