Graduate Admissions
How to Apply for Admission to a Graduate Program in English
To apply for a graduate program in English at Virginia Tech (MA, MFA, PhD) you will send some materials to the Graduate School and some to the Department of English.
All programs require
- Online application at the Graduate School
- Transcripts
- GRE scores
- 3 letters of recommendation
- a writing sample. The writing sample varies depending on the degree program.
- For international applicants: TOEFL scores
- For MFA and PhD students: a phone interview
An on-campus interview is an option for all three degrees.
Apply to the Graduate School
Select a degree program (listed alphabetically by degree content)
- English: MA in English
- Creative Writing: MFA in Creative Writing
- Rhetoric and Writing: PhD in Rhetoric and Writing
The application form will ask for responses to these questions:
- Why do you want to undertake graduate work? Why in this particular field?
- What are your career objectives?
- Do you have in mind a specific concentration within your major? If so, outline briefly, giving reasons for your interest in this area.
You have the option of inviting writers of recommendations to submit their letters online or to send them to the department on paper. You can download the reference form here. You will need the phone number and email address of each reference who submits a reference online.
In addition to completing the online form, send these materials to the Graduate School:
- Report of the GRE General Test; Virginia Tech's code is #005859
- Official transcripts from all colleges or universities where you received undergraduate or graduate degrees (bachelor's level or higher) and from any other graduate work you have completed
Send materials to the Department of English
Terri Whaling, 323 Shanks (0112), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
- Three letters of recommendation
Usually these letters will be from professors who can predict your success in graduate study. Professors of upper-level or graduate English courses can tell us about your most mature work in English courses. MFA applicants should include recommendations from people who can assess their potential as creative writers. - Writing sample
MA in English
This writing sample (probably a course paper) should demonstrate your ability to do academic writing. The length is 10-20 pages, but the selection committee is more interested in its demonstration of academic writing than in a page count.
MFA in Creative Writing
One of these (please select the genre in which you plan to specialize):- A 25-page portfolio of original fiction (stories or novel excerpts)
- An original one-act play, or excerpts from an original full-length play
- An original 15-page portfolio of poems
PhD in Rhetoric and Writing:
- Transcript(s) from all colleges or universities from which you have completed degrees or earned graduate credit. (You will send transcripts both to the department and to the Graduate School.) These transcripts must be official copies, not photocopies or from websites.
About the GRE Test www.gre.org
The three graduate programs in English require only the GRE general test, not the subject test.
In the Blacksburg area, the GRE test is administered by
Thomson Prometric Test Center
Phone: (540)344-3688
2004 Stephenson Avenue
Roanoke, VA 24014
For other locations, please go to www.gre.org or www.prometric.com.
What we are looking for in graduate students and how we select
Our goal is to admit students who are likely to succeed in completing the requirements for the degree and whose interests can be supported by this department. All of the information we collect in the application helps us evaluate your potential for graduate study and the match of your interests with our strengths.
These materials include your writing sample, personal statement on the Graduate School application, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, transcripts, and any additional information you provide, such as leadership or work experience or special skills. No one component (such as a GRE score) ensures admission nor precludes it; we make a judgment based on the entire application.
The MFA program seeks a balance of students specializing in the various genres.
Teaching experience or other workplace or volunteer experience may add value to an application because of what they tell us about applicants and the richness of life experience that the applicant brings to the university community.
How to apply for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) or Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA)
A question on the Graduate School application asks whether you want to be considered for a teaching assistantship. If you check yes, you will automatically be added to our list of candidates. All new GTA positions begin in the fall semester.
Deadlines
Students who wish to be eligible for university-supported campus visits in February should complete their applications by early January. (The department may nominate a total of three students.)
The English Department begins review of applications in early February. Students who wish to be considered for teaching or research assistantships will have the best chances for this award if their applications are complete by then.
The admissions committees will continue to review applications through the spring and until fall classes are full.