Admissions

ADMISSIONS INFORMATION

Application deadline

In January 2024, we will begin review of all completed applications for those wishing to begin in the 2024-2025 academic year (starting August 2024). We will continue reviewing as applications are completed after January 15. All applicants are encouraged to complete a request for an assistantship.

**MA in Literary and Textual Studies Application Deadline has been extended to February 12th. 

Applicants do not need to have a thesis advisor secured to apply. Students will develop relationships with faculty and should work to secure an advisor during their first year.

Certificate Programs

If you are interested in completing the certificate program in scientific and technical communication, women's studies, TESOL, or ethnic studies in addition to your MA in Literary and Textual Studies, please visit these links below to see the requirements:

Scientific and Technical Communication Certificate

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Certificate

Ethnic Studies Certificate

TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Language) Certificate

Creative Writing Certificate

Prospective Graduate Student Visit Day

Prospective graduate students are invited to a visit day with the English Department February, 25, 2023. More details, including the official date, will be released soon.

HOW TO APPLY

The information below explains each portion of the application process.

1. APPLICATION OVERVIEW

Your application to the MA in English specialization in Literary and Textual Studies (MA LTS) consists of an online application administered by BGSU's Graduate College Admissions. The application requirements are explained below and within the application system. All portions of the application are submitted through the online application system. On January 15, 2024, we will begin review of complete applications.

2. COMPLETE THE ONLINE APPLICATION

Program, term, and assistantships

• Within the online application, there is a page entitled "Academic Interest."
• On the "Academic Interest" page, choose:
  • Degree Type: Master's.
  • Program of Study: English: Literary and Textual Studies Specialization – MA (Face to Face Program).
  • Intended Enrollment Status: the vast majority of our applicants choose "Full-Time."
    
  • Campus: MAIN - Main Campus.
  • Do you wish to be considered for a graduate assistantship? Only applicants for Full-Time status can be considered for a graduate assistantship. Answer "Yes" if you wish to be considered for a GA position that includes a tuition scholarship and GA stipend. See the "Admissions Information" tab above for more information.
    
  • Start term: Fall.
    

Application Fee

The current application fee is $45 for US students, $75 for international students.

Transcripts and GPA

To be eligible for admission to the MA in English program, candidates are ordinarily expected to have an overall GPA of at least 2.8 and an English GPA of 3.2. However, lower GPAs will be considered; we will take into account the entirety of the application.

GRE Scores

In keeping with the policy of BGSU’s Graduate College, the GRE requirement is waived for all applicants to the MA Literary and Textual Studies who apply for admission to the Fall 2023 cohort.

Applicants with an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a U.S. 4.0 scale (or its equivalent) and applicants with a previous graduate degree from an accredited university are not required to submit standardized test scores. After Spring 2024, applicants who do not meet the GPA requirement or who do not have a previous graduate degree will find that the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test is the preferred test for our programs.

In certain situations, we can accept a passing or strong passing score on certain other state-approved teacher licensure exam in the English or Language Arts field, with approval of the English Department Graduate Coordinator.

TOEFL or IELTS scores (as required)

The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores are required only for students whose first language is not English. We generally look for a TOEFL score of 100 or higher (and a written score of 25 or higher), or the equivalent for the IELTS exam. If your first language is English you do not need to submit these scores. If your first language is not English but you attended an undergraduate institution in which all instruction (save foreign language instruction) was conducted in English, you might not need to submit these scores. Check with BGSU's Graduate College if you have any questions.

Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should be roughly two pages (double-spaced) and should describe your academic background (and career, if applicable), your preparation for an MA in English program, and your interests and motivation for pursuing the MA in English with a specialization in Literary and Textual Studies at BGSU. 

Critical Writing Sample(s)

The critical writing sample you submit as part of your application should demonstrate your writing ability,  your preparation for graduate-level academic writing, and your ability to make an analytical argument about a literary work and/or a theoretical concept or field. The critical writing sample should be roughly 10-15 double-spaced pages long. If you do not have a single writing sample of that length, two or more shorter samples can be accepted.

The critical writing sample should demonstrate your academic writing and literary/theoretical analysis skills at the point that you apply. If your writing sample comes from an essay written for your undergraduate studies, you are encouraged to revise that work to make it the best work it can be before submitting your application. Put your best foot forward with your writing sample!

Letters of Recommendation

You should request three letters of recommendation from academic references--generally professors from your undergraduate institution--who can attest to your academic ability, your critical thinking skills, your academic writing abilities, your responsibility as a student, etc. Letters should be from academic references, not from people who are primarily friends or from fellow students from a previous or current educational institution.

It is your responsibility to contact potential recommenders in advance and be sure that they are willing and able to write and submit your letter by our application deadline. Be sure to get the contact information for that recommender (including their institutional email address). You will then enter information about each recommender in the online application. The recommender will receive an email from the BGSU application system requesting that the recommender submit a letter electronically. Once you enter a recommender in the application, you cannot remove that person from the list. However, if something prevents one of your original three recommenders from being able to supply a letter, you can enter additional recommenders into the system.

Follow this link to begin the Application.