English Department Graduate Admission Requirements

You must first apply and be approved to Ball State’s Graduate School or International Admissions.

Prepare and submit these materials:

1. A statement of purpose (750-1000 words) detailing your academic and intellectual biography and your purpose in seeking a graduate degree at Ball State University. 
2. A sample of your scholarly or critical writing, preferably a paper written for a class. The writing sample should exemplify your best work. The writing sample can be a revised class paper or a section from an undergraduate or master’s thesis. It should reflect your ability to write well, analyze, and engage with scholarly debates and research. If you do not have a sample of academic work, write a new paper on a subject related to the previous or proposed field of study.
   
   Suggested page length: 8–15 pp double-spaced for MA applicants; 10-20 pp double-spaced for the English PhD application in Literature and 15-25 pp double-spaced for PhD applicants in either Rhetoric and Composition or Applied Linguistics.
   
   Note: Instead of scholarly or critical writing, creative writing applicants should submit a creative writing sample in either fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or some combination of genres (15 pages maximum; poetry can be single-spaced, of course). 
3. Three letters of recommendation, to be sent by the recommenders directly to the director of English graduate programs: 
   
               Jill C. Christman, Assistant Chair 
               Graduate and Undergraduate Programs 
               Department of English 
               Ball State University 
               Muncie, IN 47306 
4. Official transcript(s) to be sent from all universities and colleges attended directly to the Graduate School. To be considered for admission, the English master's programs require a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher, while the English doctoral programs require a minimum GPA of 3.3 or higher from a master's program (or equivalent).
5. Records of your standardized test scores. 
   
   Master's Programs:
   Native speakers of English must submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. Non-native speakers of English must submit either Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores; if submitting TOEFL scores in lieu of GRE scores for English Department admission, the MA English (Rhetoric and Composition), MA Linguistics, MA TESOL, and MA Linguistics and TESOL require the same minimum TOEFL score of 550 PBT (or equivalent) as the Rinker Center for International Programs requires for admission.
   
   Doctoral Programs:
   The doctoral programs in English require Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores for ALL applicants.  Non-native speakers of English must ALSO submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores of at least 575 PBT (or equivalent).

• For information about standardized tests, contact the Educational Testing Service: Graduate Record Examination (GRE), 609-771-7670 or TOEFL, 215-750-8050
• For applicants sending GRE scores electronically, the score must be submitted directly to Ball State University from Educational Testing Service (ETS), Ball State University's code is 1051.
• The Rinker Center for International Programs lists these testing/score requirements on their Admissions page: Official TOEFL scores must be sent directly to Ball State University from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Ball State University's code is 1051.

The three doctoral programs admit new students for the fall semester only and applications must be complete by January 15 (i.e., the application deadline for fall 2014 consideration is January 15, 2014).  Applications to the master's programs in rhetoric and composition, linguistics, TESOL and TESOL/linguistics are reviewed in February and must be complete by January 15.   The master's programs in creative writing, literature, and general have "rolling admissions" and are reviewed throughout the year.

The application deadline for fall 2013 admission consideration to the master's programs in rhetoric and composition, linguistics, TESOL, and TESOL/linguistics and the doctoral programs in applied linguistics, literature, and rhetoric and composition has passed.  The application deadline was January 31, 2013. These programs do NOT admit for spring or summer admission. The master's programs in creative writing, literature, and general have "rolling admission." 

Assistantships deadline: If you wish to be considered for an assistantship, complete your application by January 15.

• If you are a new applicant and wish to be considered for an assistantship, be sure to check the appropriate box on the Graduate School application.
• If you are a continuing student, pick up the assistantship application form from the graduate programs office, Robert Bell 295, and turn it in by January 15.
• Decisions about assistantships are generally made in March and announced in April.

Be sure to note that not all documents are sent to the same place.

U.S. Citizens

• Submit your materials, except the statement of purpose, writing sample, and the three letters of recommendation, to the Graduate School.
• Submit your statement of purpose, writing sample, and ask your recommenders to send their letters to:

Ball State University
Department of English
Graduate Programs Office, RB 295
Muncie, IN 47306

International Students

• Submit your materials, except the statement of purpose, writing sample, and three letters of recommendation, to the Rinker Center for International Programs.
• Submit your statement of purpose, writing sample, and ask your recommenders to send their letters to:

Ball State University 
Department of English 
Graduate Programs Office, Robert Bell 295
Muncie, IN 47306
USA

Notification

We notify applicants about admission decisions as quickly as possible.

For all programs, departmental approval for admission is based upon evaluation of these criteria.  No incomplete files are considered; you are responsible for ensuring that your admission file is complete.  Apply early; transcripts and test scores take weeks, often months, to arrive.

While we cannot routinely contact you about missing items, you may:

• Visit the English graduate office (Robert Bell 295) or e-mail Shawna Sewell.
• Call us at 765-285-8415 to check on the status of your file.
• International applicants: Call the Rinker Center for International Programs at 765-285-5422 or by e-mail.

Please contact us if you have any questions.