Students: Graduate Information

Admission to the Ph.D. Program (External Applicants)

Admission to the Ph.D. program requires an M.A. degree in English from an accredited university, a G.P.A. of 3.6 or higher in previous graduate work, and a GRE score of 600 or better on the verbal and at least 4.5 on the analytical writing portions of the General test. Applicants who have an M.A. degree in another field will ordinarily be required to complete an M.A. in English before applying for the Ph.D., although the Department does occasionally admit students with other degrees who have also done significant work in English studies. International students who have completed an English M.A. in a language other than English will also ordinarily be asked to complete a second M.A. before applying for the Ph.D.

All admissions are made for Autumn Quarter; the application deadline for Autumn 2010 is December 15, 2009. NOTE: If you are an international applicant and wish to be considered for a University Fellowship, the application deadline is earlier: November 30, 2009. All applicants to the Ph.D. program who have received their M.A. degrees from an institution other than Ohio State must provide the following items.

Please ensure that you send the different parts of your Ph.D. application to the right places.

Send the following items:

the completed application form (submit online at http://www.gradadmissions.osu.edu)
the application fee
official transcript of each academic record (both graduate and undergraduate work)

To this address for Domestic applicants:

The Ohio State University
Graduate Admissions
PO Box 182004
Columbus, OH 43218-2004

To this address for International applicants:

The Ohio State University
Graduate International Admissions
PO Box 182083
Columbus, OH 43218-2083

Send the following items (Please note that the writing sample, personal statement, transcripts, and curriculum vitae/résumé cannot be submitted electronically, they must be mailed directly to the English department):

three letters of recommendation (we strongly recommend that these be from English professors) (these may be submitted by your recommenders either as hard copies OR electronically using the link that will be provided if you select this option when you submit your application online);
an autobiographical statement (two single-spaced pages) that describes your background in English studies and your purpose in pursuing graduate work; this statement should address both your scholarly interests and teaching interests and experience;
a 12-20 page sample of your best scholarly work;
official transcript of each academic record for both graduate and undergraduate work (students who matriculate will be required to submit a final graduate transcript when they enter the Ph.D. program);
an official report of your GRE General Test scores (Note: GRE Institution code 1592 and Department code 2501 will ensure that your scores will be sent to both Admissions and to the Department of English; for information about the GRE, please visit the Educational Testing Service website: www.ets.org);
curriculum vitae/résumé of no more than two pages with a clearly stated sentence at the beginning of the CV that declares your scholarly area of interest(s), for example: American literature and queer theory or 18th-century poetry, postcolonial theory, and women writers.

To this address:

Department of English Graduate Program
Ohio State University
421 Denney Hall
164 W. 17th Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210-1370

Please Note: Do not include your Social Security Number on any of your application materials. Two official transcripts must be sent with your application materials: one to the Admissions office, and one to the English Department.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all application materials reach the department in time; please consider including a self-addressed, stamped postcard with pertinent identifying information, so that we may confirm receipt of your materials. For example, you might write on your postcard, "This confirms that OSU has received Jane Smith’s letter of recommendation from Professor X."

Please send your materials to the English Graduate Studies Office well before the deadline; incomplete applications will not be considered. The Graduate Studies Office can be reached at 614-292-7919 or via e-mail at graduateenglish@osu.edu.

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