Admissions - introduction

Introduction | FAQ

General Information
The department considers applications only once each year; there is no mid-year or rolling admission. The GRE General Test (no subject test) is required for admission into all programs, except the MA in TESOL. For TESOL (Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages) and Linguistics deadlines and requirements, please visit the TESOL site.

Prospective students are encouraged to visit the department faculty pages, which provide information about individual faculty teaching and research interests. Program requirements are available by clicking on the appropriate degree to the right.

Financial aid is available to entering students. Underrepresented graduate applicants may apply to graduate school through Project 1000.

Deadlines
Materials must be received by the Office of Graduate Studies by the date below:

Directions
When you apply for admission to one of our programs, you will submit materials to two places: 1) the Graduate College and 2) the English Department's Graduate Studies Office. Non-degree students must also follow the same application procedures.

1). The Graduate College requires you to submit the following materials directly to its Basic Credentials unit at:

Office of Admissions and Records (MC 018)
University of Illinois at Chicago
Box 5220
Chicago, IL 60680-5220

• Non-refundable application fee of US $50.00 (US $60.00 for international students)
• Graduate College Admission Application (may be submitted online)
• Official transcripts
• Official general GRE test scores, no more than 5 years old (the Institution Code for reporting official scores is 1851)

2). The English Department requires you to submit the following materials directly to the Director of Graduate Studies at:

Department of English (MC 162)
Graduate Admissions
University of Illinois at Chicago
601 S. Morgan St.
Chicago, IL 60607-7120

• Fill out and attach the following Admissions Review Cover Sheet
• Statement of purpose (a statement of about 500 words presenting the applicant's reasons for wishing to pursue graduate work in English, and relating that work to professional and other goals)
• Unofficial copies of your transcripts (can be printouts of your course history or copies of official transcripts)
• Informal record of your GPA and GRE scores (your written statement of what they are is sufficient; scores should be no more than 5 years old)
• Writing sample of no more than 20 pages in an area reflective of your graduate research interests
• Applications for the Program for Writers should be approximately 20 pages of prose and/or 5 to 8 poems. Students must include 2 copies of their writing samples. Poetry may be single-spaced but prose must be double-spaced, and all samples should use a font no smaller than 12 pts. Please indicate whether the prose is creative nonfiction, short fiction or an excerpt from a novel. Do not send xeroxes from magazines or web-published material printed directly from the website. Applicants may, in addition, send a sample of literary criticism of no more than 20 pages.
• Application for Graduate Appointment (financial aid and/or Teaching Assistantship), if applicable
• Three letters of recommendation; please sign and give Letter of Recommendation cover sheet to each person writing a letter for you. This sheet accompanies but does not replace the actual letter.

Please remember to self-report your GPA and your GRE scores in a brief letter as part of the materials sent directly to the Department of English. While we will receive your official GPA and GRE records from the Graduate College eventually, there are often delays in the process. Self-reporting your averages and scores will greatly enhance our ability to evaluate your materials in a timely manner. Our admission decisions will be made official when the GPA and GRE scores you report are matched with the official ones on record with the Graduate College.

International applicants
International applicants are encouraged to visit the Graduate College's Information for International Applicants, for details on how to apply, and for downloadable application forms.

Questions?
Visit our FAQ page.