English Graduate Application and Admissions
Ph.D. Applications
(M.A. not required for admission, all admitted Ph.D.'s are funded):
January 4, 2021
Spring M.A. Applications (without financial aid consideration):
November 6, 2020
Summer M.A. Applications (without financial aid consideration):
January 4, 2021
Fall M.A. Applications (with financial aid consideration):
March 15, 2021
Fall M.A. Applications (without financial aid consideration):
Accelerated Admission M.A. Program
Recommended Deadline: April 5, 2021
Rolling Admissions Begin: April 6, 2021
Statement of Intent
Your Statement of Intent should characterize your identity as a literary scholar and your aspirations as a graduate student of literature at Fordham. It should detail your intellectual preparation for such study in an undergraduate and/or Master’s degree program, and describe in specific terms your current research interests—the questions, texts, authors, genres, periods, and/or traditions in which you are most engaged (500 words). Apply through The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences online application. Completed applications include:
Ph.D. Applicants must select an Area of Interest from:
| Ph.D. in English |
| Early American Literature Early Modern/Renaissance Literature Medieval Literature Nineteenth-Century American Literature Nineteenth-Century British Literature Old English Twentieth and Twenty-First Century American Literature Twentieth and Twenty-First Century British Literature |
Writing Sample
Instructions: Your writing sample should be an original scholarly essay between fifteen (15) and thirty (30) pages, preferably written for an upper-level literature course. Ideally, it should reflect your scholarly interests and intellectual potential. The sample must be written in English and may be uploaded either as a Word or PDF document. Note: applicants who do not have a 15-page sample may submit two shorter samples (for example, 2 papers of 10 pages each would be acceptable).
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Transcripts: International transcripts should be translated.
- CV or resume: Include your full legal name, permanent and local/current addresses and contact numbers, and any relevant professional and scholarly experience (max 5 pages).
- Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores: Due to the impact of COVID 19 on standardized testing, GRE scores are optional for both the Ph.D and M.A. programs for the 2020-2021 admissions cycle. Applicants who wish to submit GRE scores may do so, but scores are not required (scores should be sent directly by the testing service to the Office of Graduate Admissions, Fordham University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences – Code #2259)
- GRE Subject Test in Literature: NOT required for M.A. or Ph.D. applications.
- Application fee of $70 or as otherwise posted on GSAS Admissions.
- TOEFL test results must be submitted by International Applicants:
International applicants whose native language is not English are required to complete and submit to GSAS prior to matriculation their official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). GSAS will also consider a student’s International English Language Testing System (IELTS)—Cambridge English Proficiency Level language testing results and the Duolingo English Test (DET) as an assessment of your English competency.
Official TOEFL, IELTS, or DET scores should be sent directly by the testing service to the Office of Graduate Admissions, Fordham University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences – code #2259. Please consult the English Proficiency web page for additional information.
Minimum score requirements for most programs:
Exam Score TOEFL iBT 100 IELTS 7.0 band score DET 120
Note: Students who have completed a degree (undergraduate or graduate) at an English-language university are exempt from the TOEFL requirement.
For questions about the Graduate Program, please write to gradenglish@fordham.edu.
For questions about the online application, contact the Admissions Office of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at fuga@fordham.edu.