Earning the Master's degree
This page provides an overview of the Department of English's terminal master's degree. For information on the MA/PhD degree program and pre-doctoral MA, see Doctorate Program.
Degree requirements for the terminal master's degree:
- 10 graduate courses or 8 courses (24 credits)
- Master's Thesis (6 credits)
- Students may transfer credit for 2 graduate-level English courses taken at other schools or at UMass before their formal admission to the Graduate English Program (courses counted toward a completed degree are not eligible for transfer).
- While in the MA program at UMass Amherst, students may also take 2 courses in departments outside of English.
Admission to the Master's Degree Program
Application materials
- Personal Statement – We place great weight on your personal statement. This statement is your opportunity to articulate your interests and get the committee interested in you, in your potential as a professional and as a human being. (Recommended length: 3-4 double-spaced pages.)
- Writing Sample – We require a writing sample which demonstrates your ability to do critical work in your chosen area of interest within English studies. It should be no more than 20 pages long.
- Recommendations – Excellent recommendations by your professors (a minimum of two) are essential. You may want to provide your recommenders with copies of your college or university transcripts, papers you wrote for their course(s), and a brief résumé of your accomplishments, both academic and professional.
- GPA and Transcripts – We look carefully at your course preparation and GPA. Nearly all of the students we accept have an undergraduate GPA of 3.3 or better.
Standardized Tests
International Students
For international students who are not from English-speaking countries, the UMass Amherst Graduate School accepts the following:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): Minimum combined score of 80. We accept results from the in-person version or the iBT Home Edition only. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Scores.
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic): Minimum combined score of 6.5
- Duolingo English Test: Minimum overall score of 105
- Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic): Minimum overall score of 53
We do not accept results from the IELTS Indicator, the TOEFL ITP Plus for China, or TOEFL Essentials. The Graduate School does not superscore any English language proficiency tests (e.g. we do not accept the ETS MyBest Score set).
All Students - GRE
The Department of English does not require the GRE General Test or the GRE Subject Test for admission to our program.
Paying for Graduate School
For the most current costs and fees see the University bursar’s website.
Students in the MA-only program are not eligible for assistantships in the English department or Writing Program. They may be eligible to apply for positions elsewhere on campus; please visit Graduate Assistantship Job Opportunities for more listing and information.
Application Deadline (December 15)
The deadline is December 15.
Submit Your Applications
Admission
To apply for graduate ADMISSION, you must apply online to the UMass Graduate School. All accompanying materials that are not submitted digitally should be mailed directly to the Graduate School.
Graduate Admissions
530 Goodell Building
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003
@email
413.577.0010
Contact the Graduate Program at the Department of English
Brianna Mason, Graduate Administrator
Email: bmason@umass.edu
Phone: 413-545-2071
Graduate Studies in English
W329 South College
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003