HOW DO I APPLY?

Timely Documents: The application for admission, together with supporting materials in unopened envelopes, is to be sent to:

Office of Admissions
The Graduate Center
The City University of New York
365 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10016

When all required items have been received, your file will be ready for review by the English Progrm's Admissions Committee. The Program cannot keep track of specific materials for individual applicants, so it is your responsibility to ensure that your materials reach the Office of Admissions before the deadline.

Each applicant is required to submit the following materials. (None of these requirements can be waived.)

1. Application Form: To obtain an application, please visit the Graduate Center Admissions Website at http://www.gc.cuny.edu/admin_offices/admissions/index.htm.

2. "Statement of Purpose": This Graduate Center application requests that you submit a "Statement of Purpose" with all application materials. The "Statement of Purpose" should be no more than two pages, double spaced. This short essay is most effective if it conveys a clear indication of your academic background and preparation for doctoral study, as well as your intellectual direction and plans.

3. Writing Sample: The writing sample should be approximately fifteen pages long. It should be an academic work that reflects your scholarly and critical abilities. Fiction writing and short stories are not accepted as samples.

4. Two Letters of Recommendation: Letters should come from individuals familiar with your academic work and your capacity to do doctoral study in literature written in English. Letters from family or friends are not accepted; these letters should come from individuals familiar with you in an academic setting. Letters should be mailed directly to you in sealed envelopes and included (unopened) in your completed application package.

5. Curriculum Vitae: current.

6. Transcripts: Official transcripts from each college or university you have attended, even if you did not enroll in courses in your field. These should also be mailed to you in sealed envelopes and included (unopened) in your completed application package.

7. GRE Scores: Official scores from both the GRE General Test and the GRE Subject Test in Literature in English. Only scores from within the last five years will be accepted. Consult the Educational Testing Service (609-771-7670; gre-info@ets.org; www.gre.org) for more information. There is no minimum GRE Score (see below).

8. Application Fee: $125, non-refundable. Please make the check or money order out to "The Graduate Center." No cash please.

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WHAT ARE THE APPLICATION DEADLINES? 

January 1, 2009: You must have a completed application with all supporting materials, including test scores and recommendations, in the Office of Admissions at the CUNY Graduate Center by January 1, 2009.

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HOW DOES THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS WORK?

Admissions Committee: Admission to the Ph.D. Program in English is very competitive (in 2004, for example, approximately 275 people applied for some 35 positions). The Admissions Committee meets once a month from early February until mid-May to review completed applications. Committee members -- ten professors and two doctoral students -- study each candidate's credentials looking particularly for five key strengths:  

solid academic record and relevant professional experience
excellent references 
strong test scores 
an articulate personal statement 
writing sample that demonstrates critical and analytical acumen 
No single item is considered in isolation.

Acceptance Decisions:  You will be notified by the Office of Admissions when the Committee reaches a decision about whether or not to admit you. These notifications begin in March and continue through June. We give careful consideration to many applications every year, and it is thus necessary to place some temporarily on hold and review them at subsequent meetings. If you have not heard from us, please contact the Office of Admissions to make sure that your application is complete before you contact the English Program. 

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CAN I APPLY TO THE CUNY GRADUATE CENTER FOR A MASTER'S DEGREE?

Not in the English Program: There is a Liberal Studies MA program at the GC -- see http://web.gc.cuny.edu/Liberalstudies for more information. Other CUNY schools offer the MA in English and other related fields -- see www.cuny.edu for more information.

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CAN I APPLY FOR THE PH.D PROGRAM IN ENGLISH IF I ONLY HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE? 

Yes. You must present at least 18 credit hours of undergraduate or graduate courses in literature in English, not including courses in writing and journalism.

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IF I ENTER WITH SOME COMPLETED GRADUATE WORK OR MASTER'S DEGREE, WILL THOSE CREDITS TRANSFER?

Transfer Credits:  The English Program will accept toward the 60 credits required for the Ph.D. a maximum of 27 credits (or the equivalent) earned in another graduate program. The usual transfer credit award is between 21 and 24 semester credits. The following restrictions apply to these 27 credits:

must have been completed with a grade of B or higher
must have been taken in English literature 
(courses in creative or professional writing are not acceptable for transfer credit)
must be comparable to courses offered by the Ph.D. Program in English at The Graduate Center

Decisions: One of the Program's Deputy Executive Officers evaluates each entering student's work in another graduate program and sends written word, usually before the end of the Fall Semester, regarding the amount of credit that will be accepted in the English Program.

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WHAT IS THE AVERAGE OR MINIMUM GRE SCORE?  

No Minimum Score: There is no average or minimum score for the GRE. Although the tests are a requirement, each application is reviewed as a whole, with all elements of the application package carefully considered.  (See #7 in "How do I apply?" for more information.)

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WHAT KIND OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS OFFERED TO INCOMING STUDENTS?

General Financial Assistance: Because CUNY is a public institution, the English Program is able to offer only limited financial aid. A brochure, published annually, detailing all forms of financial aid available from The Graduate Center is available from the Financial Aid Office.

English Program Financial Assistance: Financial assistance to students in the Ph.D. Program in English comes in two forms (fellowships and loans) and from two principal sources (The Graduate Center and the English Program). For most of our students, adjunct teaching positions at one of the CUNY undergraduate colleges are the main source of support; these are initially arranged through our network of teaching internships.  During the past dozen years, we have been able to secure such positions for all students in the Program who have wanted one. In addition, supplemental fellowship aid is awarded to a small number of students. A brochure, published annually, detailing all forms of financial aid available from The Graduate Center is available from the Financial Aid Office.

Fellowships:  The following highly selective fellowships are awarded by The Graduate Center to incoming students based on the English Program's recommendations from its pool of competitive applicants whose dossiers are complete and in the Office of Admissions by 1 January.

Robert E. Gilleece Fellowships: Offered to incoming students demonstrating exceptional academic credentials, a Robert E. Gilleece Fellowship consists of a stipend of $16,000 per year plus full tuition for each of a student's first four years. The criteria for selection are outstanding scholarly merit and promise. Gilleece Fellows perform research assignments during the academic year as designated by the Executive Officer. MAGNET Program-President's Four-Year-Fellowships: The Minority Access/Graduate Networking (MAGNET) Program seeks to recruit and retain African-American and Latina/o students who show extraordinary academic potential. The President's fellowships award a student $16,000, plus full tuition, for each of the first four years of study. MAGNET Fellows perform research assignments during the academic year as designated by the Executive Officer. Individuals may apply for a MAGNET award independently of the nomination by an academic program. Applications and information may be obtained from the Office of Educational Opportunity and Diversity Programs (Room 8306; telephone: 212/817-8285; fax: 212/817-1516; eodp@gc.cuny.edu). The Mario Capelloni Fellowship: The Mario Capelloni Fellowship supports an entering or advanced-level student in the humanities, social sciences, or sciences with a stipend of $16,000 and in-state tuition coverage for one year. Academic merit is the sole criterion in the selection process. Geoffrey Marshall Fellowships: The Geoffrey Marshall Fellowship is an award of $16,000 plus the cost of tuition for the first two years of a graduate student's period of study. The award is based on an individual's demonstrated academic excellence and promise. Research assignments are carried out by Marshall Fellowship holders at the discretion of the Executive Officer. The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Graduate School Fellowship: The Harold McGraw, Jr. Fellowship, offered to an incoming student in the humanities, carries a stipend of $12,000 plus in-state tuition coverage for one year. The criteria are demonstrated academic excellence and extraordinary promise in the chosen field. University Fellowships: CUNY-funded University Fellowships are available to full-time doctoral students depending on the candidate's academic merit and financial need. Students holding University Fellowships perform research assignments during the academic year as designated by the Executive Officer. University Tuition Stipends: Awards covering all or part of the cost of tuition are based on a combination of merit and need. The stipends exist in limited numbers, vary in amount, and cannot exceed the amount of full tuition.

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WHAT KIND OF HOUSING ASSISTANCE IS OFFERED TO INCOMING STUDENTS?

The Office of Residence Life: Housing assistance is run by the Student Affairs office.  Information on housing (rooms or apartments/ shares/ sublets/ rentals) in the metropolitan area is posted regularly at The Graduate Center. A bulletin board at The Graduate Center lists both available apartments and students' requests for shares or other particular housing arrangements. Entering students interested in obtaining housing assistance should contact the Student Affairs Office at 212-817-7400.

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Whom can I contact if I still have questions? If you still have questions, please contact Nancy Silverman, the Assistant Program Officer
email: english@gc.cuny.edu
phone: 212.817.8315

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