Admission

A student wishing to enter the Ph.D. program must hold (or anticipate holding upon matriculation) at least a B.A. degree (or the equivalent) in English (or an allied field). The English Department offers two tracks for admission to the Ph.D. program:

1. A student entering the Ph.D. program with a B.A. only will be guaranteed initial support at a level equivalent to that for an M.A. student, i.e. $16,000 per year (plus tuition waiver and health insurance) for two years. Upon completion of 30 hours of required coursework, the student will be guaranteed five additional years of support at $18,500 per year (plus tuition waiver and health insurance).

If at the time of application a student is judged not directly admissible to the Ph.D. program, admission to the M.A. program may be offered instead. At the conclusion of the M.A., the student may reapply for admission to the Ph.D. program. If the reapplication is successful, up to 30 hours of unrestricted course work for the Ph.D. may be waived at the discretion of the program supervisor.

2. A student entering the Ph.D. program with an M.A. degree in hand will be guaranteed five years of support at $18,500 per year (plus tuition waiver and health insurance). Up to 30 hours of unrestricted course work may be waived at the discretion of the program supervisor.

The applicant must supply the following:

academic transcripts from all previous postsecondary institutions;
a sample or samples of strong critical writing in literary or cultural studies (approx. 20-25 pp. total);
three letters of recommendation; and
a statement of purpose (approx. 2-3 pp.).

Non-native English speakers must present TOEFL scores of at least 550 for the paper-based exam or 79 for the Internet-based exam; or IETLS scores of at least 6.5.

The Ph.D. Admissions Committee is responsible for evaluating all application materials and for making admissions decisions.

The graduate application deadline is January 5th.

Application Materials:

The following materials should be submitted through the University Graduate Application:

Graduate Admission Application
Writing Sample
Personal Statement
Three Letters of Recommendation
Non-native English speakers must present TOEFL Scores

In addition, applications require:

Applicants are encouraged to submit their application with unofficial transcripts from all previously attended institutions. Submitting unofficial transcripts speeds up the application review process as most graduate programs make admission decisions using unofficial transcripts. If you are offered acceptance, you are required to submit official transcripts from all previously attended institutions to be fully admitted into your intended graduate program. You will not be able to register for classes until the official transcripts are received. Learn more on the WVU Admitted Graduate Students page.
The preferred method to submit your official transcripts is through a secure, online service such as eScript, The National Clearing House, or Parchment, to graduateadmissions@mail.wvu.edu. Alternatively, if you are unable to submit an electronic version of your official transcript, the physical, sealed, un-tampered with documents can be mailed to: WVU Graduate Admissions, P.O. Box 6510, Morgantown, WV 26506 OR WVU Graduate Admissions, 1 Waterfront Pl, 2nd Fl, Morgantown, WV 26501

For additional information about the Ph.D. Program, please contact Dr. Adam Komisaruk, Ph.D. Program Coordinator.

Email: akomisar@wvu.edu