Graduate Admissions
We appreciate your interest in the Graduate Program in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of New Mexico. The following information should be useful to you as you prepare your application.
Our application process requires students wishing to apply to submit all materials to the UNM Office of Admissions, rather than to the Department of English. All materials must be submitted to the Office of Admissions by January 15th for consideration to a Graduate Program beginning in the Fall of that same year.
International students wishing to apply should submit materials to the Office of International Admissions.
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Once you have submitted your application, you will hear a decision regarding your admission status no later than April 15th.
If after reading this page you have any further questions regarding the application process, please contact the English Graduate Advisor:
(505) 277-4437
Humanities 267
You can also contact the English Department:
(505) 277-6347
Assistantships
A Teaching Assistantship is our primary financial award to a graduate student for part-time work in teaching or research while the student pursues study toward an advanced degree. Students wishing to be considered for a Teaching Assistantship or other Assistantship will need to apply for a Teaching Assistantship within their online application for general admission. See Applying for an MA or PhD and Applying for an MFA below. More information on Assistantships is available on the Funding page.
Program-Specific Requirements
Applying for an MA or PhD
Applicants seeking an MA in Literature, Medieval Studies, or Rhetoric and Writing, as well as those seeking a PhD in Literature, Medieval Studies, or Rhetoric and Writing, will need to supply the following materials:
Letter of Intent
Your Letter of Intent has two parts: Part A, Letter of Intent; Part B, Teaching Assistantship Letter.
In Part A, the Letter of Intent, you have the opportunity to tell the English program faculty about yourself formally, including your areas of interest, previous relevant experience, and academic goals. Your letter, which should not exceed 1,000 words, should also indicate how you envision yourself and your work within the strengths of the prospective program of study. As admission is granted to select candidates whom core faculty believe will best be served by UNM’s specific program, it will be helpful for faculty to know why you are choosing UNM.
In Part B, the Teaching Assistantship Letter, you should address your reasons, preparation, and objectives for teaching English courses at the college level. This letter should be well-developed, concise, and be approximately 250-500 words.
Writing Sample
A Writing Sample must also accompany your application. PhD applicants should submit a 20-page research paper that demonstrates analytical strengths and critical writing skills. MA applicants may submit two 10-page research papers.
Letters of Recommendation (minimum 3)
A minimum of three Letters of Recommendation are required. You will be prompted in the online application screen to provide the names, email addresses, and affiliations of your three recommenders, who will then be requested electronically to provide your recommendations. Letters of Recommendation will not be accepted via any outside online service, such as Interfolio.
If you are applying for an assistantship, two of the three letters of recommendation required for your admission to an English graduate program should address your potential as a teacher. If two of your three academic recommenders cannot speak to your potential as a teacher, you may include additional professional references instead. The department will accept up to a maximum of five letters of recommendation.
GRE Scores
The MA and PhD do not have a GRE requirement.
Prior Study/Degree
Applicants for the MA program must hold a Bachelor's degree in English, or, in exceptional circumstances as approved by the Graduate Admissions Committee, in a cognate discipline such as Comparative Languages and Literature, Cultural Studies, American Studies, or Linguistics.
Applicants for the PhD program must hold a Master's degree in English, or, in exceptional circumstances as approved by the Graduate Admissions Committee, in a cognate discipline such as Comparative Languages and Literature, Cultural Studies, American Studies, or Linguistics.
Academic Transcripts
Unofficial Academic Transcripts
All applicants are required to submit unofficial academic transcripts with their application by the deadline of January 15th. These transcripts must be submitted in the online section designated towards transcripts.
Official Academic Transcripts
Upon notification and acceptance of admission, an Official Transcript must be submitted from each academic institution you have attended (with the exception of the University of New Mexico). DO NOT SEND ANY TRANSCRIPTS DIRECTLY TO THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT. Instead, each institution should send one copy of your transcript(s) directly to the appropriate office below:
Domestic applicants should have official transcripts sent to:
UNM Admissions
PO Box 4895
Albuquerque, NM 87196-4849
apply@unm.edu
International applicants should have transcripts sent to:
Office of International Admissions
1 University of New Mexico
MSC06 3850
Mesa Vista Hall, Room 2120
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001.
goglobal@unm.edu
If you have the transcript(s) sent directly to you, do not open the transcript envelopes. Those that have been opened or tampered with will be considered unofficial and will delay the admissions process. Please order your transcripts early to avoid missing the departmental deadline for submitting official transcripts.
Applying for an MFA
Applicants seeking an MFA in Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, or Poetry will need to submit the following materials:
Letter of Intent
Your Letter of Intent has two parts: Part A, Letter of Intent; Part B, Teaching Assistantship Letter.
In Part A, the Letter of Intent, you have the opportunity to tell Creative Writing program faculty about yourself. Include relevant experience, both in and outside the classroom, literary influences, and goals. Prospective students are advised to research the MFA program before submitting an application. As admission is granted to select candidates whom core faculty believe will best be served by UNM’s specific program, it will be helpful for faculty to know why you’re choosing UNM’s MFA. Your letter, which should not exceed 1,000 words, should indicate how you envision yourself and your work within the strengths of the program.
In Part B, the Teaching Assistantship Letter, you should address your reasons, preparation, and objectives for teaching English courses at the college level. This letter should be well-developed, concise, and be approximately 250-500 words.
Writing Sample
A Writing Sample must accompany your application and provides the criteria that faculty refer to most often when discussing whom to admit. Applicants should submit their writing sample according to genre:
- a portfolio of ten to fifteen poems not to exceed 20 pages in length; or
- one or multiple stories, or a novel excerpt, not to exceed a total of 7500 words; or
- 15-20 pages of non-fiction prose.
In all cases, your writing sample should represent your best work to date.
Letters of Recommendation (minimum 3)
A minimum of three Letters of Recommendation are required. You will be prompted in the online application screen to provide the names, email addresses, and affiliations of your three recommenders, who will then be requested electronically to provide your recommendations. Letters of Recommendation will not be accepted via any outside online service, such as Interfolio.
Creative writing program faculty pay close attention to the observations of college level teachers who are familiar with your writing and your work in the classroom. Of secondary interest are recommendations from people whom you’ve worked with or for. Of lesser interest are recommendations from friends and family members.
If you are applying for an assistantship, two of the three letters of recommendation required for your admission to an English graduate program should address your potential as a teacher. If two of your three academic recommenders cannot speak to your potential as a teacher, you may include additional professional references instead. The department will accept up to a maximum of five letters of recommendation.
GRE
The MFA does not have a GRE requirement.
Academic Transcripts
Unofficial Academic Transcripts
All applicants are required to submit unofficial academic transcripts with their application by the deadline of January 15th. These transcripts must be submitted in the online section designated towards transcripts.
Official Academic Transcripts
The English Department does not require you to send in official transcripts with your application due on January 15th.
Your Official Transcripts from each academic institution you have attended (with the exception of the University of New Mexico) will become required for submission upon notification and acceptance of admission. DO NOT SEND ANY TRANSCRIPTS DIRECTLY TO THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT. Instead, each institution should send one copy of your transcript(s) directly to the appropriate office below:
Domestic applicants should have official transcripts sent to:
UNM Admissions
PO Box 4895
Albuquerque, NM 87196-4849
apply@unm.edu
International applicants should have transcripts sent to:
Office of International Admissions
1 University of New Mexico
MSC06 3850
Mesa Vista Hall, Room 2120
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001.
goglobal@unm.edu
If you have the transcript(s) sent directly to you, do not open the transcript envelopes. Those that have been opened or tampered with will be considered unofficial and will delay the admissions process. Please order your transcripts early to avoid missing the departmental deadline for submitting official transcripts.
General Requirements
*The UNM English Department no longer requires the GRE for admission to our Graduate Programs*
GPA
All applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA in English or in a cognate discipline. Our graduate admissions committee evaluates all applications holistically, giving weight to the letter of intent, writing samples, letters of recommendation, and GPA. Admission to all programs is competitive.
Transferring Non-Degree Credit into Graduate Programs
With the approval of the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies, you may transfer up to 12 hours of credit from graduate-level courses taken at other accredited programs or at UNM while studying on a Non-Degree basis. General admission information is available at Graduate Studies.
**If you currently have a degree in a field other than English, but are interested in applying for a graduate program in English, please contact our Graduate Advisor to discuss whether your degree in a non-English field would be acceptable.**
Required Enrollment
All graduate students in English must enroll for a minimum of 3 hours in English graduate courses per semester. Teaching Assistants must be enrolled for 6 hours of graduate credit per semester. In both cases, the summer session is excluded unless the student holds a summer Teaching Assistantship.
