Graduate FAQ

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Requirements for Acceptance to MA in English

Do I have to have a BA in English to be accepted?
While you may apply to the MA in English with a BA in another field, your preparation for literature and creative writing courses may not be the same as students with a BA in English. However, if you had an English minor, or took a number of electives in English, you should be able to handle the coursework. Other concentrations may be appropriate for BAs in other fields. Consult with Director of Graduate Studies for more information.

What are the application deadlines for MA?

Please note that the time of application and acceptance affects the courses you are able to register for. Apply early.

If you are seeking an assistantship beginning fall semester, you should apply by April 1st. If you are seeking an assistantship beginning spring semester, you should apply by October 1st.

Application Process

What is the application process?
Applications are made through the ECU Graduate School. The Graduate School will gather your application materials and determine if you meet ECU’s minimum requirements for admission to graduate study. The English Department Office of Graduate Studies will then make a decision about acceptance.

Should I send my application directly to the department?
No. All applications and supplemental materials (including letters of recommendation and your statement of purpose) must go to the Graduate School.

What supplemental materials should be included in the application?
Supplemental materials for the Master of Arts in English program include two letters of recommendation (academic references preferred) and your statement of purpose. Supplemental materials for the PhD in Rhetoric, Writing, and Professional Communication include three letters of recommendation (at least two should be academic references), your statement of purpose, a CV/résumé, and a writing sample. International applicants may need to submit other materials, such as language proficiency scores and/or foreign transcript evaluations, as explained on the ECU Graduate School’s webpage for international students.

Can I submit the supplemental materials online?
Yes. You will submit all supplemental materials together online to the Graduate School.

Are there additional materials necessary for admission to the concentration in creative writing?
Yes. You should follow the special instructions for submitting a Creative Writing Portfolio as explained on the graduate admissions webpage of the English Department website.

Where can I find information about the costs of tuition, fees, etc?
Cashier’s Office >

Do you require the GRE?
No.

How does the Graduate School get my transcript?
You should notify the school where you obtained your bachelor’s degree—and your master’s degree in the case of an application to the PhD program—and request that they send an official copy of your transcript to the ECU Graduate School. Instructions for submitting transcripts are provided in the application system.

NOTE TO ECU ALUMS: If there are no holds on your account, then the ECU Graduate School will add your ECU transcript to your application (after you pay the application fee) without requiring you to order or pay for the ECU transcript. However, certain types of holds on your account may prevent the release of your ECU transcript. If you have a hold on your account, please check with the ECU Graduate School to confirm whether that hold will delay the completion and processing of your application.

What is the format for the letters of recommendation?
In the admission application webform, you will be prompted to provide the names and e-mail addresses of your recommenders. The admission system will contact those recommenders and provide them with instructions about how to submit their recommendations. The letters of recommendation are submitted directly to the application system by the recommenders, not uploaded by you as the applicant.

I have been out of school for many years and no longer have contact with former professors. Whom should I ask to write my recommendation letters?
You can ask supervisors and colleagues from your current workplace. But, if possible, you should get a letter from someone with the ability to speak authoritatively about your intellectual abilities and skills necessary for graduate work.

Transfer Credit

What is the process for transferring courses in to the program taken at another University?
First, you should speak with the Director of Graduate Studies in the English Department to make certain that these courses can be applied to your degree. Once that is determined, then the English Department’s Office of Graduate Studies will prepare and submit a transfer credit request form on your behalf to the ECU Graduate School for final review and approval.

I was enrolled in another graduate program at ECU and want to transfer credits to the MA in English. What is the process for transferring graduate degree courses from ECU?
First, you should speak with you advisor to make certain that these courses can be applied to your degree. Once that is determined, you or your advisor should speak with the Director of Graduate Studies. Once you receive approval for the DGS, you and your advisor will complete the advising check sheet that will include those courses. NOTE: the DGS and you advisor will determine the number of degree credit hours to be applied to your program.

What is the process for transferring non-degree graduate courses from ECU into a graduate program?
Up to 9 credit hours of non-degree graduate coursework can be transferred to English graduate programs with approval of the English Department’s Director of Graduate Studies. Additional levels of approval are required in order to transfer more than 9 credit hours of non-degree coursework into our programs, so you and your advisor should discuss the request with the Director of Graduate Studies.

Can Non-English non-graduate courses be applied to my program?
Yes, but you will need permission from the Director of Graduate Studies to have these courses applied to your program and you will still need to complete any requirements for your English Department graduate concentration/program.

Readmission

Do I have to reapply if I had a lapse in enrollment?
ECU requires students to maintain continuous enrollment across consecutive Fall and Spring semesters. Summers are optional, so non-enrollment in the summer does not cause a lapse in enrollment unless you were specifically admitted to that summer term. If you are not enrolled in consecutive Fall and Spring semesters, then the university requires you to apply for readmission. When applying for readmission, many of your application materials can be reused from your original application. Contact the English Department’s Office of Graduate Studies for more information about readmission.

How do I reapply?
Submit an application online through the Graduate School website.

Is there a reapplication fee?
No.

Non-Degree Status

Who should apply as a non-degree graduate student?
Students who are thinking about pursuing a MA in English but are undecided; those who need to take courses for a career move but do not need the Master’s degree; those who are unsure of their undergraduate record; or those who have been out of school for many years and aren’t certain that graduate school is for them. You are encouraged to enroll in one of our certificate programs.

What is the application process for non-degree status?
Submit an application online at the Graduate School website along with transcripts and an application fee.

Do I have to take the GRE or MAT to enroll in graduate classes?
No.

What do I need to do if I am currently in a degree program at ECU but want to switch to English?
You need to request a meeting with the Director of Graduate Studies by calling 252.328.6660.

How will I be notified if I am admitted?
The department’s graduate administrator will notify you once the process is complete.

Am I eligible for deferred acceptance since I was accepted last year and was unable to attend?
Yes. However, you need to ask the Graduate School to defer your admission.

Are transfer students eligible for assistantships?
Yes.

I applied to ECU Graduate School several years ago for another program. Do I need to get recommendations or can you access my file?
Since you applied for a different program, you should ask for new recommendations that address your interest in our program.

Assistantships

What is an assistantship?
Graduate assistantships are available to full-time on-campus students in good standing in a graduate degree program. The English Department has several types of assistantships available: research, editorial, classroom, writing consultant, and teaching. In addition, other offices on campus also offer assistantships.

What work does a graduate assistant do?
Research assistants work with faculty members to help with research activities that a faculty member is doing for an article or a grant, for example. Editorial assistants work with journal editors doing various tasks involved with the production of a journal. Classroom assistants help faculty who teach large sections of a course by leading small group discussions and performing other appropriate activities, such as grading. Writing consultants engage with students one-on-one in the Writing Studio, which provides tutoring services to freshman enrolled in one of the two composition classes, and attend workshops once a week. Teaching assistants have full responsibility for a section of composition and meet weekly with the Director of Composition. Other assistantships with various job descriptions are available throughout the university.

How can I obtain one? Is there an application?
You should notify the department’s graduate administrator in the Office of Graduate Studies that you are interested in an assistantship and fill out an application.

Can I hold a graduate assistantship as a distance education student?
Most assistantships at ECU, including in the English Department, are intended for campus students. There may be rare cases where assistantships allow remote work. Contact the department offering the assistantship to confirm if they offer assistantships for online students.

What is the stipend for MA students?
As of Fall 2013, MA graduate assistants have 4 semesters of support as long as they maintain satisfactory progress toward their degree. Stipends of $5,250 per semester are paid for 20 hours of work per week. In general, a student will be assigned 10 or 20 hours of work per week. Graduate teaching assistants receive a stipend of $6,750 per semester for 20 hours (usually 2 courses). Each course taught is the equivalent of 10 hours of assistantship work.

What are the qualifications for a teaching assistantship?
You must have 18 hours of graduate coursework in English, and you must have successfully completed ENGL 6625. In addition, you must attend a weekly meeting with the Director of Writing Foundations.

What if I don’t finish my MA degree in 4 semesters? Can I get additional support?
You may request an assistantship for a 5th semester, but the English Department offers only teaching assistantships for these students.

I’m interested in an assistantship, but I already work for the university. Is it possible for me to have an assistantship?
No.

Should I apply early to be considered for an assistantship?
Yes, students seeking admission beginning fall semester should apply by April 1st. Students seeking admission beginning spring semester should apply by October 1st.

Distance Education

Would I be able to complete the MA in English while working full time?
Yes. We offer evening classes, and some concentrations offer online classes.

How much of the program is offered online?
Students in Technical and Professional Communication or Multicultural and Transnational Literatures are able to take all of their courses online. While other concentrations do offer online coursework, these concentrations cannot be completed online.

Can I get an MA in Creative Writing or Literature completely online?
Not at this time.

General/Misc

My spouse recently completed their military service. We have lived in NC for a year and paid NC state taxes? Would I be considered “in state” for tuition purposes?
You can go to the Residency site to learn about qualifying for residency. Contact Dr. Belinda Patterson if you have specific questions.

Do you offer summer classes?
Yes, although the summer offerings are more limited than the regular session offerings. However, we cannot guarantee that appropriate faculty will be available to complete the thesis or comprehensive assessment project over the summer.

I have been out of school for 10 years and graduated with a BA, but my GPA was under 3.0. What are my chances of getting in?
You have several options. You can apply for admission to a certificate program and explain your situation in the statement of purpose, and once you have established that you are interested and doing well in these classes, you can apply for admission to a degree program. Alternatively, you can apply for admission as a non-degree student (with non-degree applications reviewed and decided by the ECU Graduate School rather than the English Department) and take 9 credit hours to establish a sufficient GPA, which may then count toward the degree if you choose to pursue one. If you do well in these classes, you can ask those professors to write recommendations for you when you apply for admission to the degree program. These options may improve, but do not guarantee, your chances for acceptance.

Can I complete the degree taking one class a semester?
Yes, but certificate and master’s degree programs have a time limit of six years from the first course applied toward the degree (including transfer courses) to the semester of graduation. The PhD program has different time limits but is generally not intended to be completed one class per semester (contact the PhD Coordinator to discuss your situation before applying).

Can I begin my coursework in the spring semester or the summer?
Applications for the certificate and MA programs are accepted for the fall, spring, and summer sessions, which you will select when filling in the application webform. Applications for the PhD program are accepted for fall semester admission only.