Apply

Deadlines

December 5th, 2026	Last day to submit the Graduate Program Application for Admission form. Beginning with the Fall 2027 admissions cycle, applicants may upload most application materials directly within the application before submission. Applicants who choose not to upload these materials through the Graduate Program Application may submit them through the MyStatus portal after their application has been submitted.
December 12th, 2026	Last day to upload application materials to MyStatus Please note that it takes up to 3 days to receive access to MyStatus after completing your Graduate Program application.

 

How to Apply

We recommend that you begin your application several weeks before the application deadline. The application has two steps: 1) submission of the Graduate Program Application for Admission; 2) application fee payment and uploads of transcripts and any other application materials through the Application Status Check (MyStatus) website. 

Please note: it can take up to 3 business days (not including weekends) to receive your MyStatus credentials. If you do not receive the email with your EID and temporary password after 3 business days, please contact OGA. The deadline to upload your Writing Sample, Statement of Purpose, and Official Transcripts is a week after the Graduate Program Application for Admission deadline. 

Step 1. Complete the Graduate Program Application for Admission (Graduate Program Application for Admission)
You will be asked to select your entry semester and program. The English graduate program can be found grouped under Liberal Arts. You will also need to specify your area of interest within the English program (e.g. Medieval Studies, 20th-21st Century American Literature, Pre-1900 British Literature, etc.). Please choose the area that most closely fits your desired area of study. You will able to choose up to two secondary fields of concentration to present a more accurate representation of your goals.

• Application Update for Fall 2027: Beginning with the Fall 2027 admissions cycle, applicants may upload most application materials directly within the Graduate Program Application for Admission before submission. Applicants who choose not to upload these materials during the application process may submit them later through the MyStatus portal after their application has been submitted. The application fee can only be paid via MyStatus. Please note that the non-refundable application fee is still required before an application can be processed and considered complete.

 

Step 2. Submit the required application materials. Your application will not be considered complete until all of these items are received:

Writing Sample

Your Writing Sample should be between 15 and 25 pages double spaced. This document should demonstrate your readiness and aptitude for graduate study, in particular your ability to recognize and to effectively state research worthy problems. A compelling writing sample typically—although not always—establishes an applicant’s project in reference to an important scholarly work or modest body of scholarship. Other considerations include the clarity and economy of your prose.

Statement of Purpose

Your Statement of Purpose should be 1 to 2 pages single-spaced. The purpose of this essay is to give the faculty a clear idea of a) why you want to pursue a career in English; b) what topics in the field of Literature interest you; c) how you have prepared yourself for graduate study in English; d) why you want to pursue your graduate degree at the University of Texas at Austin.

Letters of Recommendation

We require three letters of recommendation, which should informatively address your academic achievement and potential for graduate study. You will not upload the letters yourself; instead, you will input the emails of your recommenders into the Graduate Program Application for Admission so that the university may contact them with instructions for submitting their letters.

• Letters of recommendation must be submitted online directly by the recommender. Please follow the instructions on the application to select your recommenders. Within 24 hours of your application submission, an automatic email will be generated and sent to the recommenders. The email will contain instructions and a secure link to the letter of recommendation website. You can monitor your requests for reference and other admissions materials on the MyStatus website.

• MyStatus also allows you to resend a Request for Reference e-mail to your recommenders, add a new recommender, and revise your FERPA (right to view) status from retained to waived. If you have any questions, please e-mail gradref@austin.utexas.edu.

• Give your recommenders plenty of lead time (4-6 weeks) when requesting letters of recommendation. You must submit the online application before your recommenders can get the email directing them to the online submission of letters of recommendation.

Transcripts

You must submit transcripts from ALL institutions of higher education, regardless of whether you received a degree. Please note that transcripts must have been issued within the last calendar year. You may upload an official copy of your transcript(s) after you have submitted your application and paid the application fee. For instructions, please review OGA's How to Apply page and see Step 3: Submit Transcripts.

Test Scores

International Applicants only: International Applicants must also submit official, current (within 2 years)  TOEFL or IELTS scores unless you are from a country where English is the official language, or your bachelor's degree is from a U.S. institution or an institution where English is the official language. Reports should be sent directly from The Educational Testing Service (ETS) agency. The ETS code for the University of Texas at Austin is 6882. Read more about international applicant requirements here.>>

GRE scores are not required for application to the English Ph.D. program. Applicants may submit scores, but the Admissions Committee will not review them

Application Fee

Fees are subject to change, so please refer to the How to Apply for Graduate Admission page for current fees and for information regarding fee waiver requests. The application fee can only be paid once an applicant receives access to the MyStatus portal. The application fee is required before an application can be considered complete.  

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Change of major (current UT graduate students only)

For change-of-major applicants (applicants already admitted to a UT Austin graduate program) ONLY: Please follow the instructions here. The application deadlines are the same.

QUESTIONS?

If you have specific questions about the following topics, please email one of the addresses below . The Office of Graduate Admissions asks that you not send the same email to multiple addresses:

Transcripts: gradtranscript@austin.utexas.edu (do not send transcripts to this address)
Uploading Documents: gradupload@austin.utexas.edu
TOEFL/IELTS Scores: giatest@austin.utexas.edu
Letters of Recommendation: gradref@austin.utexas.edu
Residency: residency@austin.utexas.edu
General Inquiry for International Applicants: intladm@austin.utexas.edu
General Inquiry for U.S. Applicants: gradus@austin.utexas.edu 

If you have questions after reviewing all of the above information and linked webpages, please write to the English Graduate Office. 

 

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Your Application Status

Please use MyStatus to monitor your application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to confirm the application is complete and that all materials have been received by the deadline. Incomplete applications are unlikely to be reviewed. Use MyStatus to:  

       - Review application materials that have been submitted and see items that are still required.
       - Review the status of recommendation letters, resend recommendation requests, or add recommenders.
       - Upload application materials such as official transcripts, statements of purpose, writing samples, and resumes/CVs.
       - See admission status after a decision has been made.

 

Decisions

Admission decisions will be entered starting in late February and continuing through April 15, 2027.

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