M.A. Programs

The M.S.I.S./M.A. in Information Studies and English program is not accepting applications for Fall 2025.

To begin the application process, you must access the Graduate School Application for Admission at https://students.gradschool.utexas.edu/portal/app. The application system opens for access for Fall applications in August. Within 1-2 business days after submitting your application and paying the application fee, you will receive an email from OGA with your UT EID, a temporary password, and a link to OGA’s Admissions Status Check System, MyStatus. From this site, you will be able to upload your required application materials: a PDF copy of your official transcripts, writing sample, and statement of purpose.

Please note: it can take up to 3 business days (not including weekends) to receive your MyStatus credentials. Due to this delay, we strongly recommend that you submit your online application no later than one week before the deadline to allow enough time to receive your credentials and upload your application materials. If you do not receive the email with your EID and temporary password after 3 business days, please contact OGA. 

 Additional information on the admission process and degree requirements can be found here.

Application Deadline

Eligibility Requirements

Bachelor's Degree

• Earned from a regionally accredited institution in the United States, or a comparable degree from a foreign academic institution.

• GPA

• 3.0 minimum GPA (on a 4.0 scale) on all upper-division and graduate coursework (if applicable). Additionally, although there are no undergraduate major requirements, applicants should have 15 hours of upper-division English coursework.

• TOEFL/IELTS (International Applicants only)

• Minimum scores considered acceptable for Graduate School admission are:
• TOEFL: 70 on the internet-based test (iBT)
• IELTS: An overall band of 6.5 on the Academic Examination

Required by the Graduate School

This section is a general summary of the Graduate School’s admissions requirements. For full explanations on each of the following topics, please visit Graduate School’s Graduate Admission website.

1. Graduate School Application for Admission  - The online application can be found at https://students.gradschool.utexas.edu/portal/app. You will be asked to select your major. You must choose the major listed under Dual Degree entitled "Information Studies / English (Dual Degree)". Do not apply separately to each program. Applying separately to each program will significantly delay the processing of your application.
2. Application Fee - $65 Application Fee ($90 for international applicants). You will not be able to upload any documents to your MyStatus profile until your fee is paid.
3. Transcripts - You will need to upload PDF copies of your official transcripts from each senior college that you have attended via your MyStatus profile. Transcripts must have been produced within the last calendar year. Please carefully read and follow the Instructions for Uploading Transcripts. (International Applicants: Transcripts written in a language other than English must be accompanied by an official translation.)
4. TOEFL or IELTS Scores (International Applicants only) - Two years old or less. Scores must be reported to GIAC directly from the testing agency. Please note: IELTS does not currently offer electronic reporting of scores. To fulfill the requirement with scores from the IELTS, have an official paper score report sent to OGA. TOEFL UT-Austin Institution Code: 6882

Required by the Department of English and the School of Information

1. 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 anticipated graduate project. Other considerations include the clarity and economy of your prose.
2. 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 this field including; b) what topics in the field of Information Studies and English interest you; c) how you have prepared yourself for graduate study in Information Studies and English; d) why you want to pursue your graduate degree at the University of Texas at Austin.
3. Letters of Recommendation - We require three letters of recommendation, which should informatively address your academic achievement and potential for graduate study. During the online application process, you will need to provide the names and email addresses of your “Academic References,” individuals from whom you will be seeking a letter of recommendation. Within 24 hours of your online application submission, your recommenders will receive an email with instructions and a secure link to upload their letters of recommendation directly to your application file. Please ensure that the email addresses are current and accurate. Letters and materials sent through folio services (such as Interfolio) will not be accepted.
4. Resume/CV

Current UT Graduate Students (Change of Major)

Current UT Graduate Students (Change of Major)
For change-of-major applicants (applicants already admitted to the UT Austin Graduate School) ONLY: Please follow the instructions here, and send all supporting documents to the graduate program administrator. The application deadline and supporting document requirements still apply.

A student currently enrolled in the English degree program may be considered for a change-of-major application to the Dual Degree program at any time in their academic programs. Students in Information Studies will be considered if they apply during their first year of the program, by the application deadline. The decision to accept a Dual Degree change-of-major applicant will be made by joint consideration from each school's admission committee.Interested students should contact the M.S.I.S./M.A. in Graduate Advisor, listed at https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/ds/graduate/information-studies-and-english-dual-degree.php. 

Alternatively, students currently in the dual degree program who wish to pursue a Ph.D. in English will be required to apply to the English Ph.D. program individually. For more information see How to Apply. 

Students admitted to the M.S.I.S./M.A. in Information Studies and English Dual Degree program will be considered for support by the School of Information and/or the Department of English on a case-by-case basis.