Apply

January 13, 2025	Submit completed online Graduate School Application for Admission form.
January 13, 2025	Upload to MyStatus: Writing Sample, Statement of Purpose, Official Transcripts. Please note that it takes up to 3 days to receive access to MyStatus after completing your ApplyTexas application. Applicants who do not submit all documents by this deadline will not be considered.
February 2025	Notifications of admissions decisions sent via email.

 

• 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).

• 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

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 is scheduled to open for access for Fall 2025 applications on August 1, 2024. Within 1-2 business days after submitting your application and paying the application fee, you will receive an email from the Office of Graduate Admissions (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.

Important: Select "Rhetoric and Writing Studies" under "Which graduate program are you applying to?"

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 deadline to submit your ApplyTexas Application in order to compensate for this delay. 

Required Application Materials

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 through the Graduate School's portal. First select the semester of entry. We only admit for fall semesters. Then, you will be asked to select the program to which you plan to apply. The Rhetoric and Writing Studies program can be found grouped under Liberal Arts. 

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. 

If you can’t afford the application fee and are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident pursuing your first graduate degree, you may be eligible for a fee waiver.

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.

Please address transcript questions to gradtranscript@austin.utexas.edu. Do not send transcripts to this address.

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 for the Program in Rhetoric and Writing Studies

 

5. Writing Sample

Please submit a writing sample of 15 to 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. Applicants who do not have a single essay of at least 15 pages may submit two 10-page writing samples as a single document.

6. Statement of Purpose

Describe your reasons for pursuing a PhD in Rhetoric and Writing Studies. Describe your research areas of interest, how your prior experience has prepared you to pursue this research, and why this program and/or its faculty are the best fit for your goals.

7. 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.

 

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