Anyone who has or will obtain a Bachelor's degree from an officially recognized college or university outside or inside the U.S. may apply for graduate admission.
Individuals who have completed a 3-year bachelor’s degree from countries where this is a common standard are eligible to apply to graduate programs at JMU. An additional year of coursework is not required.
Choosing the Right Program
The first step in the process of applying to Graduate school at JMU is determining which program is right for you and your career aspirations. JMU offers Master’s programs in a variety of subjects. Some of interest to students thinking about pursuing an English Graduate degree might be English, Communication and Advocacy, and Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication.
- English (M.A.): focuses on the advanced study of literature and research and writing. This program is designed to cultivate students' ability to recognize the functions of analysis and synthesis in one's professional life, to construct an argument, to think critically, to write efficiently, clearly, and gracefully, to develop confidence in the validity of one's judgments about many kinds of writing, and to learn to see the interstices as well as the architectural whole in widely different encounters with the written word.
- Communication and Advocacy (M.A.): focuses on communication theory and criticism, the development of communication and advocacy skills, the research of communication processes and practices, and the application of generated knowledge about human communication toward the betterment of self and community. It is designed to prepare students to systematically examine, assess, critique and develop communication advocacy practices across a wide range of areas.
- Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communcation (M.A.): focuses on preparing students for careers in professional writing, digital storytelling, document design, usability studies, content creation, and more.
International Applicants: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
About the English Graduate Program
Applications open on September 1 of each academic year, and close on February 1. Decisions are typically made around March 1. We only consider applications once per year, enrolling new students in the Fall of the following year.
Over the last few years, we have admitted only students to whom we can offer assistantship funding. Our students hold Teaching Assistantships in the first year, and Graduate Assistantships in the second year, which cover the cost of their tuition and an annual stipend to offset the cost of living. We have a small number of assistantship packages, and, as a result, admission has become rather competitive. In the last few years, we have enrolled around 10% of those students who applied, but of those admitted, all students were funded.
Prospective students do not need to secure an advisor before applying to the program (this is more common in graduate programs built on the British model).
We encourage applicants to submit a writing sample that shows their strongest work in the study of literature and/or related subjects like film. It should include both research and textual analysis. This may be work produced as an undergraduate, but it’s a good idea to revise and expand this work so that the essay is at least 10 pages in length. (It’s not a good idea to submit two shorter pieces that meet the 10-page minimum.)
Applying to JMU as an International Student
Assistantships cover tuition, but international students must submit financial disclosure forms that show enough assets to support living in the United States. Assistantships do not cover the cost of health insurance (required of international students) and international administrative fees. See the fees page for more details on the financial disclosure and costs for international students. More information is also available on the Graduate School's website.
Yes. It is the student’s responsibility to secure their visa, but they can reach out to JMU’s International Student & Scholar Services office with questions about the process.
If English is not your native language, applicants must present evidence of English-proficiency. Completion of an undergraduate degree in which English is the primary language of instruction is considered good evidence of English-language proficiency. Please visit the World Higher Education Database for a full list of countries where English is the official language of instruction.
Application fees are not assessed at the program level; they are assessed by the Graduate School. Under certain circumstances, the Graduate School can waive those fees. Learn more about fee waivers.
Students routinely submit unofficial transcripts with the initial application. If you have questions about translating the transcript or explaining the grading system used at your university, you should reach out to the Graduate School at grad@jmu.edu. Please note that if you are admitted to the program, the Graduate School will request your official transcript.
