How to Apply
Master's students must apply for admission to the School of Graduate Studies, including paying the required application fee. The application deadline is January 15th.
The following are the steps in the application process (additional information for steps 1-4 can be found on the School of Graduate Studies' Apply page).
- Fill out the online application.
- Pay the application fee.
- Provide a copy of your transcript(s).
- Provide 3 letters of recommendation from people who can address your readiness for graduate studies.
- Provide the required supplemental material, including material related to your area of emphasis.
Please note that all MA/MS applicants are considered for a graduate stipend, which includes a tuition waiver, benefits, and a salary, in exchange for performing teaching-related responsibilities.
Additional Questions
Please address additional questions to the Director of Graduate Studies for the English department:
Jennifer Sinor
Professor; Director of Graduate Studies
Chair, Creative Writing Emphasis
Supplemental Material
All supplemental items will be submitted online through the Graduate School's application system. Once you have created an account, filled out the online application, and paid the application fee, the Graduate School will email you with instructions for uploading the supplementary items (writing samples, statement of purpose, and curriculum vitae).
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
All applicants will be required to upload a current CV (curriculum vitae). This CV should include your academic and professional writing experience.
Additional information, specific to your chosen emphasis, will also need to be included.
Literature, Culture, and Composition (LCC) Emphasis
Statement of Purpose
Your statement of purpose (1-2 pages single spaced) should describe your academic and research experience and interests. A well written statement of purpose will address why you are interested in the LCC program.
If you are interested in being considered for a graduate instructorship, you must indicate that interest in your Statement of Purpose. You may also choose to describe any background experience that you might bring to that position.
Writing Sample
For the LCC emphasis, the writing sample (or samples) should be at least 10 pages of academic writing (maximum 25 pages). Write a half-page introduction to each sample, explaining the context (your role as the writer, your audience, your purpose, etc.) This material will be read by the faculty assessing your application to help them decide whether you are ready to write at the level expected for scholarly assignments in a graduate seminar. The samples you submit should therefore be chosen and presented with that purpose in mind. Try to choose examples of your best academic writing relevant to the program to which you are applying. We accept samples of creative writing in addition to—but not in place of—academic writing samples.
Creative Writing Emphasis
Statement of Purpose
The statement of purpose (1-2 pages single spaced) should briefly describe your previous academic/creative work, identifying central themes, areas of interest, and skills acquired. Applicants should explain how these prior artistic/academic experiences have prepared and/or motivated them to enter a graduate program specializing in creative writing. The statement of purpose may also address any relevant professional experiences and explain how such experiences have prepared and/or motivated them to enter this graduate program. Within this statement, applicants should identify some of the specific topics or genres they would like to focus on for their graduate work. Applicants should also make an effort to show that they are familiar with the specific requirements and features of the Graduate Specialization in Creative Writing at USU.
If you are interested in being considered for a graduate instructorship, you must indicate that interest in your Statement of Purpose. You may also choose to describe any background experience that you might bring to that position.
Writing Sample
Applicants interested in focusing their graduate work on creative writing should provide a writing sample that illustrates their skills and experience in relation to fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction. Students interested in fiction or creative nonfiction should provide a short story or essay or an excerpt from a longer work that is 10-25 pages. Students interested in poetry should submit 8-10 poems.
Financial Aid
Students can apply to become graduate instructors. To be considered for an instructorship, they must indicate their desire and background in their statement of purpose. Graduate instructors typically teach first-year composition. Students who are graduate instructors might also receive tuition waivers, as well as subsidized health insurance, in addition to compensation. For more information please visit the graduate school website.
International Students
International students must complete additional requirements outlined on the School of Graduate Studies' International Apply page.