A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is preferred, and a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in major course work is required. Each graduate department may have additional “special admission requirements” which are noted on this page.

• Completed on-line application and signature page or
• Download the paper application (HTML) | (Acrobat)
• The non-refundable $45 application fee (Waivers accepted for FAMU Feeder Program and McNair Scholars)
• Official transcripts must be submitted directly from the Registrar’s Office from ALL colleges and universities attended
• GRE Scores (Only official score reports are accepted within 5 years of the test date) www.gre.org
• Statement of Academic and Research Interest
• Autobiographical Sketch (Personal biography)
• Resume
• Three letters of recommendation Word

For International Applicants

In addition to the requirements listed above you must meet the following:

• Official transcripts, certificates and/or mark/grade sheets must be sent directly from the college or university to the Office of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions, and must show proof of degree(s) earned, courses taken and marks/grades received. Also, ALL transcripts must be evaluated by World Education Services (www.wes.org) or AACRAO (www.aacrao.org) and be forwarded to Graduate Recruitment and Admissions.
• TOEFL Scores (Minimum computer-based score of 213 is required and only official score reports are accepted within 2 years of the test date) www.toelf.org

Master of Arts

Students must complete a total of 30 credit hours, 24 of which must be earned in courses offered by the Department of English.

After being admitted to the program, all students must enroll in 208-200 and 208-201 the first semester that each course is offered.

The department recommends that Master's degree candidates take a minimum of 6 semester hours of course work in the area in which they plan to write the thesis.

All courses required for the master's degree must be taken at Howard University, unless the department chairman recommends to the Executive Committee of the Graduate School that up to 6 credit hours of course work taken at another school be approved.

The student is advised that, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Graduate School, course viability is five years; extenuations are detailed in the official Rules and Regulations for the Pursuit of Academic Degrees, published by the Graduate School, which states that "under no circumstances, however, may a student receive credit toward the degree for a course which the student pursued more than seven years prior to the time the student presents himself or herself for the final examination.''

It is strongly recommended that a student complete at least 18 credit hours of course work within the department before making application to take the Master of Arts qualifying examination. That examination will be given once a semester, in November and April of each academic year, and will be administered during the summer session only by special permission and only to students enrolled at Howard University the previous spring semester. Any student who fails any part of the qualifying examination a second time will not be allowed to continue work for the Master of Arts degree.

Before being admitted to candidacy, a student must fulfill the following requirements: pass a proficiency examination in French, German, Spanish, Latin or, by permission of the chairman of the department, another language; pass a qualifying examination devised and administered by the graduate faculty of the department; complete required courses; and make a formal written request to the chairman to be admitted to candidacy.

In fulfilling other requirements of the department, a student must secure formal approval of the problem chosen as the thesis subject from the graduate program director and the assigned adviser; and must then present a prospectus for the thesis, which follows the outline devised by the Department of English or the Graduate School for approval by the thesis adviser, other members of the student's advisory committee, and the graduate program director.

At any time the majority of the student's thesis committee determines that he or she is progressing unsatisfactorily on the thesis, the student may be dropped from the M.A. program. That action will be taken only with the advice and consent of the majority of the members of the Graduate Studies Committee.

Doctor of Philosophy

A student must complete a minimum of 72 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate, of which 24 hours earned toward the master's degree in English may be counted. Students admitted directly into the doctoral program with only a B.A. must abide by the rules and regulations applicable to Ph.D. students and are urged to take the doctoral qualifying examinations no later than their third year of matriculation. A student must take 208-200 and 208-201 the first semester that each course is offered; a two-semester reading course in each of the following fields of study: British Literature through the Eighteenth Century, British Literature from the Romantic Era to the Present, American Literature, African American Literature, and Caribbean Literature; and at least two studies courses, one of which is in the dissertation field.

The student is advised that, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Graduate School, course viability for students enrolled in the Ph.D. program is seven years; extenuations are detailed in the official Rules and Regulations for the Pursuit of Academic Degrees, published by the Graduate School, which states that ""under no circumstances, however, may a student receive credit toward the degree for a course which the student pursued more than ten (10) years prior to the time the student presents himself or herself for the final examination'' (p. 17).

A student must also pass language examinations in two foreign languages approved by the department.

Each student will be required to pass a Ph.D. qualifying examination devised and administered by the Department of English. The Department reserves the right to determine the stage at which a student may take this examination, which will be given once a semester, in November and April of each academic year, and which will be administered during the summer session only by special permission and only to students enrolled at Howard University during the prior spring semester. A student who fails the Ph.D. qualifying examination a second time will not be allowed to continue work for the Ph.D. degree.

To be admitted to candidacy, a student must first make a formal written request to the graduate program director, who will assign a major adviser and an advisory committee; must receive formal approval of the dissertation topic; must present a prospectus for approval by the assigned dissertation adviser, other members of the advisory committee, the graduate program director and the chairman of the department. In addition, a student must satisfactorily complete a preliminary oral examination on the prospectus, failure of which may result in the student's not being allowed to continue work in the Ph.D. program.

If at any time the majority of the student's dissertation committee determines that the student is progressing unsatisfactorily on the dissertation, the student may be dropped from the Ph.D. program. The decision will be made only with the advice and consent of the majority of the members of the Graduate Studies Committee.