Graduate Program Information:
Marnie Leonard
(970) 491-2403 Marnie.Leonard@colostate.edu

Graduate Study

Admissions Process: Completing the Application

Ideally, applications should be submitted six months before the term in which you wish to enroll. The recommended application deadline for most programs is April 1 for the fall term and September 1 for the spring term. The English Department does not admit students for the summer term. The Creative Writing Program admits new students only for the fall semester; the application deadline is January 15. If you want to be considered for a teaching assistantship for the MFA or one of our MA programs, please apply by January 15th as well. GTA applications are considered only in the spring for the fall semester.

Please follow these steps to apply:

Review the Department's graduate programs to determine which program best fits your needs. If you need more information, contact the Department's Graduate Program Administrative Assistant, Marnie Leonard, at 970-491-2403 or marnie.leonard@colostate.edu.
Review the Graduate School's Admissions Requirements and Procedures here.
Complete the Graduate School Electronic Application Form, Parts 1 and 2 online, and submit your application fee. A resume is not required.
U.S. Citizens - To complete your application, you should also send the following documents to: Marnie Leonard, CSU English Department, 359 Eddy, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1773.

Two official transcripts from each college or university you have attended
Three or more letters of recommendation from instructors or employers
A statement of purpose—your goals for graduate school (one page, single-spaced)
A writing sample pertinent to your program (Please see the Creative Writing section for special requirements for that program. For the Literature program, your sample should indicate your familiarity with the aims and conventions of literary analysis; it should demonstrate the ability to engage with current critical debates or interact with secondary sources, or both.)
Scores from the general exam of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are required for applicants seeking admission to the Literature program. Applicants with an undergraduate GPA of less than 3.0 seeking admission to any graduate degree program are required to submit scores from the GRE general exam. Applicants who are planning to go on for a Ph.D. or who wish to make their record as competitive as possible are encouraged to take the GRE general exam. In all cases, GRE scores will be seen in the context of the rest of a student's record.
The application for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship, should you choose to apply for one. The Department's GTA Application Form is available in Portable Document Format.

International Applicants – For complete details, refer to the CSU Graduate Bulletin.

A $50 application fee that may be submitted with the online application (Parts 1 and 2)
An official transcript of all collegiate work completed along with a certified translation into English
Certified proof of financial support along with the GS Form 3F
Scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): An official TOEFL score, taken within two years prior to admission, must be submitted directly from the Educational Testing Service. The minimum TOEFL score is 213 (computer-based), 550 (paper-based), 80 (Internet-based), or 6 (IELTS).
A biographical statement
Three letters of recommendation
Scores from the general exam of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are required for students seeking admission to the literature program.
Send your statement of purpose — your goals for graduate school (one page, single-spaced) — along with your writing sample pertinent to your program, to: Marnie Leonard, CSU English Department, 359 Eddy, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1773, U.S.A.

Criteria for Admission

The Graduate School and English Department base admission on the following:

Your complete application and accompanying information.
A bachelor's degree or its equivalent, with a minimum average of 3.00 (A = 4.00). If your average is below 3.00, you will be considered for conditional admission if sufficient evidence indicates that you can perform well in a graduate program.
Relevant experience and/or your statement of purpose.
The quality of your writing sample.
Letters of recommendation.

Depending on your background, you may be required to take some courses in addition to the regular program. Recommended backgrounds for Department programs are:

Literature: major in English or equivalent background.
Creative Writing, Rhetoric and Composition, TESL/TEFL: majors in English, foreign languages, linguistics, speech, journalism, anthropology, and other fields. If you are a native speaker of English interested in the TESL/TEFL program, you should have experience with a foreign language or culture prior to admission.
English Education: major in English and teacher certification obtained before admission to the program or while working toward the M.A. degree. Certification credits cannot be counted toward the degree.

You will need to return your acceptance form to the Graduate School. With your acceptance notice, you will also receive information regarding student housing at Colorado State. Return this form as soon as possible because housing is offered on a first-come first-served basis. If you wish to live off campus, you should contact Off Campus Student Services in the Lory Student Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, 970-491-2248.

Financial aid information is available here.

For information about course offerings and registration procedures for the upcoming semester or summer session, please view the Rambler, the Department's student newsletter.

This information is not intended to replace your advisor or the information in the CSU General Catalog, the Class Schedule, or the Department Checksheets.

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