Department of English

The Department of English offers the following degrees and certificate:

Master of Arts (MA)
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Certificate in Composition, Literacy and Pedagogy

Contact Information

Director of Graduate Studies: Tyler Bickford
Main Office: 526 Cathedral of Learning
412-624-6549
Fax: 412-624-6639
E-mail: engrad@pitt.edu
http://www.english.pitt.edu/graduate/

Additional information concerning the department’s graduate program may be obtained from the Graduate Administrator, Department of English, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA 15260. Phone: 412-624-6549. Fax: 412-624-6639. E-mail: engrad@pitt.edu. Web site: www.english.pitt.edu/graduate.

Admissions

Applicants for admission must submit an online application, transcripts of all college-level work, three letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and a writing sample (which varies by degree-please consult the application requirements link above). International applicants whose first language is not English are required to submit either the TOEFL administered by the Educational Testing Service with a minimum score of 90 (with a minimum of 22 in each section), or the IELTS administered by the University of Cambridge, Local Examinations Syndicate with a minimum score of 7.0 (taking the academic writing and reading modules). Applications to the MA and PhD program will be accepted for fall term admission until December 10, and applications to the MFA program are due, January 7. Newly admitted students enter the program in the fall semester only.

Applicants can apply online at the following site: app.applyyourself.com/?id=up-as.

Financial Assistance

All PhD students are offered a non-teaching fellowship for their first year of study. Students making satisfactory progress are then ordinarily supported with renewable teaching assistantships and teaching fellowships for four more years, with the possibility of a sixth year depending on the availability of funding. MFA students are admitted either as teaching assistants or as a non-teaching fellow, and these funding streams are renewable as teaching assistantships for two more years if the students are making satisfactory progress. The department does not currently offer financial assistance to MA students.

Certificate in Composition, Literacy and Pedagogy

This graduate certificate recognizes sustained, advanced study in composition, literacy, and pedagogy. It can be awarded to students who have earned the MA, MFA, or PhD degree in the department of English, and to those earning graduate degrees in other programs and departments.

To qualify for the certificate, students must successfully complete 12 to 18 credits (depending upon the level of the certificate being awarded). More information about the certificate is online at http://www.composition.pitt.edu/graduate/graduate_more.html.

Faculty

Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Faculty

Programs

Certificate

Doctoral

English, PhD

Master’s

Courses

English Film

English Literature

English Writing

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