Graduate Admissions

 

Master of Arts Program

Application Deadlines

Spring 2024

The application period for Spring 2024 admission to graduate study in the English Department at Cal State LA is now open. To be considered, applicants must submit the university application and supplemental materials through CSU Apply. The application must be submitted by October 15, 2023 to be considered.

Deadlines are subject to change without advance notice. For further updates on application deadlines and other admissions information, please go to the CSULA Office of Admissions website: /admissions/graduate-application-and-admission

Admissions Overview 

Generally, to be considered for admission to the Graduate Program in English, applicants must:

  • have completed a four-year college course of study and hold a baccalaureate degree in English (or a closely related field) from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association, or shall have completed equivalent academic preparation as determined by appropriate campus authorities;
  • be in good academic standing at the last college or university attended;
  • have attained a grade point average of at least 3.2 (A = 4.0) in their English major.

Please note that admission to the Graduate Program in English is competitive and meeting the minimum application requirements does not guarantee admission.

Applicants who meet the above conditions but whose undergraduate degrees are in fields other than English can apply for conditional admission to the graduate program in English. Any student who is a “Conditional Admit” should consult with the Graduate Advisor and complete a Conditional Admit Plan of Study prior to beginning. Such students may have to complete up to 15 units of upper division prerequisite coursework to be fully admitted to the MA program. 

Under special circumstances, students who do not meet the department’s minimum requirements might be considered for admission. The Graduate Admissions Committee might consider the following additional criteria when reviewing applications from students who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement: GRE scores, the student's undergraduate institution, and specific courses completed at the undergraduate and graduate level.

How to Apply 

Applicants for admission to the Graduate Program in English must

  1. Apply for admission to graduate study at Cal State L.A. by completing and submitting an online application through CSU Apply: https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/graduate.

  2. Submit copies of all required transcripts to the Cal State L.A. Office of Graduate Studies from the institution(s) attended.

  3. Submit, through CSU Apply, the following supplemental materials required by the Department of English: a Departmental Application for Admission and a writing sample to the department. For the writing sample, please submit an analytical essay on a literary topic. The writing sample should be an essay written for a previous undergraduate (or graduate) course, not original work written for the purpose of applying to the program. While the sample should be at least five pages, please note that no special consideration will be given to longer papers. (Students who were not English or literature majors can substitute an analytical, critical, or research paper on a non-literary topic.)

Notification of Decision

Applicants will be notified whether they have been admitted to graduate status at Cal State L.A. by the Cal State L.A. Office of Admissions. Applicants will be notified whether they have been admitted to the Graduate Program in English by the Department of English. Generally, an applicant will receive notification from the Cal State L.A. Office of Admissions first, followed by notification from the Department of English. Regardless of the order of notification, an applicant is admitted to the Graduate Program in English only by the Department of English.

See Also