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The department offers a broad range of courses in traditional and emerging fields of literary and cultural study. Students may apply for either the free-standing M.A. program or the sequential M.A./M.Phil./Ph.D. program. Students should not apply to the free-standing program if they wish to advance beyond the M.A.: the free-standing program is terminal. All applicants should submit a writing sample of about 10-20 pages. The GRE Subject Test in English Literature is not required. In the M.A. year students take eight courses, which must include the Master’s Seminar and the Colloquium in Theory and Method. M.A. students must also complete the Master’s Essay and demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language. No advanced standing will be granted toward the M.A. for graduate work completed at other institutions. All sequential students are evaluated at the conclusion of the first year in order to be recommended to continue to M.Phil. studies. To complete the M.Phil., sequential students take six more courses and fulfill a second language requirement before taking the oral examination in preparation for beginning work on the Ph.D. dissertation. Students are expected to finish the Ph.D. within six years of their initial enrollment as an M.A. candidate.

All students admitted to the M.A./M.Phil./Ph.D. program receive full financial support through year six as long as they make satisfactory progress. Teaching and research experience are considered an important aspect of the training of graduate students. Thus, graduate fellowships include some teaching and research apprenticeship.

For a more detailed description of the program and current information on courses, faculty and any changes in requirements, see the department’s home page: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/english.

In addition to the requirements listed below, all students must submit 1 official transcript showing courses and grades at each school attended, a statement of academic purpose, a writing sample (a course paper, term paper, etc.) and 3 letters of evaluation from academic sources. All international students whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate degree is from an institution in a country whose official language is not English, must submit scores of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS. For more information, refer to our Admissions Information and Frequently Asked Questions pages.