Information page of frequently asked questions for students wishing to apply.

How do I apply to the Program?
What is the cutoff date for applications?
Do you admit students in the Fall and Spring?
Is this an M.A. program?
Is it a full time program?
Is there funding available?
What about GRE's?
What about TOEFL/IELTS?
How many credits do I need to complete the Program?
How long to degree?
Do we place our students?
If I have an M.A. will I be able to transfer my credits?
Students outside the program wishing to take our courses

How do I apply to the Program?

Go to: gradstudy.rutgers.edu and complete an online application.

To complete the application, you will need to know the institutional code (R2790).

We require three (3) letters of recommendation, a personal statement (1 to 2 pages single spaced) that describes your academic background, your research interests, and any other information you consider relevant to your scholarly profile, a writing sample, about 20 pages double spaced, demonstrating the applicant's abilities as a literary critic (either one 20-page paper or two 10-page papers is acceptable), a curriculum vita, all relevant transcripts (undergraduate and graduate), Test Scores:  The Admissions Committee does NOT consider GRE test scores (subject or general) in its deliberations, and we do not accept GRE scores from our applicants.  A TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test scores is required if your undergraduate education was completed in a non-English speaking country.  Please see complete details regarding exemptions and additional TOEFL requirements by visiting: https://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/information/international-students.  All supporting documentation should be uploaded electronically into the application. There is a $70.00 fee required with the application. We will notify you before folders are reviewed if we do not have all your information.

What is the cutoff date for applications?

The deadline for Fall 2024 is December 15, 2023

Do you admit students in the Fall and Spring?

Our students are admitted in the fall only.

Is this an M.A. program?

This is a Ph.D. Program. Rutgers has M.A. programs in Camden (Phone: (856) 225-6121) and Newark (Phone: (973) 353-5279.

Is it a full-time program?

Ours is a full-time program with no evening or weekend classes and no summer classes.

Is there funding available? (Fall 2023)

The Graduate Program provides six years of support for all students.

In the first year, students receive an academic-year base fellowship stipend of $25,000, plus full tuition remission. In addition, all incoming 24-25 students will receive a $10,000 Summer Stipend*, which provides two years of summer support, with $5,000 provided in the summer before the second year in the program, and $5,000 provided in the summer preceding the third year in the program.  In order to receive the Summer Stipend, students must be in good academic standing and must be registered for the upcoming fall semester.  A student making continuous progress through the program would receive $5,000 in the summer of 2024, bringing the total amount to the offer to $30,000 for the first year.  A Major Medical insurance plan is also provided to all full-time fellows.

Subsequent support, which depends on good progress towards completion of the degree, includes teaching assistantships in the second, third, and fourth years, and as many as two more years of fellowship in the fifth and sixth years.  Teaching Assistantships currently carry a stipend of $35,335 plus tuition remission, student fees, and medical benefits.  In addition, students receive a Summer Stipend of $5,000 in the summer before their third year in the program.

Students normally hold a fellowship in the fifth year, and many students also hold a fellowship in the sixth year. Students who do not hold a fellowship are guaranteed an appointment as a teaching assistant in their fifth and sixth years. Second and later fellowships carry the same base stipend as a student’s first Graduate School fellowship.

The teaching load is two courses per year. Historically, the program has also supported, in the form of a TA, any seventh-year student who had yet to finish the degree. Because of SAS rules, the seventh-year TA is located in the Writing Program.  The Graduate Program fully expects to continue offering this extended support, even though the seventh year is not officially within the guaranteed package.

We are proud to be able to offer our students a longer term of financial support than many of our peer institutions

 

*Subject to change by the School of Graduate Studies

What about GRE's?

The Admissions Committee does NOT consider GRE test scores (subject or general) in its deliberations, and we do not accept GRE scores from our applicants. 

What about TOEFL/IELTS?

A TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test scores is required if your undergraduate education was completed in a non-English speaking country.  Please see complete details regarding exemptions and additional TOEFL requirements by visiting: https://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/information/international-students

How many credits do I need to complete the Program?

You must have 42 credits of coursework, 6 Reading credits (which are the preparation for your orals exam), and 24 Research credits before you can defend your dissertation.

How long to degree?

An average of 6-7 years; some may take more than others.

Do we place our students?

The graduate program is very active in assisting students to obtain positions in higher education by means of a vigorous job placement & careers program.

If I have an M.A. will I be able to transfer my credits?

Students entering with an M.A. may not transfer credits. However, they will have the option of using prior coursework, where appropriate, to meet up to (2) distribution requirements. The Associate Director will determine which, if any, courses are eligible for this purpose. All students in the program take 12 courses. Students entering with an MA may use the reduction in distribution requirements to specialize earlier and to enroll in an article publication workshop. In consultation with department advisors, entering students will design a program that best meets individual needs and preparation.

Students outside the program wishing to take our courses

Whether or not the students are enrolled at Rutgers, they must contact the faculty member to ask permission to take their course. Once permission is granted and if they are Rutgers students they should contact our office for a special permission number. If they are NOT a Rutgers student, they must contact Admissions to apply for non-matriculated admission and pay a $70.00 fee. They will also have to contact our office for a special permission number. If students are enrolled in one of the Consortium Universities/Colleges (CUNY Graduate Center/Columbia University/Columbia University Teachers College/Fordham University/New School University/New York University/University of Pennsylvania/Princeton University/SUNY Stony Brook), they should contact the appropriate office at their institution for the Inter-University Registration form. If a special permission number is required the student would then contact our office.