English

108 English/Counseling Services Bldg.
785-532-6716
Fax: 785-532-2192
gradeng@ksu.edu
http://www.ksu.edu/english/

Department Head:

Karin Westman

Director of graduate studies:

Gregory Eiselein

Graduate faculty:

Linda Brigham, Ph.D., University of Maryland.
Timothy Dayton, Ph.D. , Duke University.
Elizabeth Dodd, M.F.A., Ph.D., Indiana University.
M. L. Donnelly, Ph.D., Harvard University.
Gregory Eiselein, Ph.D., University of Iowa.
Carol Franko, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin.
Tanya Gonzalez, Ph.D., University of California, Riverside.
Dean Hall, Ph.D., Kent State University.
Christina Hauck, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
Donald Hedrick, Ph.D., Cornell University.
Jonathan Holden, Ph.D., University of Colorado.
Michele Janette, Ph.D., Yale University.
Alison A. Knoblauch, Ph.D., University of New Hampshire.
Anne Longmuir, Ph.D., University of Edinburgh.
James Machor, Ph.D., University of Illinois.
Phillip Marzluf, Ph.D., University of Oklahoma.
Wendy A. Matlock, Ph.D., The Ohio State University.
Philip W. Nel, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University.
Bonnie Nelson, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University.
Kara Northway, Ph.D., University of Kansas.
Anne Phillips, Ph.D., University of Connecticut.
Donna L. Potts, Ph.D., University of Missouri at Columbia.
David Smit, Ph.D., University of Iowa.
Donald K. Smith, Ph.D., University of Iowa.
Lisa Tatonetti, Ph.D., Ohio State University.
Leland Warren, Ph.D., University of Illinois.
Karin E. Westman, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University.
Alison Wheatley, Ph.D., University of Virginia.
Naomi Wood, Ph.D., Duke University.
Han Yu, Ph.D., Illinois State University.

Admission procedures

All applications are reviewed by the director of graduate studies and the graduate advisory committee within the department. Applicants are expected to have performed at a B level or better in all of their undergraduate work, but the committee bases its judgment primarily on the student’s performance in English courses.

Because some persons do not mature as students until late in their undergraduate careers, the department may sometimes accept students with less than the expected grade average if the students’ final semesters indicate the ability to do graduate work. Moreover, the department recognizes that students who have majored in fields other than English as undergraduates may choose English for their graduate work. Such students are usually admitted with provisional standing and are enrolled in courses for undergraduate credit until any deficiencies are made up.

Applications need to include the following:

Completed application form.
Two copies of the official transcript from each college or university the applicant has attended. Only official copies are accepted by the Graduate School. (If the transcripts do not show an undergraduate major comparable to that of K-State with a minimum of 24 credit hours in English above the freshman level, the applicant may be admitted with provisional standing and enrolled in courses for undergraduate credit until the deficiency has been removed.)
Three letters of recommendation from persons qualified to speak informatively of the applicant’s academic performance and his or her potential for advanced study in English.
A statement of objectives (a succinct account of aims and interests).
A copy of the applicant’s GRE scores (general section only).
A writing sample of 8-15 pages of analytical or persuasive prose.
An application fee of $30 for domestic students or $55 for international students.
For applicants who expect to enter the creative writing track, a writing sample of either 10-30 pages of fiction or 6-10 poems.
For international students, an official TOEFL score report and Kansas State University’s financial affidavit.

Financial support

Most M.A. students qualify to be graduate teaching assistants and are provided valuable teaching experience as well as financial support. GTAs receive a nine-month stipend and a full tuition waiver. The Department of English also offers a small number of scholarships; awarded on a competitive basis, these may be held in addition to an assistantship. Students in the creative writing track may apply for the Seaton Fellowships; students in all tracks may apply for the Edwards, Glenn, Grindell, and Popkins Scholarships.