GRADUATE PROGRAM HANDBOOK
3. ADMISSION TO THE ENGLISH GRADUATE PROGRAM
3.1 General
3.2 Deadlines
3.3 Supporting Documents
3.4 Entrance Requirements
3.1 General
Applicants must comply with the regulations outlined both in this Handbook and on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website. Students seeking admission to graduate studies in English should apply using the online system which may be accessed through the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
NOTE: While students apply online through the Faculty of Graduate Studies, supporting documents that cannot be uploaded to the site should be sent directly to the department of English at the following address:
English Department Graduate Office
University of British Columbia
397-1873 East Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
While applicants who have the minimum requirements and grade point averages are eligible to be considered for admission, they are not guaranteed admission, since the number of spaces in both the MA and PhD programs is very limited. First-class grades and strong letters of support are expected of all successful applicants.
3.2 Deadlines
The department deadline for the receipt of completed applications (see 3.3.1) is 15 January each year. However, all students are encouraged to complete their applications as early as possible.
Canadian students intending to apply for federal graduate funding (normally from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada) should also remember that the deadlines for these funding programs are considerably earlier. If you are currently enrolled at a Canadian university, that university sets the deadlines for both MA and PhD funding applications; if you are not currently enrolled in a Canadian university, then whether you apply to SSHRC directly or through your most recent university will depend on how long it has been since you attended that univeristy. SSHRC's deadlines for direct application can be found here. SSHRC's own deadline is generally in November, while most Canadian universities will have institutional deadlines several weeks to a month or more before the SSHRC deadline.
3.3 Supporting Documents
3.3.1 All applicants must submit
a) Completed application form and application fee via the online system. Current fees for 2010-2011 are CDN $90 for Canadian students and permanent residents; CDN $150 for international students. These fees are subject to change; click here for the Faculty of Graduate studies list of fees and exemptions.
b) Three letters of academic recommendation. The department is now accepting electronic submission of letters of reference. Once you have submitted your application via the on-line system, your referees will be sent a link via the email supplied in your application and can then submit their references electronically. Form letters on letterhead received in sealed, endorsed envelopes are also acceptable as are signed and sealed reference forms (see http://www.grad.ubc.ca/forms/report-applicant-admission-graduate-studies).
c) Two official copies of transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended, including universities currently being attended. Transcripts must be received by the English Graduate Office in sealed, endorsed envelopes. NOTE: Current and former UBC students do not need to send in official UBC transcripts as part of their graduate application package. However, such students should be aware that they are still responsible for submitting transcripts from all other post-secondary institutions they attended (e.g. exchange year, transfer year, etc.)
d) A recent essay or writing sample (not to exceed 20 pages). Electronic copies are not accepted at this time. Please submit a hard copy directly to the English Graduate Office.
3.3.2 Status
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE APPLICANT TO ENSURE THAT ALL NECESSARY MATERIALS REACH THE ENGLISH GRADUATE OFFICE. Applicants will be contacted regarding application status and/or any outstanding application materials at the email address included in their application, after the January 15 deadline has passed and once the application has been processed by the Graduate Office. We receive many applications each year; please be aware it takes us some time to deal with all of them.
3.4 Entrance Requirements
This section sets out entrance requirements for both the MA and the PhD programs. Students should note that these include both the University's general requirements and standards as well as the specific requirements and standards for the programs in the Department of English. International students should also consult 3.4.3.
3.4.1 Credit Equivalents
One sessional course (that is, a course meeting three hours per week from September to April), is normally considered equivalent to two semester courses, or to three quarter courses.
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3.4.2 Transfer Credits from Other Universities
When applying for admission into the MA or PhD program, a student may apply for the transfer of up to 12 credits of graduate-level work from another university, provided that the courses have not been credited towards any other degree.
3.4.3 International Students
UBC welcomes applications for admission from outstanding students from all countries. Students from most English-language universities may apply directly to the PhD program after completing an MA in their own country. However, because of differences in language and university instruction, it is UBC policy that students from some universities will be considered only for MA studies at UBC after completing an honours BA and MA in their own country, both with first-class standing. The Faculty of Graduate studies website includes a calculator which displays minimum requirements and credentials by country; click here to visit that page.
International students whose first language is not English applying for admission to either the MA or the PhD programs are required to write the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), administered by Educational Test Services (ETS); click here to visit the TOEFL section of the ETS site. A student must achieve a minimum test score of 615 (paper-based), 258 (computer-based), or 104 (web-based). International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) is also accepted at UBC. Applicants must receive a score of 8.0 with no component less than 7.5 for consideration. Students are advised that near-native fluency is required for success in our program.
3.4.4 General Admission Standards
The Faculty of Graduate Studies sets out minimum grade requirements for admission to graduate programs at UBC. These requirements may be consulted here. Students should note, however, that these are minimum standards only. The competitive requirements for the MA and PhD in English are higher, and are set out below by degree program.
3.4.5 Entrance Requirements for MA Students
Applicants to the MA program normally hold a Bachelor's or Honours degree in English or a related discipline with a minimum average of A- (80%), or 3.5 on a four-point scale, based upon all academic courses taken during the two senior undergraduate years. Typically most accepted applicants maintain upper-year averages above 83%. Most students accepted into our program are in the top 15% of their undergraduate cohort.
Applicants to the MA program in LANGUAGE will normally have at least 24 credits of senior undergraduate courses in English language distributed as follows: one course from area 1, one course from area 2, and at least one course from two of areas 3 to 7:
1. History of the English Language (e.g. ENGL 320 at UBC)
2. The Linguistic Structure of Modern English (e.g. ENGL 330/331)
3. The History or and Theory of Rhetoric (e.g. ENGL 310/311)
4. Old or Middle English (e.g. ENGL 340/341, 344, 346)
5. Linguistic Variation (Dialectology, Sociolinguistics, World Englishes) (e.g. ENGL 323)
6. Stylistics (ENGL 322), Discourse Studies (e.g. ENGL 312), or Writing Studies
7. Cognitive Linguistics (e.g. ENGL 328)
In addition, applicants to the MA program in Language must have taken at least 6 credits of English literature. Students in the Language program who have not taken the required courses as part of their undergraduate degree must rectify the deficiency by taking an appropriate graduate seminar or senior undergraduate course (up to a maximum of 6 credits), as part of their MA program.
3.4.6 Entrance Requirements for PhD Students
The University's general requirements for admission to the PhD are laid out on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website; click here to consult these requirements.
The Department expects applicants for the PhD to hold a first-class MA degree in English language or literature. Advanced degrees in closely-related disciplines (for example, other literatures) may, particularly when combined with an undergraduate English degree, constitute sufficient preparation for the PhD; students are urged to seek advising as to the suitability of their backgrounds and project for the PhD in English.
While there are no formal area requirements for the PhD, students should expect either to demonstrate or, in the course of their PhD coursework, to develop, broad experience of literatures in English, and/ or English language, appropriate to support both their research projects and their future careers as researchers and teachers.
In exceptional cases, students accepted into the MA program with a first-class Honours BA may apply to transfer into the PhD program at the end of the first year, provided that they have completed at least 18 credits of the MA program with a first-class average and can supply two letters of support giving evidence of research ability. The Graduate Committee will determine the additional number of credits to be completed.
In extraordinary cases, students may be allowed to enter the PhD program following a first-class Honours BA. The Graduate Committee will determine if extra course work is to be required, on a case by case basis.