The English Department at Boston University offers the following degrees:

Admission to the Graduate Program in English

Students who will have earned a BA by September 2023 and who wish to apply for the PhD program in English should check the Post-Bachelors PhD option on the application form. Students admitted under this option must complete all of the requirements for the MA before moving on to the PhD. Permission to continue in the PhD program is conditional on the timely completion of all MA requirements at a satisfactory scholarly level.

Students who wish to obtain the MA only should apply for the Master of Arts, checking off the MA option on the application.

Students who will have an MA degree in English by September 2023 and who wish to apply directly to the PhD program may do so by checking the post-MA/PhD option on the application form.

For in-depth information about graduate study in English or Creative Writing, please consult the Graduate Bulletin.

* In addition to the standard Graduate School admissions forms, all applicants to the MA and PhD programs should submit a scholarly writing sample (approximately 15-20 pages). Applicants holding the MA who are applying to the PhD program should submit a scholarly writing sample (approximately 15-–25 pages) in their area of interest.  All applicants must also submit a personal statement, which should be a maximum of 2-3 pages.