↳ Doctoral
ApplyThe University of Missouri English Department is dedicated to the study of English language and literature in all of its various historical, cultural, and theoretical aspects. The English Department houses over 35 full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty members and over seventy graduate students enrolled in MA, MA/PhD, and PhD programs with emphases in all the major literary periods, including Medieval, Early Modern, Restoration and 18th Century, Romantic, Victorian, American to 1914, Modern and Contemporary, and African Diaspora Studies. Our PhD in Creative Writing is one of the oldest in the nation; our faculty includes distinguished poets, novelists, and creative non-fiction writers. We also have special emphases in Critical Theory, and in Language and Linguistics (MA only). Our faculty have a distinguished record of scholarship, and have won major awards to support their research from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Society for the Humanities at Cornell University, the Huntington Library and elsewhere.
English, Doctor of Philosophy
Doctoral | On Campus
Admission criteria
Application Deadline
| Entrance Term | Application Deadline |
| Fall | January 1 |
Minimum Language Requirements
Click here to view the minimum English language proficiency test scores
Required Application Materials
For the Graduate School
- Completed Graduate School online application
- Unofficial Transcripts- As part of the application submission process, all applicants are required to upload unofficial copies of all post-secondary transcripts to the online application. Official transcripts are only required if accepted by the academic program.
- Official Results of English Proficiency Exams (International applicants only)
For the English Program (go to website for details)
- Three letters of recommendation, at least two of which must be academic.
- One transcript from all colleges or universities you have attended.
- CV
- List of any previous graduate classes taken
- Statement of purpose (approximately 500 words): The admissions committee is interested in your past academic interests, including specific papers and projects you have worked on, and what you wish to accomplish as a graduate student. Please explain why you wish to pursue a particular emphasis (poetry, Romanticism, etc.), in this department. The Statement of Purpose serves as your request to be considered for a Graduate School fellowship.
- Writing Sample: One 15-20 page scholarly paper for students applying for Literature Studies or for English Language and Linguistics. Creative Writing applicants should submit one critical/scholarly paper and one of the following: a sample of your fiction (15-30 pages), creative non-fiction (15-20 pages), or poetry (15-20 pages).
Stephen Karian
Director of Graduate Study
phone 573-882-1784
place 235 Tate Hall
email karians@missouri.edu