How To Apply: M.A

Application Deadlines

Fall semester

July 1 for all applicants (priority deadline is February 1) 

April 1 for international applicants.

Spring semester 

December 1 for all applicants (priority deadline is November 1)

October 1 for international applicants.

Notes

• For priority consideration, you must meet the priority deadlines listed above. 
• If you missed the Cal State Apply deadlines, please contact the English Department at ma-english@humboldt.edu.
• The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is no longer required.

Cal Poly Humboldt admissions requirements for International students. 

Apply

Complete the application on Cal State Apply. ($70 application fee*)
*If the application fee is a financial burden, you can apply for a fee waiver.

The Cal State Application will also ask you for the following information:

1. Personal Statement

Write a 500-word essay in which you respond to both of the following prompts:

• Discuss the experiences, ideas, readings, and/or projects that have shaped your personal and intellectual development.
• Discuss your academic research interests, and explain how the graduate English program at Cal Poly Humboldt matches these interests and career goals.

See “Personal Statement: Humanities” for more information.
 

2. Three Letters of Recommendation

Once you have saved the recommendation request in Cal State Apply, an email request will be sent to the recommender on your behalf. 

Ideally, these letters will be from professors and/or college instructors who know your current academic performance, qualifications, abilities, and goals. If you have been out of college for several years, they could be from supervisors who can speak to your job performance, including examples of analytical abilities, organizational skills, initiative, and/or creativity. 

3. Writing Sample

A 10- to 15-page representative sample of your best academic writing. Ideally it will be in a discipline relevant to English studies (e.g. literature, linguistics, writing, film studies, gender studies, ethnic studies, interdisciplinary humanities). 

The sample should reflect your ability to analyze and synthesize. If possible, choose writing that demonstrates your preparation to pursue an advanced degree in English. 

This is not an MFA program, so please do not submit creative writing.

Using the Student Center and Application Status

• Once you have applied, you will be assigned a prospective student number and will use it to log into the student center. This is where the Graduate Admissions office will communicate important information to you. All information about the student center will be emailed to you.
• Once you have submitted your complete application and all supplemental documents have been received, you should expect to hear back about the status of your application within one month.

Additional application information can be found on the Admissions website at Graduate Application Information. NOTE: The deadlines on the Graduate Application Information page do not apply to this program.