University of Colorado Denver College of Liberal Arts and SciencesUniversity of Colorado Denver

Application Procedures for International Students

Students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States should begin the application process by contacting the Office of International Admissions at UC Denver. Potential students work with staff in International Admissions to compile their application materials, which then are submitted to the English Department.

Admissions to the Master's Program

Applicants for a master's degree in English must submit all application materials by the listed deadline date as follows:

Target Enrollment Term Deadline for Completed Application
Summer & Fall April 1
Spring October 1

Complete applications must include the following:

  1. A completed application from the Graduate School office on the downtown Denver campus. Submit an application online.
  2. Two copies of all graduate and undergraduate transcripts, and for any nondegree courses previously taken.
  3. Three letters of recommendation, in which the recommender specifically addresses the candidate’s ability to pursue successfully the program chosen (forms for recommendation letters are available with the online application).
  4. Recent scores on the Graduate Record Exam, including the analytical, verbal, and quantitative portions. Graduate Record Examination score average should be 600 or higher. Analytical writing score should be 4 or higher. The English Literature subject test is NOT required.
  5. Evidence of a 3.0 grade point average in previous courses.
  6. A letter of application, in which the applicant carefully describes reasons and motivation for pursuing the program chosen, and career aspirations upon completing the degree.
  7. A critical writing sample of approximately ten pages in length.

The letters of reference, GRE scores, and application fees should be sent directly to the Department at the following address:

University of Colorado Denver
Department of English, Campus Box 175
P.O. Box 173364
Denver, CO 80217-3364

Academic Prerequisites

Applicants for the MA in English must have successfully completed 24 semester hours in English courses (graduate or undergraduate), excluding courses in composition, creative writing, or speech. At least 16 of these semester hours must be at the upper-division level.

Transfer of Credits from Other CU Campuses

Students admitted to graduate study in English may complete all of their course requirements for the MA degree at UC Denver. Up to 9 credits (total) may be transferred from the CU-Boulder, CU-Colorado Springs, or other graduate program; however, such transfer requires the written approval of the specific program coordinator. Further, work already applied toward a graduate degree received at the University of Colorado or at another institution cannot be transferred toward another graduate degree of the same level at UC Denver.

For other rules concerning transfer of graduate credits, see the Downtown Denver Campus Graduate School Rules or contact Philip Joseph (Director of Graduate Studies) at 303-556-4648.