Admission Requirements

Please note that the admissions deadlines for our M.A. in English programs are October 15th for spring enrollment, and March 15th for fall enrollment. 

If you are interested in our M.F.A in Creative Writing, please follow the application requirements and deadlines on the Creative Writing Website. 

Anyone interested in our MA in Literature, Linguistics, Professional Writing and Editing, or Teaching Writing and Literature programs, please read on. 

Please send all application materials to:

Graduate Admissions Processing Center

Mail Stop 2D2

George Mason University

4400 University Drive

Fairfax, Virginia 22030

Master of Arts Application Checklist

(For those applying to our Graduate English program in one or more of the following concentrations: English Literature, Linguistics, Cultural Studies, The Teaching of Writing and Literature, or Professional Writing and Editing)

1)A completed application form, with the current nonrefundable fee.

2) Two transcripts from all colleges and universities here course work was completed (undergraduate and graduate).Students who have attended colleges abroad must supply equivalents for their transcripts.

3) Two letters of recommendation, preferably academic (online forms provided by the Office of Admissions).

4) A 1,000-word writing sample, which may be a paper written for an undergraduate class or any other material, that gives evidence of an applicant's writing skills and analytic abilities. A critical analysis of a literary text is preferred.

5) An essay (of 750 words or less) reflecting the applicant’s intellectual background, interest in the program, and goals.

6) Professional Writing and Editing Only: In addition to the above requirements, please submit 1 - 3 additional samples of writing oriented to your professional or educational interests. We would prefer to see at least one sample of professional or technical writing (newswriting, report, feature article, instructions, web design, etc.), but any piece that has a clear audience and rhetorical purpose is acceptable. On a cover sheet, discuss the audience and purpose for each writing sample.

Certificate Applications

Professional Writing and Editing Certificate

(PWE Cert.)

All of the same application requirements as the Master of Arts in Professional Writing and Editing (including the portfolio).

Teaching English as a Second Language Certificate (TESL Cert.)

All of the same application requirements as the Master of Arts in Linguistics application (see above).

Transfer of Credit Policies

Up to 12 credit hours of graduate credit earned prior to admission to a master's program may be eligible to be transferred into the program and applied to the degree.  This applies to credit earned in GMU's Nondegree program, as well as accredited colleges and universities outside of George Mason.   To learn more about the policies governing transfer of credit, please click on Credit Transfer Policies.