Master of Arts in English

Students in our graduate programs work with an Advisory Committee usually made up of one main Advisor and one to three additional Advisory Committee members depending on the program. These Advisors are faculty members whose research is in an area related to your interests. They will guide you as you prepare your Major Research Project or Major Research Paper. It is a good idea to introduce yourself as early as possible to faculty members who you think might be interested in your work. You do not need to have an Advisory Committee in place before arriving.

Once you start your program, you will have plenty of opportunities to get to know the faculty members in your department or area. Faculty are well used to being sought out by students who might want to work with them. They will welcome hearing from you and can help you focus your ideas. Towards the end of your first semester, the Coordinator of your program will ask you who you think you would like to have on your committee and they will help you as necessary to get everything set up. You should have your committee formally established by the middle of your second semester at the latest so that they can work with and support you as you plan your project.

The deadline for the receipt of your complete application package for admission in the Fall semester is January 15.

• Official transcripts from all previous and post-secondary institutions
• Two (2) letters of reference - you will be prompted to enter your referees' contact information and a secure link will be sent to them directly. Please let your referees know that they are encouraged to send an email to gradapps@uoguelph.ca if they are experiencing difficulty or have issues with this new process.
• A 400-600-word research statement about your research interests, your reasons for wishing to pursue graduate studies at the University of Guelph and, if possible, a statement about specific fields of study you are interested in exploring.
• Two (2) senior undergraduate essays (complete with grades and instructors’ comments, if possible) that can serve as samples of your scholarly performance.
• If your first language is not English, a certification of English language proficiency must also be included (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB test scores).
  Note: The University of Guelph no longer accepts Duolingo test results.

• Average of at least second-class honours (78%) in last 4 semesters of study.

Most Offers of Admission that we make for our graduate programs include an offer of funding. As part of your admission offer you will receive a detailed break-down of what that funding will include over the duration of your program. Most funding consists of a mix of a guaranteed offer of paid work for the University, usually as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, and scholarship income. Once you enroll in your program, you will be set up with an account with Student Financial Services; your funding will be paid into this account (every two weeks in the case of employment income) and you can pay your tuition and fees from this account and then move the rest into your own bank account.

If you are an International student, visit the University of Guelph International Student Experience website for information about pre-arrival resources, orientation programs (including START International) and counselling help.

Please visit the University of Guelph’s Guelph Graduate Tuition and Fees website to find tuition and fee information.