The normal requirement for admission to the English MA program is the equivalent of an Honours degree in English studies from a recognized institution with at least a high second-class standing (78% or higher) in the last year of study. Students with degrees with excellent academic records in other disciplines will also be considered, or may be allowed to do qualifying undergraduate courses at the University of Guelph prior to beginning graduate study. Students wishing to enter the program normally do so in September. (Only under exceptional circumstances may students be considered for admission in either January or May.) Applications from international students are warmly encouraged, although the application procedures are somewhat more complex. If the applicant's first degree was completed in a country where English is not the first language, English-language proficiency must be documented at the time of application. Sample minimum scores are 580 for TOEFL or 6.5 for the British Council test.

All entering MA students will register for the joint, required two-semester course, ENGL*6010 Approaches to Research and Theory. This course must be taken upon entrance, requiring that entering students be registered for both the Fall and Winter semester. Students may choose between two options for completion of remaining degree requirements:

• Course-Work Option: The required ENGL*6010 plus four other courses; plus ENGL*6803 Research Project

• Thesis Option: the required ENGL*6010 plus two other courses, plus a thesis of 20,000 to 25,000 words (80-100 pages)

Creative Writing Option: both the research paper or project and the thesis may, with approval, and contingent upon faculty availability, be completed as exercises in creative writing.