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FAQs

Admission FAQs

What grades are required for admission, and how to you calculate them?

Do I have to follow through with the research proposal I submit as part of my application?

I see your MA and PhD programs require knowledge of a second language. Do I have to have this before I can apply? What level of competency are you looking for?

What are the requirements for students who have English as a second language?

Do you offer graduate work in TESL / Education / Linguistics / Creative Writing / Professional Writing?

If I am accepted into the MA program, can I then automatically move to the PhD program?

I didn’t take an Honours undergraduate degree. Can I still apply to the MA program?

My undergraduate degree is in a discipline other than English. Can I still apply to the English MA program?

I completed my undergraduate degree some time ago. Can I still apply to the MA program?

Can I upgrade my undergraduate degree in order to be eligible for the MA degree?


Documents Required

I filled in the online application form but haven’t heard anything from you. What’s up?

Is there a separate application for scholarships?

Is there a separate application for Teaching Assistant positions?

How does the online reference system work?

I completed the online application buy my referees haven’t received an email yet – should I be worried?

My referees want to (or have to) mail you their references. Do they have to use the Confidential Reference Letter form, or can they just send a regular reference letter?

Do the Confidential Reference Letters have to be completed by professors, or can I use my work supervisor as a reference?

Can I mail you my transcript or does my university have to do that?

Not all my Fall grades are on my transcript yet. Is that a problem?

I filled in the online application form, my referees filled in the electronic reference forms, and my university is sending you copies of my transcript. The only item left is my 500 word statement. Do I have to mail that to you?


Deadlines/ Timing

What is your deadline for applications? What if my application arrives after the deadline? What if the deadline is on a weekend?

I applied online before January 15th. This means I’ll be considered for all scholarships, right?

Can I start the graduate program in January?

Do I need to find a supervisor before I apply?

I am planning on finishing my BA (or MA) degree over the summer and won’t graduate until the Fall. Does this mean I can’t apply for September admission?


Calculating Your Admission GPA

Although the Faculty of Graduate Studies minimum GPA requirement is a 3.0 (B average), it is rare that students who have less than a 3.7 (A- average) will be offered admission to a graduate program in the Department of English.  Your Admission GPA is not the same as your cumulative GPA.  Based on guidelines supplied to us by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, here are some examples of how your admission GPA will be calculated:

MA Applicants

PhD Applicants


Funding FAQs

How much will the program cost me?

What funding can I expect to receive from Dalhousie?

What’s a SSHRC?

What’s a Killam?

I’m an international student. What scholarships are available for me?

Are there opportunities for students to act as Research Assistants?

If I’m successful in winning external funding, what happens to my funding offer from Dalhousie?

Is funding available for Conferences / Research Trips?


Graduate Seminar FAQs

Can I audit or take undergraduate classes as part of my graduate degree?

I want to design a reading class to replace one of my required seminars. What do I do?

Can I take graduate classes if I’m an undergraduate student?

Can I take a graduate class if I’m a graduate student in another discipline?


Supervisor FAQ

Several MA students have been asking about how to decide on and approach a thesis supervisor.   Here are some suggestions.

Timing

How do I ask a faculty member to be my supervisor?

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