grad school without an English BA

[Baby Britain]

Hi all... my sob story is as follows:) I realized what I loved way too late in my time as an undergraduate and am now facing the reality of being a graduating senior with no job prospects (read: hardcore anti-capitalist who's simultaneously too jaded for non-profit work and too moral for consulting) and grad school dreams that I can't seem to ignore. After a year-long stint as a pre-med systems bio major, I'm now a psychology and environmental studies major, with the majority of my coursework falling under the environmental studies half of that label- I've gone in a different direction than most others in the program so the vast majority of my classes are in disciplines that border on what one might call the environmental humanities. In many ways I consider the diversity of my coursework a strength if we're speaking strictly about my development as a student, but I do think not having a clear path into a specific field makes me a hard sell from an admissions perspective. I've been looking into English MA programs but the majority of them require either a specific amount of English coursework or that you have "adequate preparation for graduate level study in English," whatever that means. Were I to even get into an English MA program, looking down the road to PhD programs it seems like almost all of their current students have English BAs. This does not seem encouraging. 

I guess I'm wondering whether my coming from a separate, albeit related, discipline is surmountable, and, if so, what the best path might be. For context my primary interest lies in early modern utopian fiction, specifically the works of Francis Bacon and Margaret Cavendish. I've seen some MA programs in things like Early Modern Studies and Environmental Studies that would probably be easier to get into, but I don't know that they would make that transition any easier.

Just looking for any advice on how to proceed!

[Baby Britain]

ALSO not to lay all of my problems out for y'all, but I think its worth noting my previously mentioned pre-med days did not leave my GPA unscathed. Nothing catastrophic, just a C or two (I'm looking at you, ochem), but I will most likely graduate with around a 3.7 from a decently ranked but not super prestigious undergraduate institution and I spend way too much time driving myself crazy lurking on internet forums (?) to have any realistic understanding of what that means for my chances. I don't know if this complicates things or is just completely irrelevant, but I thought I would provide as full a picture as possible of what my situation is. 

[crunchyfallleaves]

This is understandably a frustrating situation to be in. Don't give up! My advice would be to research MA programs in the Environmental Humanities. I know at least of Utah's program https://environmental-humanities.utah.edu/prospective-students/degree-options.php, and Oregon State https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/environmental-arts-and-humanities-initiative/academics. Those programs will likely be really receptive to your background. I think you're right to envision your background as a strength, just work on translating its connection into your work. Phrase it in a way that shows your coursework experience is in fact an essential and compelling part of why you should be the one to do the research you'd like to do. I'd still apply to English MAs, but I think adding Environmental Humanities programs would also allow you to lean heavily into humanities work that will help you get into a PhD program.

[WildeThing]

I think if your LoRs, SoP, and WS show that you are competent and knowledgeable in the field that is "English" then you should be fine getting accepted. You might not get the same benefit of the doubt that someone from an English program might get, but you can definitely prove that you're more than capable to do the work in those documents. (If you're unsure about whether you have that level of competence that's another question, and perhaps an MA in English would be the logical next step for you).

Also, many departments are fairly interdisciplinary and/or offer/encourage you to do interdisciplinary certificates (I know UVA has an environmental humanities certificate) so you can emphasize your ability to fit into those intellectual communities at those programs.

[rhetoricus aesalon]

Seek out advisors who will support articulation of your background as an asset to future study in English, both in their feedback on your application materials and in their letters of recommendation. You are right that not having a clear path into a specific field will be a hard sell. So make sure the materials you are writing now make that path as clear and seamless as possible. In some cases, your inexperience in English could be more of an issue for funding depending on institutional policy or state law. 

[kirbs005]

I would echo a lot of what everyone has said above, but I also want to mention that I was accepted into an MA program with a 3.4 in undergrad. If you can demonstrate solid writing with great letters of rec and find a good research fit with professors, they are willing to look past some GPA "issues" especially if it's unrelated to what you're applying to (I had a C in Intro to Zoology, US Gov, and another science course). Granted I then took a few years off and was much more focused/understanding of why I'm passionate about the field I'm in, which I think is important to demonstrate regardless of taking time off or not. 

Also, if you're worried about people questioning pieces of your application - call it out in your SOP, don't ignore it! I'm a Communication Rhetoric MA but am applying to 3 English Rhet/Comp PhDs. I address it in my SOP by calling out my experience at my MA institution's writing center and that I'm passionate about Rhetoric of Science & Medicine which bleeds across departments and therefore am still a good fit for professors in English departments. I think you could probably make a similar argument for some environmental studies programs or utopian lit if you can demonstrate work in English classes or following those themes in other classes.