English PhD

[Milo_10011]

I'm planning on applying for a PhD in English (I'm still unsure about concentration: maybe creative writing, maybe American literature) in about a year (there are loose ends I have to close off in my life before I undertake it). I have a good GPA (3.675) from an MA that I was taking in polisci. I have a similar GPA for an MA prior to that (I have to dig up the paperwork to get the exact figure). I live in New York, so I have a lot of resources to exploit. I want to add items that will help round out my application. Any advice?

Edited June 1, 2016 by Milo_10011

[Warelin]

This is a tricky question to answer. How much coursework do you have in English? While English welcomes people from other disciplines, the people will be graded on the same level as those who earned a bachelor's in English. In most cases, programs require a minimum of 5-6 courses in English. Freshman year's  intro to composition doesn't count as part of those courses. Can your professors speak about your writing and analyzing texts?

As a side note, American Literature is the most popular field to apply in. I think the statistic often quoted is that 70% of applicants apply under it. Creative Writing gets a fair amount of attention from people who have previously earned a MFA in Creative Writing, as an alternative to the MFA, from those interested in Publishing and from those who are interested in Poetry and Poetics.