Compact Description of the Rhetoric & Writing PhD Program

Important Application-Related Documents
-- Welcome Letter
-- How To Apply
-- Checksheet
-- Assistantship Application

FAQ about Graduate Applications and the Rhetoric & Writing PhD Program

To get BGSU Graduate Catalog information or to apply on line, click here.

Some Additional Information
Admission to a program does not constitute a commitment to funding, nor does it guarantee that a student will be available to matriculate in the semester he or she desires. Enrollment demands and curriculum changes may force limits in the number of students permitted to enroll in each course.Students interested in applying for admission and for funding should submit completed files to the Graduate Coordinator's office by February 1. Incomplete files will result in delays of admission decisions, and candidates are forewarned that it is crucial to apply as early as possible. Because the number of applicants for our programs has continued to grow, we have seen an increase in the number of self-funded students matriculating. Those students admitted but not funded need to be aware that the department has instituted a June 1st deadline for declaring one's intentions to enroll in courses for the following Fall semester. If you have any questions or need further information you are welcome to contact our graduate coordinator, Dr. Piya Lapinski, or graduate secretary Mary Ann Sweeney at (419)-372-6864.

1) All applicants must submit a completed application to the BGSU Graduate College accompanied by the appropriate fees. This can be done online here.
To obtain an application form, contact:
Graduate College Graduate College
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, Ohio 43403-0180
(419) 372-2791

2) Applicants to all degree programs in English must meet the general requirements for admission to the Graduate College.

3) All applicants for admission to the Department programs must submit scores from the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Those with GRE scores that average below 500 on the verbal and the analytical test portions of the exam will rarely be considered for funding. Recently funded students scored on the average of 550 on both the verbal and the analytical components of the GRE.

4) All applicants must submit official transcripts from each institution they have attended and a 10-15 page writing sample from recent analytical academic work.

5) All applicants must submit three letters of recommendation from persons acquainted with their academic experience.

6) Those seeking funding must submit the appropriate Department application form (available from the Graduate Secretary that requires a succinct statement of purpose. This document should explain applicants' reasons for entering a graduate program in English and should detail their specific areas of competence and interest within the larger field of English Studies. NOTE: This latter statement is crucial in determining whether student interests and course demands can be adequately meshed with current faculty and degree offerings and therefore should be constructed thoughtfully and carefully.

7) All non-native English speaking applicants must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). When it is not possible to take the TOEFL, applicants may take the Michigan Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) instead. Those applicants with TOEFL scores below 550 will rarely be admitted.

8) Applications and supporting materials should be received no later than February 1, before the Fall Semester of the year the applicant wishes to begin study. Later applicants will be considered only if positions are available. Applications will be reviewed as early as January 1st.