... is probably not what you envision when you think about Florida. Picture live oaks, Spanish moss, rolling hills laced with lakes and streams. Not on the gulf, but we’re an easy couple hours or so from the prettiest beaches in the continental U.S.

As Florida’s capital, Tallahassee is an expanding metropolitan center with a population of about 200,000, yet it still holds many of the charms of a smaller university town. With its many cinemas, small theatres, museums, and musical events, it offers a particularly rich environment for those who care about literature and the arts.

Literary life? Our own Tuesday-night fiction and poetry series is held in a groovy bar/restaurant, just off campus, across from the Railroad Square Arts District. It’s augmented by other noteworthy literary events, including those at...

• Word of South, a weekend-long, city-sponsored festival in beautiful Cascades Park that showcases nationally known writers and musicians
• Midtown Reader, a cozy but first-rate independent bookstore in the thriving Midtown corridor

Like to run? Bike? Walk? Play tennis? Golf? Pickleball? Tallahassee's award-winning city parks system features an amazing trails system and other excellent facilities. The area around Tallahassee is also rich in natural beauty, with many state and national parks within an easy drive, including Apalachicola National Forest, St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge, Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, and Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park.

A few of Tallahassee’s neighborhoods: Downtown Tallahassee, Midtown Tallahassee, Railroad Square Art Districts.

The indie restaurant scene in Tallahassee is thriving. For a glimpse, visit Tallahassee Table and Tallahassee Magazine. When you visit, or once you’re accepted, hit up Mark Winegardner (Associate Chair for Graduate Studies) for his indie restaurant guide.

When will admissions decisions be made?

Admissions are NOT rolling. We make our decisions early each spring semester.

Is the GRE required?

No.

Can the application fee be waived?

Unfortunately, the Office of Admissions cannot waive application fees for graduate applicants. We do our best to keep this fee as low as we can.

Is there a separate application for a teaching assistantship?

No, there is not a separate application for a teaching assistantship.

Does the program have a foreign language requirement?

Students must demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language. This requirement can be fulfilled in a variety of ways, including 12 hours at the undergraduate level. Should this cause any concern, we’d be happy to discuss more fully. Also, this requirement does NOT have to be completed prior to applying and does NOT apply to MFA students.

Are there additional requirements for international applications?

International applicants must also take the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) and should score at least 26+ on the TOEFL iBT Speaking section. Applicants with a score lower than 26+, or who don’t have TOEFL scores, will be required to take the SPEAK test during their first term of enrollment. Please visit http://admissions.fsu.edu/international/ for further questions; the International Student Coordinator for Incoming Students is Steven Niette (sniette@fsu.edu)

1. Statement of Purpose

• a short essay describing the applicant’s academic and professional experience and goals (500-750 words will likely suffice; maximum is 1,000)
• Students applying for the MFA or PhD in Creative Writing should specify intended genre (poetry, fiction, non-fiction) within their statement of purpose

2. Résumé/Curriculum Vita

3. Writing Sample

• Applicants to the Literature, Media, and Culture program or Rhetoric and Composition program should submit a critical essay.
• Applicants to the Creative Writing program/Poetry should submit up to 10 poems.
• Applicants to the Creative Writing program/Fiction should submit a short story or two and/or a novel excerpt. No strict page limit—but generally, 20-40 pages will suffice; don’t sweat it if you’re a little under or over.
• Applicants to the Creative Writing program/Nonfiction should submit one or two pieces and/or an excerpt from a book. No strict page limit—but generally, 20-40 pages will suffice; don’t sweat it if you’re a little under or over.
• Applicants to the Creative Writing program are NOT required to submit a critical writing sample.

4. Unofficial Transcripts

Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for the application process and can be uploaded directly into the application portal. If admitted, official transcripts should be mailed directly to the Office of Admissions. 

5. At least three letters of recommendation through the electronic application

• The online recommendation system connected to our application is the preferred method for recommenders to use.
• If they will not be using this system, applicants should enter their information and select “offline recommender.”
• Our application software is not designed to accept submissions from Interfolio.

Do I need to submit a separate application to be considered for an assistantship? 

No, a separate application for assistantships is not required.

What are the stipend amounts?

Currently, graduate stipends are $19,163 (plus a full tuition waiver, plus a healthcare subsidy). Students can augment this by teaching a 6-week, summer class, bringing their annual pay to $23,953.

Which teaching opportunities are available with an assistantship?

TAs may teach as part of the College Composition Program or courses in the undergraduate English major.

Are there opportunities for non-teaching assistantships?

Opportunities for non-teaching assistantships include:

• An appointment to be assistant to the College Composition Director, Director of Graduate Studies, or Director of Undergraduate Studies
• An appointment in the Reading Writing Center or Digital Studio
• Computer Writing Classroom Coordinator
• First Year Composition Mentor
• An appointment as research assistant or a teaching assistant to a professor in the student’s discipline
• An appointment to be the advisor to our undergrad literary journal

The FSU Graduate School offers several fellowships and awards:

• Legacy Fellowships provide support for up to five years for newly admitted PhD students, 3 for newly admitted MFAs. The Fellowship is a $10,000 supplement to a 0.5 FTE assistantship (required) per academic year and provides an annual health-insurance subsidy. There is no application process for this highly selective fellowship; admitted students are automatically considered.
• Wilson-Auzenne Assistantships for Minorities are available to new or currently enrolled minority graduate students. Nomination is through the department but competition is university-wise. Awards are a minimum of $5,000 per year plus tuition waivers and health-insurance subsidy.
• PhD students at the dissertation stage are eligible to apply for a limited number of University Dissertation Fellowships, currently funded at $10,000 plus tuition waivers for three terms.
• Many Black students in the program also hold McKnight Doctoral Fellowships, which provide up to five years of support to PhD students, with a stipend of $12,000 plus tuition waivers and health-insurance subsidy. These fellowships are administered by a state-wide foundation.
• McNair Scholars Fellowships, a federally funded program that prepares first-generation for members underrepresented populations for doctoral studies. Fellowships are $16,000-$20,000 per calendar year (plus tuition waiver and health-insurance subsidy) for up to 5 years for PhD students and 3 for MFAs. Applicants MUST have been McNair Scholars at their previous institution.
• Henderson Family Fellowships support Florida public school teachers pursuing an MA or MFA, covering the cost of tuition and fees in both the spring and fall semesters.
• Eligible minority students may qualify for the FAMU Feeder Fellowship. This program, for students who graduated from Florida A&M University and completed the FAMU Feeder program. Awards of $7,250/semester plus health-insurance subsidy will be given for a maximum of four years for doctoral degree-seeking students, and two years for MA/MFA students.

Post-Graduate Teaching Appointments

Upon receiving the PhD in English, as part of their professional development and in tandem with the job search, graduates are often offered Visiting Assistant Professorships. These are salaried appointments with benefits.

Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards

The Graduate School is the proprietary body for each graduate department, including English. Please check the link to their website for additional admission information as well as scholarship and fellowship information for incoming graduate students, particularly the Legacy, McKnight, and Wilson-Auzenne Fellowships: http://gradschool.fsu.edu/

• Degree Requirements
  • 33 credit hours in approved courses as described
  • Satisfactorily complete a final requirement (either Capstone Essay or Thesis)
• Literature, Media, and Culture Requirements
  • General Literature Requirements:
    • Gateway Theory Course
    • One course pre-1660
    • One additional course pre-1800
    • One additional course 1660-1900
  • Nine hours in one of these Areas of Concentration:
    • Medieval and Early Modern British Literary and Cultural Studies (through 1660)
    • British and Irish Literary and Cultural Studies: 1660-1990
    • Post-1900 Literary and Cultural Studies (American, British, Irish)
    • American Literary and Cultural Studies to 1900
    • African-American Literary and Cultural Studies
    • History of Text Technologies
    • Feminism, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
    • Colonial, Postcolonial, and Transnational Literary and Cultural Studies
  • At least one literature course that focuses on race, class, gender, ability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.
  • Capstone Course in Professional Research and Writing.
• Rhetoric and Composition Requirements
  • 33 semester hours of coursework, to include:
    • 3 core courses: Rhetorical Theory and Practice, Theories of Composition, Research Methods in Rhetoric and Composition.
    • Teaching English in College
    • Issues in Literary and Cultural Studies
    • 12 additional hours of coursework in English
    • 6 hours of thesis credit or 3 hours of ePortfolio
  • Complete and defend a thesis or ePortfolio

• Degree Requirements
  • 45 credit hours as described below
  • Complete and defend a thesis in your genre
• Program Requirements
  • 21-24 hours of work in writing, including...
    • 12-15 hours of workshops
    • 9-12 thesis hours
  • 21-24 hours in literature and related courses

• Course requirements
  • Completion of 27 credit hours of course work and 24 dissertation hours.
  • Coursework included 12 hours of general literature requirements and plus 18 hours (9 for those in Creative Writing) in an Area of Concentration. These include...
    • Medieval and Early Modern British Literary and Cultural Studies (through 1600)
    • British and Irish Literary and Cultural Studies: 1660-1990
    • Post-1900 Literary and Cultural Studies (American, British, Irish)
    • American Literary and Cultural Studies to 1900
    • African-American Literary and Cultural Studies
    • History of Text Technologies
    • Feminism, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
    • Colonial, Postcolonial, and Transnational Literary and Cultural Studies
    • History of Literary Genre
    • Rhetoric and Composition

    ... or another area approved by the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies. Students may apply 9 hours from the MA/MFA level toward these requirements.

  • Passing of a preliminary exam based on reading lists drawn from a major and minor Area of Concentration.
  • Students’ dissertations may be an extended essay, three or more essays related by subject, or an extended original work in fiction, poetry, or nonfiction.