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New Mexico State University
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of English

Application Process

Fall in Las Cruces
The Classroom Experience

 

The Department of English accepts applications by February 1 for Fall admission and October 1 for Spring admission. However, Ph.D. and MFA students are only admitted for the Fall semester.

Additionally, applicants who are applying for a graduate assistantship should complete the following application procedure by February 1 as assistantships are awarded in the fall admission cycle only.

For the NMSU Graduate School you must:

  • Submit an application for admission to the Graduate School using the form at the back of the Graduate Catalog. You can also access this form online by clicking here for the Domestic Student Application or here for the International Student Application.

  • Arrange to have your undergraduate and graduate transcripts sent to the Graduate School. (Note: the Graduate School requires transcripts from all institutions attended, not just degree-granting institutions.) Have the transcripts sent to:

    NMSU- Graduate School
    P.O. Box 30001, MSC 3G
    Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003-8001

 For the English Department, you must:
  • Complete an application to the English Department and include a statement of purpose. Submissions should indicate when you wish to be admitted and should also be accompanied by a statement of your objectives for your graduate program. Include with this letter the completed application form for the English Department and indicate whether you wish to apply for a graduate assistantship. Assistantships are awarded in the fall admission cycle only. A printable application can be accessed by clicking here.

  • Submit a sample of your academic, creative, or professional writing to the English Department. Work whose authorship is either shared or unspecified should be accompanied by a brief statement clarifying your role in the project. See individual program descriptions for sample/page requirements.

  • Have three persons submit letters of recommendation directly to the English Department. They may write on their own stationery; however, there is a standard letter of recommendation form available from the Department and the Graduate School (Word version) (PDF version) (HTML version). Those writing letters of recommendation are customarily former or current professors of the student; however, people who know the candidate in other capacities are also appropriate. Students applying for an assistantship should consider asking someone who has observed their teaching (if this is possible) or someone who has supervised their work.

  • Send the letter of application with statement of purpose, writing samples, and letters of recommendation to:

    NMSU- Department of English
    P.O. Box 30001, MSC 3E
    Las Cruces, NM 88003-0001

    Note: Although the Graduate School and the English Department do not require applicants to submit scores on psychometric examinations (e.g., the Graduate Record Examination), applicants are encouraged to submit scores to the English Department if they have already taken the exams.