How to Apply

Admission to the MAEL Graduate Program

All applications to the MAEL Program should be submitted online through the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) applications portal here.

In addition to the general prerequisites for admission set by the Office of Graduate Studies, the Department of English requires:

  • a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum 3.00 general and major grade point average. The Departmental Graduate Committee may consider applicants whose general and major GPA is between 2.75 and 2.99, if compelling justification for the lower average is provided in the Personal Statement of the application;
  • mastery over written and spoken English
  • a one-page, single-spaced Statement of Purpose written in English, to be submitted with the online application;
  • an Academic Writing sample (e.g. course paper) to be submitted with the online application;
  • three Letters of Recommendation from faculty members or other professionals who are familiar with the applicant’s academic and professional work,*  and
  • a Personal Interview with a member of the Departmental Graduate Committee or the Director of the Department.
  • International students whose native language is not English must also submit their TOEFL scores. The minimum score required is 550 for the paper-based test, 213 for the computer-based test and 79 for the internet-based test.

*There will be space on the online application to list recommenders and their contact information.  The OGS will then contact recommenders directly to request their responses.

Prerequisites

Applicants to the MAEL program should hold a Bachelor’s degree with at least 9 credits in British literature and 6 in American literature from an accredited institution of higher learning. The departmental Graduate Committee will assess the applicants and can assign up to 4 undergraduate courses to be taken by applicants who have deficiencies.

Conditional Admission

Students who do not have the courses required may be admitted to the program on a conditional basis. These students are required to complete the prerequisites by passing relevant coursework during their first year in the program.

Graduate Assistantships

The Department of English currently offers assistantships for Graduate Students in the form of: Teaching Assistantships; Research Assistantships; and Tutoring Assistantships in the English Language Writing Center.

If you would like to apply for a Graduate Assistantship, please make sure to mark the appropriate box on your Application for Admission.  Once you have been accepted to the program, the Department Director will contact you directly to discuss assistantship awards.

Financial Aid

The UPRM Office of Financial Aid can assist you in applying for loans and facilitate your applications for additional external scholarships and grants.

Office of Graduate Studies

Please contact the Office of Graduate Studies for more information on financing your education, finding off-campus housing, and navigating graduate school from application to graduation.