Admissions

Log in or create an account on the application portal, where you will upload application materials and pay a $50 fee.

Submit one or more writing samples of which you are the sole author totaling 10 to 30 pages. The samples should be from customary academic and professional genres, including (but not limited to) essays, descriptions, specifications, computer documentation, proposals, memoranda, formal reports, newsletters, online documentation, or web pages. Your writing sample(s) may be comprised of one or multiple bodies of work equal to the page requirements and should demonstrate mastery of analytical and technical writing skills.

(If you think a brief description of your writing sample would help the reviewers better understand a document’s audience and purpose, feel free to include that in your writing sample package or explain it in your Personal Statement.)

You will include two letters of recommendation with your application (you may submit more, but the reviewers favor two very strong, specific letters so select your recommenders discerningly). Applicants will submit the contact information for each recommender in the application portal. Each letter of recommendation is to be addressed to the UT TW&DR admissions committee and submitted by the recommender. Recommenders will submit letters via the application portal. Letters of recommendation are confidential and will not be released to the applicant.

Compose a personal introduction (300-500 words) that convinces the admissions committee that you are a good candidate for the TW&DR graduate program. Consider answering some of the following questions: What are your specific academic and professional goals and interests? What is your experience and/or potential as a professional writer? What are some of your specific interest in the TW&DR program beyond gaining more competitive credentials? Are you more interested in theory, pedagogy, or artful application (techne)? The reviewers will privilege personal introductions that demonstrate an awareness of the program and a readiness for its rigors.

TW&DR applicants who want to be considered for a teaching position must also include a letter of intent to teach freshman composition. Although all Graduate Assistants will enroll in a practicum course designed to prepare them to teach, your letter should demonstrate some basic knowledge of composition pedagogy. In addition to mastery of writing conventions, teaching composition requires good organization, clear communication, sound sensibilities, and profound commitment to your students’ success. Your letter should convince the reviewers that you can create—with English faculty help—a great learning environment for UT freshmen. You may also want to briefly speak to your availability to teach a daytime MWF course on the St. George, Utah campus.

Submit an official transcript from each college or university you have attended. Applicants must have earned a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA in the final 60 credits of the applicant’s B.A. or B.S. degree. Coursework completed at one institution and posted on the transcript of a second institution is not acceptable; a transcript from each institution is required. (This includes summer coursework, exchange programs, etc.) Transcripts must be sent directly from each prior college or university to the UT Registrar. UT alumni can request (without charge) UT transcripts through the Registrar’s Office.

The applicant’s bachelor’s degree must be from a regionally accredited college or university, or the equivalent for international students.

International students must provide evidence of English proficiency. We accept the following test scores:

• TOEFL-  paper-based 550, computer-based 213, or internet-based 79
• IELTS-  6.0

International students must obtain an F-1 academic student visa to study in the United States. However, international students can complete the TW&DR program from their home country by attending courses online.

UT does not offer any financial support for graduate students.