English, Doctor of Philosophy

St. John's University

To apply to the Ph.D. in English, you must submit official transcripts showing conferral of your bachelors degree and a minimum of 24 credits in English or American literature. You must also possess at least a cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the undergraduate level, with a 3.5 or better in English courses.

Language Requirements

Applicants whose native language is not English and who have not attended a postsecondary institution in which English is the language of instruction must provide TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores for admission.

Applicants who have taken the SAT can have the TOEFL/IELTS requirement waived

Applicants who have attended an American high school abroad or an American university can have the TOEFL/IELTS requirement waived

Applicants from the following countries do not need to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score: American Samoa; Antigua and Barbuda; Australia; Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Bermuda; Botswana; British Virgin Islands; Canada (except Quebec); Dominica; Eswatini; Gambia; Ghana; Grenada; Grand Cayman; Guyana; Ireland; Jamaica; Kenya; Lesotho; Liberia; Malawi; Mauritius; New Zealand; Nigeria; Papua New Guinea; Sierra Leone; Singapore; South Africa; St. Kitts and Nevis (St. Christopher); St. Lucia; St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Trinidad and Tobago; Turks and Caicos Isle; Uganda; United Kingdom; U.S. Pacific Trust; Zambia; and Zimbabwe. This list is subject to change.

International students are encouraged to submit their application for admission and all required credentials by May 1 for fall semester admission and November 1 for spring semester admission.