Application Quick Facts
| Application Deadline | December 30 |
| GRE General Exam Required | No |
| Minimum TOEFL scores (For applicants who aren’t native English speakers) | 620 (paper) 260 (computer) 106 (internet) |
| Funding covers tuition, health care, and a stipend | Yes |
Applications for this program are processed by both the Joint Ph.D. Program in English and Education and the University of Michigan’s Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies (Rackham). Note that there are separate and required steps applicants need to make through both the Program and Rackham.
Applicants need to have both a Bachelor’s degree demonstrating broad preparation in English or in areas appropriate to the degree program and a Master of Arts degree in English or Education. It is also necessary to have teaching and/or informal experiences, in or out of school settings in order to be considered for the Joint Program in English and Education.
These are the steps to apply:
- Register as a prospective student and obtain a UMID (University of Michigan ID) number. Having a UMID number will aid in the processing of your application.
- Complete Rackham’s online application. New (first time) applicants who have never enrolled in a Rackham program of study and current or former Rackham students who are applying to a different Rackham degree program should complete the Rackham online application. Some students may qualify for fee waivers—check Rackham’s fee waiver webpage to see if you are eligible for a waiver. The elements required to complete the online application include:
- GRE Test Scores (optional)
- GRE scores are no longer required, but if you plan to submit scores anyway, please take the general GRE no later than October and provide ETS with the U-M Institutional Code 1839 to have your scores sent directly to the university.
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency. Applicants are required to provide an official score report from the TOEFL. The minimum TOEFL scores accepted are 620 (paper), 260 (computer), or 106 (internet). The test date must be within two years of the application deadline. Scores from exams other than the TOEFL are not accepted. Photocopies and/or faxed scores will not be accepted.- Statement of Purpose
A clear statement of your academic and career interests, specifying reasons for wanting to enter this particular program, usually one to three pages in length. - Sample of Academic Writing
Ten to 20 pages of your academic writing. - Personal Statement
Describe how your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges, motivated you to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan. - Curriculum Vitae/Resume
- Statement of Purpose
- Submit letters of recommendation. The three required letters can be submitted online or on paper. To have them submitted electronically, register three recommenders when you fill out the online application. If the letters will be sent by mail, they should be delivered to the Joint Program in English and Education office in the School of Education (610 East University, SEB 4204, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 -1259), not to Rackham. If the letters of recommendation will be submitted by mail, use the letter of recommendation form.
- Submit transcripts. Upload a Scanned Copy of the Official Transcript to ApplyWeb
- All applicants must upload a scanned copy, front and back, of their official transcript/academic record issued by the Registrar or Records Office, to ApplyWeb for each bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree earned or in progress. The scanned copy of the official transcript is used for initial review by the graduate program faculty.
- A downloaded transcript from your school portal or system is an unofficial transcript and not acceptable for review.
- If you are attending or have graduated from a Non-U.S. institution, review the Required Academic Credentials from Non-U.S. Institutions for requirements by country.
- If you have community or junior college, non-degree, or study abroad coursework, indicate this information on page nine of the application under the “Additional Education Information” section. Do not submit any from a community or junior college, non-degree, or study abroad coursework to Rackham unless you attended a Non-U.S. institution.
An official transcript must be submitted to Rackham only after an offer of admission is made.
- Submit an official transcript/academic record, front and back, issued by the Registrar or Records Office for each bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree earned.
- Submit only official /academic records. These bear the issuing institution’s seal and the official signature of the Registrar or Recorder of Records.
Deadlines
It is imperative that students interested in admission to the Joint Ph.D. Program in English and Education meet all deadlines for submitting applications and relevant materials. All materials must be received in our office by December 30. Please make this deadline clear to all recommenders. You should receive an electronic confirmation of your submitted application. Applicants will be informed of admission decisions by mid-March for fall enrollment.
If you have questions about the program, visit the Rackham Graduate School website, or send an email message to the coordinator of the program, Jeanie Mahoney Laubenthal. (Please note: the program is closed over the holiday break, December 23 – January 1.)
Note: We match documents to an application using the name appearing on the Rackham application. If the name on your documents, i.e., transcript, letter of recommendation, portfolio, etc., is different from the name appearing on your application, please be sure to indicate all former last names or other first names on question 3 of the Rackham application. Contact us if you have information about your name that you did not include on the Rackham application.
Note for international students: The University of Michigan requires certain entering international students to be screened for tuberculosis (TB). This requirement is in response to recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Michigan Advisory Committee for Elimination of Tuberculosis to screen individuals from countries where TB is common. Screening will be offered free on campus and a TB infection would not jeopardize a student’s visa status. Health care is completely confidential.