MA in Writing Admission and Application Requirements

Please include any full- or part-time work, internships, and relevant volunteer history. Be sure to detail your educational background and any previous responsibilities related to your intended program.

AAP requires electronic transcripts be emailed directly to [email protected] from the granting institution. If your institution doesn’t provide electronic transcripts, please contact [email protected]

Please provide a statement, up to one page in length, describing your personal background and/or a part of your life experience that has shaped you or your goals. Feel free to elaborate on personal challenges and opportunities that have influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree at Johns Hopkins.

Please identify two individuals, such as professors or supervisors, who can verify your professional and/or academic accomplishments. Submit your recommenders’ contact information within your online application. They will be emailed automatically with instructions to access the system and provide their recommendations. Up to two letters of recommendation directly related to your experience or promise as a writer should be included.

Please submit a writing sample up to 15 typewritten, double-spaced pages, or about 3,500 to 4,500 words. Samples do not have to be a single, lengthy piece of writing. Learn more about the Writing Sample piece of your application for the MA in Writing program.

Applicants who received their bachelor’s degree in a country outside of the United States or have international coursework are required to provide a course-by-course credential evaluation. Studying abroad may be exempt.

If English is your second language, you may be required to take the TOEFL or IELTS examination. Please note this program requires a minimum online TOEFL test score of 100.

Special student status is designed for individuals interested in taking classes, but not pursuing a master’s degree. If you secure special student status in the MA in Writing program, that does not eliminate the eventual need to submit full writing samples and undergo a full admissions review if you request degree candidacy. Additionally, the MA in Writing program differs from other AAP graduate programs in the status of special students:

(1) Special students in the MA in Writing program must get adviser permission for every course they take.

(2) Unlike other AAP graduate programs, the MA in Writing program does not allow applicants to enroll in a program course without some type of review of writing samples and a Statement of Purpose, even if those applicants request special student status. The requirements and standards of the desired course will determine the admissions review for a request to register for that course; some courses require greater writing experience than others. Courses completed as a special student will count toward an MA degree if the student later earns degree status.