Direct admission to the dual-degree program (BA and MA)

Students entering Hofstra as incoming freshmen may apply for direct admission to the dual-degree program. For those who choose to submit a standardized test score, an 1170 or better on the critical reading and mathematics sections of the SAT (or an ACT score of 25) is recommended.  Applicants must have an overall high school GPA of 3.5 (or be in the top 15 percent of their high school graduating class) in order to be considered for admission. Students admitted directly to the dual-degree program as incoming freshmen will be admitted automatically to the MA program at the end of their junior year through the standard graduate admissions process, provided that they fulfill the following requirements:

1. Attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the time of application to the MA program and complete 75 semester hours of course work toward the BA in English.
2. Maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA in the English major.
3. Complete the first three years of the curriculum outlined below.
4. Submit 1-2 letters of recommendation, at least one being from a Hofstra English professor.
5. Submit a writing sample.

Admission requirements for currently enrolled Hofstra students

Qualified Hofstra students majoring in English may apply, through the Office of Graduate Admissions, to the dual-degree program prior to successfully completing 75 semester hours of undergraduate course work. In order to qualify for admission to the dual-degree program, a student must have attained a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the time of application and a 3.5 in the English major. Students admitted to the dual-degree program should note that admission to the M.A. portion of the dual-degree program requires the fulfillment of the following requirements:

1. Completion of 75 credits with a 3.0 overall GPA;
2. Completion of 15 credits in English with at least 3 s.h. at Hofstra;
3. Minimum GPA of 3.5 in the English major;
4. Submission of 1-2 letters of recommendation, at least one being from a Hofstra English professor; and
5. Submission of writing sample.

NOTE

Students must complete the B.A. before being permitted to take more than 12 semester hours of graduate courses for the M.A. program. Students in the combined program must maintain a 3.0 GPA overall and a 3.5 in the undergraduate major.

Undergraduate Program Requirements – Semester Hours: 39

39 semester hours in English and American literature as specified below.

Graduate Program Requirements – Semester Hours: 33

Please contact Dr. Shari Zimmerman, director of graduate studies in English, for details about this program.

Graduation Requirements

1. Completion of all program requirements.
2. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in overall graduate course work.

The dual-degree program requires successful completion of 145 semester hours, including at least 112 semester hours at the undergraduate level and 33 semester hours at the graduate level.

Suggested Five-Year Sequence - Total Semester Hours: 145