Q. Whom do I contact for an application? A. The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid. It is preferred that you apply using the online application, which is available at http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/online
For questions about applications, contact Graduate Enrollment Services by email at gsas.admissions@nyu.edu or by phone at (212) 998-8050.

Q. Do I need an M.A. to apply? A. No. All accepted students are admitted into the Ph.D. program. Candidates without an M.A. earn the degree as they progress towards the Ph.D.

Q. Does my B.A. or M.A. have to be in comparative literature to apply to your graduate program? A. No.

Q. Are applications for an M.A. only (a terminal M.A.) accepted? A. Very rarely. And, there is no financial aid awarded for a terminal M.A. [Note: Fulbright M.A. students, however, are welcome to apply.]

Q. What if I already have an M.A.? A. Previously earned M.A.s are evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine applicability to the Ph.D. program in comparative literature. If applicable, the entire M.A. is transferred. In other cases, individual courses may be transferred.

Q. How many people apply to your Ph.D. Program? How many applicants are accepted? A. Each year, approximately 150 people apply. We accept 6-8 candidates from this applicant pool.

Q. Are students fully-funded? A. Yes. Our students are fully-funded by Henry Mitchell MacCracken Fellowships for 5 years. (Candidates who have already completed an applicable M.A. receive 4 years of funding instead.)

Q. What do you mean by fully-funded? And, how does the MacCracken Fellowship work? A. Fully-funded MacCracken Fellows receive full tuition and fee remission, a living stipend, and NYU health insurance for the 4 or 5 years of their fellowship. Students who enter our Ph.D. program with a B.A. are awarded a 5-year MacCracken: funding for three years of course work followed by two years of teaching. Students who enter with an applicable M.A. are awarded a 4-year MacCracken: funding for two years of course work followed by two years of teaching.

Q. How high do my GRE scores need to be? A. We have no threshold GRE score for acceptance to the program. Components of your application are evaluated as a whole.

Q. Do you require the GRE subject test? A. No.

Q. Are foreign students required to take the TOEFL? A. Yes.

Q. Can the GRE or the TOEFL be waived? A. No. These are requirements of the Graduate School of Arts and Science.

Q. What are requirements for the Writing Sample? A. The Writing Sample should be an academic paper (e.g., term paper or published article) of about 20 pages. Sections of 2 or 3 papers adding up to 20 pages are acceptable. The paper must be in English.

Q. How many languages do I need to be accepted into the program? A. All students must be proficient in English to enter the program. A demonstrated reading proficiency in one foreign language is necessary. A demonstrated reading proficiency in a second foreign language is highly recommended.

Q. How many foreign languages do I need to earn the Ph.D.? A. Demonstrated reading proficiency is required in three foreign languages. Three courses in a non-literary discipline may be substituted for the third foreign language with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.