What sort of average is required for the top Grad programs?

March 29, 2005 9:06 PM

What sort of averages (GPAs) do top graduate programs in the humanities in the English-speaking world look for?

I realize writing samples, standardized test scores, reference letters, interviews, statements of interest and so on are weighed heavily. I also realize that the quality of the undergraduate university matters, too. I'm trying to develop a very rough idea of where I stand.

Say the top 15 schools on this list.

posted by ori to Education (13 answers total)

What humanity? You don't go to graduate school in "The Humanities." You go for English literature, or French language and literature, or philosophy of foo, or history of bar.

It'll depend on the school, the department, and the field -- an English program might not give a rat's ass if you failed calculus one not once but thrice, but a philosophy department might if you said you wanted to work in analytical / logical stuff.

FWIW, I got into the poli-sci program at Duke with a 3.6 or so.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:47 PM on March 29, 2005

Not to hijack, but does anyone have any experience with linguistics?
posted by pealco at 10:18 PM on March 29, 2005

Response by poster: The reason I didn't expand on 'humanities' is that my interests are mostly interdisciplinary. What I am most interested in is a compound of critical theory, continental philosophy, literature and theology, which means I might find my niche at any number of departments. Most likely is comparative literature, tho cultural studies, philosophy (continental), English, Jewish studies are all plausible.
posted by ori at 12:28 AM on March 30, 2005

I'd throw that list out immediately if I were interested in Humanities-- it over-weights sciences heavily by including them in two of its factors. Also, the idea that the only professional awards that matter are Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals is absolutely risible.

[And I have advanced degrees from 2 of the top 10 in that list...]
posted by yellowcandy at 12:39 AM on March 30, 2005

Best answer: I did my MA in interdisciplinary American/cultural studies at Iowa in the early-mid '90s. My undergrad GPA (from Wash U in St. Louis, double major in English and History) was just over a 3.6 if I recall correctly, though it would have been closer to a 3.8 had my grades from my junior year abroad been weighted in. I got into several good/very good programs that year (private and public), but Iowa offered me the most fellowship money (i.e., a slightly higher pittance than the others).
posted by scody at 12:55 AM on March 30, 2005

and yeah, I second what yellowcandy says about that list. The top 15 programs for what you've described that you're interested in aren't necessarily going to be the top 15 universities overall. There will certainly be some overlap -- e.g., Berkeley -- but you'll want to do your research beyond that. Duke, for example, might be a good fit for you, but it ranks "only" at 31 on this list.
posted by scody at 1:03 AM on March 30, 2005

Best answer: Overall GPA for a good humanities program is going to be much less relevant than your GPA in your major, GRE scores, connections (letters), and writing sample.

For one's major, I think the top 15 schools would expect between a 3.75-4.0, or slightly less with some explanation. But overall GPA is never a first "cut" in the admissions process as much as the factors above are.
posted by ontic at 1:05 AM on March 30, 2005

A "small-name" and/or "low-ranked" university might have a particularly stellar grad program because of its faculty.

The best advice I got while looking at PhD programs (in English) was to look at the programs' websites and see if there are profs in the department that are working on authors/genres in line with my specialty. The personality of the department is super important for graduate programs.

You should also think about what you want to do with your degree. If you want to be a bigshot professor, you'll need a degree from a bigname school. But if you want to be, say, a prof at a small liberal arts college, that's another story.

But above all, search your soul and make sure grad school is right for you. I'm almost done with my MA and am extremely glad I'm not going on for a PhD (although that was my original plan). Grad school is brutal, and even after you go through the whole ordeal you might not even get a good job, considering the present/projected market.
posted by elisabeth r at 5:30 AM on March 30, 2005 [1 favorite]

'What humanity? You don't go to graduate school in "The Humanities."'

Not necessarily true. I'm currently in a Humanities MA program. We are expected to pick a specialty area or just go for an interdisciplinary degree, but in general, even with a specialty (mine is History) it's an interdisciplinary approach. However, it's not a "top graduate program", and being a distance program, does not suit everyone's needs. (It's a fully-accredited program at a state university, and has been around for 30 years, but it's still a non-resident program.)

There are other Humanities grad programs, as well, such as this one.
posted by litlnemo at 5:38 AM on March 30, 2005

BTW, ori, your interests sound as if the HUX program that I linked to above would be a good fit for you -- unless you have to have a top program or you are looking to jump right into the doctoral track.
posted by litlnemo at 5:40 AM on March 30, 2005

Best answer: Your recommendation letters, writing sample, and GRE scores are of greater importance here. My college has narrative evaluations and therefore the GPA for me was N/A. It did not stop me from going to the University of Chicago for graduate school. Along the lines of what litlnemo says, the University of Chicago also has a Master of Arts Program in the Humanities. I'd recommend applying directly to PhD programs though if that's where you want to end up. In that case, you may already be aware of UCSC's History of Consciousness program, Berkeley's Rhetoric Department (check out the individual concentrations if you haven't yet) and Chicago's own committee on the history of culture or committee on social thought. Normal Grad School Advice Caveats Apply, and Good Luck!
posted by safetyfork at 12:08 PM on March 30, 2005 [1 favorite]

As others have said, it varies a lot by program. In linguistics (which straddles humanities and sciences) it doesn't much matter at all, but I think in practice there would be very few people coming in with a GPA under 3.5 (maybe 3.0 at the lowest end) who would be able to manage the really important parts of the application. There are fields (I believe medieval studies is one, for instance) where your GPA will have to be perfect, because the competition for funded positions is so intense and departments are so small that only the very very best get funded at all.

Not to hijack, but does anyone have any experience with linguistics?

I am a grad student in (theoretical, not applied or socio) linguistics.
posted by advil at 2:53 PM on March 30, 2005

Ori, elizabeth r gives good advice. I was accepted to rhetoric/writing programs (a good place to follow your interdisciplinary muse, btw) at #18 & #80, as well as by Syracuse, which I don't find on the list. These are three of the top programs in my field in the nation (though not necessarily THE top 3).

Now, for me, I decided on 80 because of my interests, the faculty, the program & concentrations available and other considerations (stipend, number of years of support, cost of living, etc). I had a 3.83 & vg GRE scores. Yet, I was rejected by a school that would have only been convenient because of family living close by & that would have been a terrible fit for me.

Interview the schools you want to go to after doing a lot of web-walking to see what the program offers. btw, if you are thinking of a job after school--cultural studies under the auspices of a Rhet/Comp program (where you will be expected to learn to teach first-year writing--sorry) currently has more jobs than applicants, as compared with history or English Lit, where post-docs compete at a rate approaching 300 apps per vacancy. Sumthin' to think about.
posted by beelzbubba at 11:24 AM on April 3, 2005