You are reading the 2024/25 Academic Calendar. The 2023/24 version remains in effect until August 31, 2024 and is available here.

Admission Requirements

The M.A. degree program is governed by the regulations of the College of Graduate Studies, including its standards for admission of students.

Applicants to the M.A. in English program should have a B.A. degree with a Major in English or a background that sufficiently prepares them for advanced work in English. Applicants are expected to have a standing of a B+ (76%) average or better in their third- and fourth- year classes or at least 12 credits in third- and fourth- year English classes with an A- (80%) or better average.

Applicants from a university outside Canada at which English is not the primary language of instruction must present evidence of competence to pursue studies in the English language.

Acceptable English language proficiency tests for applicants to graduate studies are:

MA in English:

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): 104 overall with a minimum score of 25 in Reading & Listening and a minimum score of 24 in Writing & Speaking (Internet version); minimum score of 25 in Reading & Listening and a minimum score of 24 in Writing (paper version).

IELTS (International English Language Testing Service): minimum overall band score of 7.5, with no individual score less than 7.

At the discretion of the English Graduate Committee, a student who does not meet the minimum requirements, but who has a strong undergraduate record, may be allowed to take a qualifying term in the M.A. program. The student's admission will be assessed at the end of the qualifying term to ascertain whether the student can continue in the M.A. English program.


UBC Crest The official logo of the University of British Columbia. Urgent Message An exclamation mark in a speech bubble. Caret An arrowhead indicating direction. Arrow An arrow indicating direction. Arrow in Circle An arrow indicating direction. Arrow in Circle An arrow indicating direction. Chats Two speech clouds. Facebook The logo for the Facebook social media service. Information The letter 'i' in a circle. Instagram The logo for the Instagram social media service. Linkedin The logo for the LinkedIn social media service. Location Pin A map location pin. Mail An envelope. Menu Three horizontal lines indicating a menu. Minus A minus sign. Pencil A pencil indicating that this is editable. Telephone An antique telephone. Plus A plus symbol indicating more or the ability to add. Search A magnifying glass. Twitter The logo for the Twitter social media service. Youtube The logo for the YouTube video sharing service.