Candidates for graduate work in English should present an undergraduate major in English or a minimum of 18 semester hours of English (or its equivalent) beyond the freshman level. In some cases, students will be required to make up deficiencies without graduate credit. The department requires all candidates for admission to submit their scores on the aptitude sections of the Graduate Record Examination. Candidates are also required to submit a writing sample, consisting of at least 15 pages of academic writing.

A maximum of six semester hours of transfer credit will be accepted from another institution and applied toward the MA, provided they were earned in graduate-level courses, with the approval of the department and the dean of graduate studies. (PhD transfer credit is normally not granted.) Such courses must have been taken within five years of matriculation at Case Western Reserve University and passed with grades of B or better. The department accommodates part-time students in certain circumstances.

New and continuing graduate students are normally supported with graduate assistantships providing tuition remission and a living stipend. Assistantships are awarded by the dean on the recommendation of the department. Applicants to the PhD program with previous teaching experience are preferred. All graduate assistants are required to take university- and department-level teacher training courses in their first semester of work at the university.

Teaching is viewed as an essential part of the education of graduate students aspiring to academic posts, and is required of all students working under assistantships. The department provides opportunities for graduate assistants to gain teaching experience in a variety of courses and in the Writing Resource Center.