Prepare yourself for graduate study of English. While completing your undergraduate studies, cultivate relationships with a few professors who can write letters of recommendation. Study for and take the verbal and subject portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Pick one of your best academic papers and revise it according to your professors comments so that you have an excellent writing sample.
Apply to the programs that interest you. When choosing where to apply consider financial aid and tuition cost, the amount of teaching experience that you will get and the specialties covered by members of the faculty. In addition to filling out an application and compiling the items you prepared in Step 1, you must write a personal statement that explains your intellectual and professional goals.
Choose to attend one of the schools that accepted you. Visit the schools before deciding, if possible.
Spend the next year or two reading, rereading, writing about and teaching the great literature of the English language. Plan your coursework to emphasize the specialties that interest you and prepare you for the field that you hope to enter. Depending on your program you must either write a thesis or take comprehensive examinations.
Get ready to move on to the next phase of your life. Compile a resume and keep an eye on the job market. Apply for jobs as they become available.
Complete your thesis or pass your comprehensives. Graduate with your master's degree.