Program Overview
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Location: Ross 1284
Email: HSS@unco.edu
Website: www.unco.edu/hss/english/
The master's degree program provides focused, in-depth study of literature, practical experiences in literary criticism and research and opportunities for advanced levels of writing. Judicious selection of courses under the guidance of the student's advisor may provide additional focus to the program through special course clusters in areas such as pedagogy, literary theory, rhetoric/composition, or specific periods of interests.
Graduates of the program will be prepared to enter a wide range of fields and/or to pursue additional advanced levels of study such as the Ph.D. in English. The program enables teachers currently in the field to develop special areas of interest, to pursue these in depth, and to enhance their skills in teaching, research, and writing. In addition, graduates can pursue professional study in law, theology, medicine (with appropriate science and mathematics preparation), library science, communications, media, and business. The M.A. in English is excellent preparation for any profession or occupation that stresses language usage, such as writing.
Admission
Location: Greeley
Start Term: Fall and Spring
General Master's Degree Admission Requirements
English M.A.
Admission Deadline
Fall and Spring semesters: Rolling admissions. Priority deadlines are Nov. 1 for the Spring term and Feb. 15 for the Fall term.
Please note: An accelerated (4+1) English B.A. and M.A. is available.
Extended M.A. Project: The English M.A. program features an Extended M.A. Project option that allows students to complete a substantial, year-long research-based project weighted at 12 credits. Please visit the M.A. Research Project webpage for details.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must apply to the Graduate School at the University of Northern Colorado before the program area reviews the applicant’s request for admission. Failure to submit all required materials will delay the evaluation and screening of your application.
Each applicant must:
- Possess a baccalaureate degree from an Institutionally Accredited college or university or a comparable degree from a foreign institution.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better (on a 4.00 scale) for the most recent degree earned or current degree in progress.
- If you are still completing your bachelor's degree at the time you apply, admission will be based on your current cumulative GPA, and you will need to re-submit your official transcript (showing your conferred degree and final GPA) during your first semester. If your final GPA fell below 3.00, you will be given additional requirements as defined by the academic program that must be met within one calendar year to remain enrolled at UNC.
- If you have completed a master's degree, or at least 18 credit hours towards a master's degree, the GPA of your master's work will be used.
Take the following steps to be considered for admission:
Step 1: Complete the Application
Complete the online application.
- Answer the application questions.
- Send your requests for letters of recommendation.
- Request two (2) academic or professional letters of recommendation from those who can attest to your academic potential and abilities. You will be asked to supply information for your recommenders in the application.
- Submit the application and pay the non-refundable application fee.
- Domestic Students: $50 non-refundable application fee
- International Students: $50 non-refundable application fee
- The Graduate School is waiving application fees for all current UNC students and alumni! (The waiver applies only to the UNC Graduate School application.) Click for details.
Once you submit your application you will be assigned an Admissions Portal, allowing you to upload supplemental items, as listed below, and track your application through the admissions process.
Step 2: Request Transcripts
Request one official transcript from any Institutionally Accredited college or university where a bachelor’s degree or higher was earned or is in progress (if you have earned multiple degrees, bachelor’s level or higher, an official transcript is required from each college or university where a degree was conferred). If you received a degree from UNC, you do not need to request a transcript from UNC. The Office of Admissions reserves the right to request that applicants provide official transcripts from other colleges or universities as needed. Applicants who have earned or are directly pursuing a higher degree from a regionally accredited institution without receiving a bachelor’s degree (e.g., PharmD) may be eligible to apply to the Graduate School without the conferral of a bachelor’s degree.
Exceptions: If an applicant intends to use Veteran’s Education Benefits, an official transcript from all colleges or universities attended will be required in order to maintain compliance with Veteran’s Affairs policies.
Official transcripts from U.S. institutions should be sent via mail directly from the educational institution in an unopened, sealed envelope or through an electronically secure digital program from the issuing institution.
Mailed transcripts should be sent to:
University of Northern Colorado
Office of Admissions
Campus Box 10
501 20th St
Greeley, CO 80639
Electronic transcripts from U.S. institutions should be sent directly from the educational institution to: grad.admissions@unco.edu.
The Office of Admissions does not accept email, scanned or PDF transcripts directly from applicants. All official transcripts, submitted as part of the application process, are retained by UNC and not returned to applicants or admitted students.
UNC retains submitted transcripts, from institutions other than UNC, for admitted students for up to five years after graduation or date of last attendance at UNC. Transcripts provided by applicants who were not admitted, denied admissions or did not complete their application are destroyed after one (1) year. The Office of Admissions will make every attempt to use previously submitted transcripts if they are within these timeframes. However, if the Office of Admissions cannot locate previously submitted transcripts, the transcripts fall outside the timeframes listed above or they are considered illegible, applicants must provide new transcripts.
Applicants with academic credentials from outside the U.S. will need to follow the requirements for submission of foreign transcripts. Click on the Transcripts tab for information about international transcripts.
Step 3: Note About the GRE
This program does not require GRE scores.
Step 4: Supplemental Items
Log back into the Admissions Portal to submit the following:
- Cover Letter/Statement of Purpose (1-2 pages)
- Scholarly Writing Sample: A scholarly writing sample of at least 10 double-spaced pages that demonstrates candidate’s skills in literary, rhetorical, film and/or cultural analysis including close reading of primary materials and/or interpretation of data sets and appropriate use of secondary materials and/or theory. Please be sure your writing sample includes page numbers and a works cited/bibliography page.
Step 5: Teaching or Graduate Assistantship
If you would like to be considered for a Teaching or Graduate Assistantship, please send a letter of intent of no more than one page detailing your past experience and/or interest directly to the Director of Graduate Studies/Program Coordinator.
Once you apply to the UNC Graduate School and your application packet is complete, your application will be reviewed by the Graduate School and then sent to the faculty/program for an admission recommendation. The timing of the admission decision depends on each individual program’s deadline and review process.
International applicants (non-U.S. citizen/non-U.S. Permanent Resident) please refer to the International Admissions Requirements page for further information about submitting transcripts, English proficiency scores, passport copy and financial documentation.
For More Information
For more information about the admission process, please email the Office of Admissions at grad.admissions@unco.edu or call 970-351-2881.
Degree Requirements — 30 Credits
Required Major Credits — 18 credits
| ENG 500 | Introduction to Graduate Study | 3 |
| ENG 601 | Advanced Research Methods | 3 |
Literature/Language/Cultural Studies — 6 credits
Choose two Literature/Language/Cultural Studies Courses
| ENG 530 | Advanced Studies in World Literature | 3 |
| ENG 541 | Colloquium in Literature | 3 |
| ENG 570 | Advanced Studies in American Literature | 3 |
| ENG 580 | Advanced Studies in British Literature | 3 |
| ENG 633 | Studies in Linguistics | 3 |
| ENG 639 | Graduate Seminar in Literature | 3 |
| ENG 642 | Film Theory and Analysis | 3 |
| HUM 595 | Advanced Cultural Studies | 3 |
Rhetoric and Composition — 3 credits
Choose one Rhetoric and Composition Course
| ENG 540 | Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric | 3 |
| ENG 594 | Practicum in the Teaching of College Composition | 3 |
| ENG 640 | History and Theory of Rhetoric | 3 |
| ENG 641 | Studies in Composition Research and Pedagogy | 3 |
Professionalization — 3 credits
Choose one Professionalization Course
| ENG 529 | Advanced Rhetoric and Technology | 3 |
| ENG 650 | Advanced Editing | 3 |
| ENG 651 | Professional Writing in the Non-Profit Sector | 3 |
| ENG 652 | Advanced Studies in Digital Humanities | 3 |
| ENG 653 | Writing Center Administration | 3 |
Required Elective Credits — 12 credits
Elective courses must be selected from ENG or HUM 500-level and 600-level offerings and include an additional course (3 credits) from either the Rhetoric and Composition or the Professionalization sections. It may be possible to complete a graduate course with a different letter code, subject to advisor approval.
Select one of the following options:
- Comprehensive Exam. Students pursuing this track will pass a written comprehensive exam, covering five areas of concentration, during their final semester of study.
- Master’s Project (3-12 credits). Students pursuing the MA project must take ENG 697 as an elective course. The 12-credit extended project option will count for all required elective credits. The specific credit weight of ENG 697 depends on the scope and type of the proposed project and must be approved by the Project Committee Chair before registration. Students must make a public presentation of the project before an audience of students and faculty.
- The MA Project may take one of the following formats:
- A single research project;
- A digital project, to include a critical/reflective essay;
- An archival project, to include a critical/reflective essay;
- A workplace-based applied project;
- A pedagogy-focused project that explores teaching practices and curriculum innovation.
- Students pursuing the 3- and 6-credit options complete ENG 697 in one semester, students pursing the extended 12-credit option must take two 6-credit iterations of ENG 697 across two consecutive semesters to complete their project. Depending on the nature of the proposed project, required courses may be adjusted to align as closely as possible with the project's focus. Please refer to the ENG 697 syllabus for additional guidance concerning project lengths, etc.
Accelerated English M.A.
Motivated and high-achieving students may seek to complete the requirements for the B.A. and M.A. in English in five years. To obtain both degrees, students must complete all the requirements for the B.A. described in the Undergraduate Catalog (120 credit hours) and all of the requirements for the standard M.A. described in the Graduate Catalog (30 credit hours). However, the accelerated B.A./M.A. program involves 9 credit hours that are shared between the Bachelor's and Master's programs, so the total number of credit hours to complete the accelerated Master’s program is 141. Completing the requirements for both degrees is made possible by taking the 9 double-counted B.A./M.A. credits in the Senior year (paid for at the undergraduate tuition rate) and 3 graduate-level credits (online at the graduate-level tuition rate) in the summer following the Senior year and completion of the undergraduate program. Students remain eligible for financial aid as an undergraduate; any Graduate School aid is not available until students are admitted as a Graduate student.
Due to its necessarily streamlined path of progression, admission to the Accelerated B.A. and M.A. in English occurs in the fall semester only. Students interested in transferring into the accelerated program must:
- Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 to take graduate-level courses as a Senior.
- Meet with the English M.A. Director of Graduate Studies in the fall semester of the Junior year and apply during the spring semester of the Junior year (following the same procedure and meeting the same requirements as other M.A. applicants). Full admission is dependent on completing the B.A. requirements in the senior year while maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA. The program application will be signed and forwarded to the Graduate School with signatures of the program advisor indicating the approval of graduate course transfer.
- Complete ENG 500 Introduction to Graduate Studies in the fall semester of their Senior year, followed by two 500-level elective courses in the spring semester of that year. These are the 9 credits that are double counted within the accelerated program only.
- Fulfill all the requirements as outlined in the two-year MA in English.
- Students must apply for completion of their UG degree the semester before completing UG degree (i.e., in the fall semester of their Senior Year). To apply, students must be registered for all remaining courses in their final UG semester, (the spring semester of their Senior Year).
Outline for degree completion of the Accelerated (4+1) B.A. and M.A. in English — 30 Credits
Meet with faculty advisor or Director of Graduate Studies and apply for the program in the fall semester, Junior Year.
Fall Semester, Senior year
- ENG 500 Introduction to Graduate Studies (3 credits) [double-counted]
Spring Semester, Senior year
- Two ENG 500-599 courses (6 credits) [double-counted]
Note: Because students are required to register for their six 500-level spring credits while they are still Undergraduate students, they must complete the Petition to Count Work Toward the Next Higher Degree form with the Graduate School.
Summer after Senior year
- One ENG 500-699 courses (3 credits) - online
Note: Because students are required to register for the six summer credits while they are still undergraduate students, they must call the Office of the Registrar no later than the drop period for the summer semester to change their registration to graduate level.
Fall Semester, fifth year
- Three ENG 500-699 courses (9 credits)
Spring Semester, fifth year
- ENG 601 Advanced Theory and Research Methods (3 credits)
- Two 500-699 ENG-coded courses (6 credits)
- MA comprehensive examination