English M.A.

Program Overview

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

General Master's Degree Admission Requirements

View delivery options, start terms and admission requirements.

Location: Ross 1284

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.

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.
1. The MA Project may take one of the following formats:
  1. A single research project;
  2. A digital project, to include a critical/reflective essay;
  3. An archival project, to include a critical/reflective essay;
  4. A workplace-based applied project;
  5. A pedagogy-focused project that explores teaching practices and curriculum innovation.
2. 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