Master of Arts in English

Earning a Master of Arts in English prepares students for careers in teaching and publishing and for entering doctoral programs in English and related fields. Graduate students who major in English study literary texts as well as critical and cultural theory. The graduate program involves extensive reading of poetry, prose and drama, as well as writing carefully researched, thoughtful analyses of these works.

Admission Requirements

• Possess a Bachelor of Arts in English (Well-qualified applicants from other disciplines are eligible but may be required to take leveling courses.)
• Apply to the Graduate School
• Submit an academic writing sample to the Department of Languages and Literature
• Three current letters of recommendation for students who are applying for graduate assistantships  

Graduates with B.A. or B.S. degrees in other disciplines who have had few English courses other than freshman English will be required to take a maximum of 12 hours of leveling courses (Eng. 221, 222, 251 and 252) concurrently with their graduate work.

Required Classes

All candidates for the M.A. in English must take the following courses:

• English 500, Literary Theory
• English 502, Bibliography and Methods
• English 560, Seminar: Literature before 1800
• English 590, Seminar: Literature after 1800

All English graduate students’ formal degree plans must include a minimum grade of B on these four core courses. The degree plan must show no more than one three–hour course with the grade of “C.” All candidates for the M.A. who hold teaching assistantships must take English 501, Pedagogy of College Writing.

Foreign Language Proficiency

Foreign language proficiency is required of M.A. students in English. Reading knowledge of a modern language can be demonstrated in one of four ways:

• Complete two years of college-level modern language courses with no grade lower than a C.
• Take four semesters of French or Spanish classes concurrently with graduate coursework
• Earn at least a B on a test devised by members of the modern language faculty.
• Submit scores earned on an approved national, standardized foreign language examination

International students can demonstrate fluency in their native language by passing a standardized national exam or earning a B or better on a translation project read by a qualified reader, arranged by the student.

View the graduate English degree plan.