Graduate Studies in English

The Master of Arts in English

The Master of Arts program in English requires completion of either 30 semester hours credit or 36 hours (if the student chooses to forego the foreign language requirement).  At least 18 hours must be in 6000-level courses. The Department encourages students to take as many 6000-level courses as possible. 

 Course Requirements

Every M.A. student must take a set of core courses numbering 12 hours.  The core requirements are:

1. One introductory course: a) ENGL 6280: Introduction to Graduate Studies in English, b) ENGL 6230: Premodern Sources of English Literature, or c) ENGL 6231: Literary Theory.

2. One course in British literature

3. One course in American literature

4. One course in Writing or Rhetoric

Concentrations

At some point during their graduate studies, students must select an area of concentration and take nine hours of coursework in that concentration.  (Core courses are not part of a concentration.)  Students may choose to complete more than one concentration.  The four concentrations, and their respective requirements, are as follows:

Concentration in American Literature:
One of the following: ENGL 4030, 4031, 4091, 6001, or 6090 (where appropriate as determined by the Graduate Coordinator) and

One of the following: ENGL 4032, 4033, 4034, 4092, 4093, 6007, or 6090 (where appropriate as determined by the Graduate Coordinator) and

One additional American literature course numbered 4000 or above.

Concentration in British Literature:
One of the following: ENGL 4401, 4421, 4501, 4516, 4521, 4522, 4601, 4616, 4621, 6400, 6480, 6500, 6520, 6600 and

One of the following: ENGL 4701, 4702, 4715, 4716, 4801, 4802, 4807, 4808, 4815, 6700, 6801, 6807, or 6900 and

One additional course in British literature numbered 4000 or above.

Concentration in Professional Writing: 
ENGL 4152 and

One Journalism course numbered 4000 or above and

One of the following: ENGL 4151, 4154, 4158, 6232, 6154, or 6390 (where appropriate as determined by the Graduate Coordinator), or 6398

Concentration in Teaching:
ENGL 6281 and

One of the following: ENGL 4151, 4154, 4161, 4163, 6151, 6154, 6161, 6163, 6230, 6232, or 6390 (where appropriate as determined by the Graduate Coordinator) and

One additional course in literature numbered 4000 or above.

M.A. students will have from 6-15 hours of electives, the number depending on if they choose to forego the foreign language requirement and if they choose the thesis option (see below). 

Foreign Language Option

Degree candidates have the option of demonstrating a reading knowledge of a foreign language (30 hour program) or taking an additional 6 hours as approved by the Graduate Coordinator (36 hour program). 
           

The Written Comprehensive Examination

Upon completion of their studies, students take either two 3-hour written comprehensive exams or one such exam and write a thesis (see below).  The written examination is based upon reading lists and course work.  Examinations are offered in the four M.A. concentrations: American Literature, British Literature, Professional Writing, and Teaching (with especial attention to rhetoric and composition). 

Thesis Option

Students who choose the thesis option complete their coursework requirements (totaling 30 or 36 hours as explained above) with at least 15 hours at the 6000 level and 3 hours of ENGL 7000 (Thesis Research); they take one 3-hour comprehensive examination and write a thesis.            Students in the M.A. program who wish to continue on to doctoral study will be strongly encouraged to write a thesis. A one-hour public defense of the thesis is scheduled by the major professor when the final draft of the thesis has been approved by the full committee.