Graduate Programs
The Department of English offers a Master of Arts degree with three concentrations: Literary Study, Rhetoric and Writing, and Creative Writing.
English, M.A. Requirements and Admission to Candidacy
The department also offers a Certificate Program in Writing and Rhetoric.
View a List of Graduate Courses
M.A. Program Objectives
- to increase the student's understanding of literature and of rhetoric, and of how literature and effective rhetoric are created
- to prepare the student in the methods and philosophy of research, original thinking, and bibliography
- to increase the student's ability in communication, including preparation for careers in business, industry, and writing
- to prepare future teachers with a solid academic background in literature, methodology, and literary criticism, or with a solid academic background in rhetorical studies, including the history of rhetoric, rhetorical theory, rhetorical analysis, and composition studies, including composition theory, the origins and history of writing, and the teaching of writing
- to enhance the skills of those teachers currently in service
- to provide a solid and broad foundation for those students wishing to pursue doctoral work or the M.F.A.
Admission
Concentrations in Literary Study and Rhetoric/Writing Studies
In addition to meeting the standards for admission to The Graduate School, applicants for these concentrations should have (1) a score of 500 or more on the verbal section of the GRE; (2) a minimum of 18 hours in English beyond freshman composition, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 for those hours, or a score above the 50th percentile on the Advanced GRE in literature. All applicants must submit a 500-word statement of intent. Any student seeking conditional admission must complete a proctored writing sample in addition to the letter of intent.
Concentration in Creative Writing
In addition to meeting the standards for admission to The Graduate School, applicants for the M.A. in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing must submit:
- a manuscript of 12-15 poems or 25 pages of creative prose; and
- a 1000-1500 word statement of purpose describing the applicant's intellectual and creative background, interests and goals.
It is also strongly suggested that the applicant have (1) a score of 500 or more on the verbal section of the GRE; (2) a minimum of 18 hours in English beyond freshman composition, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 for those hours, or a score above the 50th percentile on the Advanced GRE in literature. Any student seeking conditional admission must also complete a proctored writing sample and an interview with a member of the creative writing faculty.
