English, MA

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Purposes

The purposes of the Department of English are to:

Provide training in research techniques and critical writing.
Provide intensive study in certain areas of specialization.
Prepare the student for teaching and/or doctoral study.
Encourage and support advanced study of the humanities.

Admission Requirements

Regular Admission
Any person admitted to the Master’s program in English must hold a bachelor’s degree. An applicant who receives regular admission status must also meet the following requirements:

Hold a BA in English or English Education with a minimum 3.0 GPA in the major, or
Hold a BA or BS in a field other than English, have completed 12 hours of English coursework at the junior/senior level with an earned GPA of 3.0 on this coursework (no grade lower than a “B” AND have earned a 3.0 GPA in the major.

NOTE: Students who have GPAs in the major between 2.75 and 2.99 or GPAs in the 12 hours of English junior/senior coursework in the 2.75 - 2.99 range will be considered for regular admission if they submit a GRE verbal reasoning score of 150 minimum. The GRE is NOT required for students who meet the 3.0 GPA, degree and course requirements listed above.

A student in a regular admission status is eligible for a graduate assistantship.

Contingent Admission
Students holding degrees in fields other than English or English Education and who do not have the required 12 hours of junior/senior coursework in English but do have a 3.0 GPA in their major may be admitted to contingent status and must complete the missing hours of junior/senior coursework in English within their first year of enrollment in the graduate program. To move to regular status and to remain in the program, these students must earn a minimum 3.0 GPA on the missing hours of junior/senior coursework with no grade lower than a “B.”

A student in contingent status is eligible for a graduate assistantship. Students may not be moved from contingent status to provisional status.

Provisional Admission
Students who have a GPA in the 2.75 - 2.99 range in their major and/or in the 12 hours of junior/senior coursework in English and do not have a 150 score on the verbal reasoning portion of the GRE may be admitted to provisional status. These students must take 9 hours of graduate coursework in English in their first year of enrollment and earn a minimum 3.0 GPA in graduate English coursework, with no grade less than a “B.” Students who do not satisfy this requirement will not be allowed to continue in the program.

A student in provisional status is not eligible for graduate assistantship.

Non-Degree-Classified Admission and Unclassified Admission
Students wishing to take graduate courses in English for purposes other than a graduate degree should review their options for Non-Degree-Classified Admission and Unclassified Admission as specified by Graduate Studies rules outlined in the catalog.

No more than 9 hours earned by a student in the Provisional, Contingent, Non-Degree, or Unclassified Status may be counted towards a graduate degree, provided Graduate Studies approves the credit that is recommended by the appropriate graduate coordinator/director or graduate faculty advisor.

Requirements for Degree

The M.A. in English consists of a core of literary studies with choices for professional development in all areas of English Studies, including concentrations in Creative Writing, Language and Literacy, Professional Writing, and Publishing Studies. Students may choose between Thesis- and Non-Thesis options:

Non-Thesis Option:

Complete at least thirty-six (36) hours of English in an individually-designed curriculum. With the approval of the advisory committee, the student may take a maximum of six (6) graduate hours in a related field. All students choosing the non-thesis option must complete the following course work:

ENGL 6480 - GRADUATE STUDIES SEMINAR
ENGL 5950 - INTERNSHIP
At least twenty-one (21) hours of course work at the 6000-level

One Theory and Methods Course:

Thesis Option:

Complete at least thirty-six (36) graduate hours of English, including six (6) hours of graduate credit from ENGL 7700 . The thesis must demonstrate the student’s ability to do research and must show acceptable literary workmanship in organization, style, and content. With the approval of the advisory committee, students may take a maximum of six (6) graduate hours in a related field. All students choosing the thesis option must complete the following course work:

ENGL 6480 - GRADUATE STUDIES SEMINAR
ENGL 5950 - INTERNSHIP
ENGL 7700 - THESIS RESEARCH AND THESIS
At least eighteen (18) hours of course work at the 6000-level

One Theory and Methods Course:

All Candidates for the M.A. in English Must:

Demonstrate knowledge of a foreign language or language structure either through six (6) hours of undergraduate course work in one language, through completion of an approved graduate-level course on language structures, through demonstrated knowledge of a major computer language (such as C++, XML, or Java), or through passing the Princeton examination. The language requirement is waived for international students whose native language is not English.
Complete nine (9) hours of graduate course work in three broad literary periods: (1) ancient, medieval, and early modern literatures, (2) Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century literature, and (3) Twentieth-Century and contemporary literatures.
Pass all parts of the M.A. comprehensive examination in English.