English (M.A.)

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Program Admission Requirements

In addition to the Graduate School Admission Requirements , applicants must have achieved an average grade of B or higher as defined by the major department in upper-level undergraduate courses in the major. A personal interview may be requested. The General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is required, as is a writing sample and three recommendations from former instructors who are in a position to judge the applicant’s aptitude for graduate study.

Program Description

The M.A. degree in English offers a choice of three concentrations: Literature, Professional Writing, or Rhetoric and Composition. A total of 33 graduate English credit hours is required: 12 hour core, 9 hour concentration, and 12 hours in one of the following options

Thesis Option: 6 hours of thesis and 6 hours of ENGL electives
Portfolio or Writing Option: 3 hours of portfolio (ENGL 688 ) and 9 hours of ENGL electives
Non-Thesis Option: 12 hours of ENGL electives

In addition to the coursework, all M.A. in English students must successfully pass written comprehensive examinations based on reading lists and/or content knowledge, which are specific to each concentration. Additionally, any student who receives two final course grades of C or one final course grade of F will be dismissed from the program. For those writing a thesis or completing a portfolio or other writing option, a final oral defense is required. For reading lists, sample exams, and other information on the M.A. in English, see the current Guide to Graduate Studies in English, available in print and online.

Core requirements (12 hours)

ENGL 618 - Research Methods in English

(3 credit hours) and one course from each concentration (9 total credit hours).

Concentrations (9 hours)

Electives (12 hours, of which 6 may be Thesis or 3 may be Portfolio)

12 hours of courses selected from the three Concentrations above or from the following

Thesis students must take 6 hours of ENGL 699- Thesis Research and 6 hours of courses selected from the three concentrations above or from the following courses;
Portfolio students must take 3 hours of ENGL 688- Portfolio Research and 9 hours of courses selected from the three concentrations above or from the following courses;
Non-thesis Options students must take at least 12 hours of electives selected from the three concentrations above or from the following courses:

ENGL 515 - Linguistics Credits: 3
ENGL 516 - Teaching English as a Second Language Credits: 3
ENGL 517 - Methods of Teaching Literature Credits: 3
ENGL 615 - Linguistic Perspectives Credits: 3
ENGL 617 - Historical Linguistics Credits: 3
ENGL 619 - English Grammars Credits: 3
ENGL 625 - Applied Phonetics and Pronunciation Teaching Credits: 3
ENGL 635 - Teaching Grammar, Reading and Writing to ESL Students. Credits: 3
ENGL 645 - Second Language Acquisition and TESOL Methodology Credits: 3
ENGL 655 - Professional Development of the ESL Teacher Credits: 3
ENGL 699 - Thesis Research Credits: 3, R12

TESOL Course Approval

English as a Second Language (ESL) and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) courses in this listing (ENGL 615, 617, 619, 625, 635,645, or 655) will need the approval of a TESOL faculty member.

Certificate Programs

The English Department offers the following post-baccalaureate certificates:

English (M.A.)

Core requirements (12 hours)

Concentrations (9 hours)

Professional Writing Concentration (9 hours)

Literature Concentration (9 hours)

Rhetoric and Composition Concentration (9 hours)

Electives (12 hours, of which 6 may be Thesis or 3 may be Portfolio)

TESOL Course Approval

Certificate Programs