English (M.A.)

Program Admission Requirements

In addition to the Graduate School Admission Requirements, applicants must have achieved an average grade of B or higher in upper-level undergraduate courses in the major. A writing sample and two recommendations addressing the applicant's aptitude for graduate study are required, and the GRE General Test (gre.org) is optional.

Program Description

The M.A. degree in English offers a choice of three concentrations: Literature, Professional Writing and Rhetoric, and Creative Writing, and participates in the interdisciplinary concentration in Cherokee Studies. A total of 33 graduate English credit hours is required. In the Literature, Professional Writing and Rhetoric, and Creative Writing concentrations, students must take ENGL 618, 6 hours outside of their concentration, 12 hours within their concentration, and 12 hours in one of the following options

Thesis Option: 6 hours of thesis and 6 hours of ENGL electives; note that all Creative Writing students must complete a thesis
Non-Thesis Option: 12 hours of ENGL electives

In addition to 618, Cherokee Studies students must take ASI 634: Research Methods and Theories in Cherokee Studies, 6 hours outside of their concentration, 9 hours in their concentration, and 12 hours in one of the following options

Thesis Option: 6 hours of thesis and 6 hours of ENGL electives
Non-Thesis Option: 12 hours of ENGL electives

Note that all GAs must take 514 as an elective, and that it does not fulfill the requirement of taking a Professional Writing and Rhetoric course outside one's area of concentration.

In addition to the coursework, all M.A. in English students must successfully pass written comprehensive examinations based on reading lists and content knowledge, which are specific to each concentration. For those writing a thesis, a final oral defense is required. For more information on the M.A. in English, see the current Guide to Graduate Studies in English available at gradeenglish.wcu.edu. (Any student who receives two final course grades of C or one final course grade of F will be dismissed from the program.)

Core requirements (9 hours)

ENGL 618 - Research Methods in English (3 credit hours) and two courses from outside of the student’s area of concentration (6 total credit hours).

Concentrations (12 hours)

Cherokee Studies (12 hours)

*note: ASI 634 is required

ANTH 561 - Indians of North America Credits: 3
ASI 594 - Topics in Cherokee Studies Credits: 3, R6
ASI 697 - Cherokee Studies Research Seminar Credits: 3
ASI 634 - Methods, Theories and Critiques in Cherokee Studies Credits: 3
ANTH 573 - Contemporary Cherokee Culture and Society Credits: 3
ENGL 564 - Native American Literature Credits: 3
ENGL 674 - Transnational Literature Credits: 3
NAS 570 - Cherokee Culture and History Credits: 3
HIST 620 - Native American History Credits: 3
HIST 545 - Cherokee History Credits: 3

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

12 hours of courses selected from the 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 (note that Creative Writing students must write a thesis, and all teaching GAs must take ENGL 514 as an elective); Non-thesis Option students must take at least 12 hours of electives selected from the 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:

Technical and Professional Writing (Post Baccalaureate Certificate)

TESOL (Post Baccalaureate Certificate).