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 of ENGL electives. For students who write a thesis, 6 of those hours will be thesis credits.

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 of ENGL electives. For students who write a thesis, 6 of those hours will be thesis credits,

For all concentrations, students take comprehensive exams or they write a thesis as their capstone project for the program.

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 or they may write a thesis. For those writing a thesis, a final oral defense is required. Any student who receives two final course grades of C or one final course grade of F will be dismissed from the program.