English Graduate Studies

The Master of Arts in English provides post-baccalaureate students with study in the theory and practice of English. It is intended to prepare students for professional advancement and for further study in either literature or writing. The literature track emphasizes the study of literary texts with related study of writing, theory, and methods. The literature track also requires an internship within the context of an undergraduate literature course, a portfolio of written work, and a written comprehensive exam over selected work taken in the program. The writing track emphasizes the study and practice of writing with related study of literature, theory, and methods. The writing track also require an internship within the context of an undergraduate writing course, a portfolio of written work, and a written comprehensive exam over selected work taken in the program.

Because the master's program is predicated upon the complementary relationship between theory and practice in the study of English, both tracks of the program require ENG 500 Theory and Practice of English, another course in theory, and the internship. Students in either program not only will become familiar with the aesthetic, formal, and theoretical underpinnings of their field of study, but also will learn how to address their audiences by means of professional discourse. In this way, the Master of Arts in English focuses on ways candidates for the degree may enhance their professional lives and communicate to others their understanding of the uses of the discipline in the classroom and the workplace.