M.A. in English

Program Description | Admission | Degree Requirements | Courses


Program Description


The Master of Arts in English is designed to prepare students for doctoral work, improve the professional competence of public school teachers, ready promising scholars for college teaching, advance the skills of creative and professional writers, and train students whose careers require advanced verbal and analytical abilities.


Admissions


Students seeking admission to the graduate program in English must supply the following materials directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions:

  1. Graduate Application
  2. Application fee
  3. Official transcripts of all college-level work, including one that shows conferral of the undergraduate degree (Note: The student must have completed at least twelve hours of upper-division English courses with a 3.0 GPA or better; students with credentials from foreign universities must have their transcripts reviewed by a transcript evaluation service)
  4. Official scores for the GRE General Test (Note: The subject test in English is not required)
  5. Three letters of recommendation that discuss the applicant’s potential for success in an English graduate program
  6. A scholarly/critical writing sample of a minimum of ten pages (Note: Students wishing to pursue a creative writing emphasis may submit a creative portfolio as a supplement to the scholarly/critical writing sample)
  7. International applicants ONLY: Official TOEFL scores

The English M.A. Program welcomes qualified international applicants; however, an individual who does not hold American citizenship must be accepted under regular admission status, without qualifications.

A holistic review of each applicant's file will be completed, and admission will be granted on a competitive basis.


Degree Requirements

Beginning the Program
All English M.A. students must satisfy the following requirements before filing an official degree plan and being admitted to degree candidacy:

  1. Complete ENGL 5330 <ENG 697> Graduate Research: Methods and Theories, earning at least a B.
    (A student should complete ENGL 5330 <ENG 697> during the first semester of graduate work, if possible, but in any event must complete the course by the end of the second long-term semester for which he or she is enrolled.)
  2. Complete the Block 1 requirement.
  3. Complete six additional hours of graduate coursework.
  4. Maintain a B average or better for the twelve hours completed.

After meeting these requirements, the student submits a Declaration of Major form, thereby officially establishing a degree plan.

Completing the Program

  • To earn the M.A. in English, students must complete a minimum of thirty-six hours of graduate credit in accordance with one of three degree plans.
  • All students working under Plan 1 and Plan 2 must take at least one course from each of five blocks; included among the total classes must be at least one course each in British and American literature. Students working under Plan 3 must take at least one course in Block 1 and at least one course from three of the remaining blocks.
  • All students are required to take ENGL 5330 <ENG 697> Graduate Research: Methods and Theories at the first opportunity.
  • Thesis students complete a two-semester thesis sequence (ENGL 6398 <ENGL 698> and
    ENGL 6399 <ENG 699>).
  • All M.A. students must pass the English program’s written comprehensive examination (offered in October, February, and June of each year) and an oral defense of a designated portion of their graduate work; the oral defense covers either the areas chosen for the written examination or, in the case of thesis students, the thesis. Students must be enrolled in the University for the terms in which they sit for the written comprehensive and oral examinations.
  • A student may take ENGL 5339 <ENG 539> Directed Study of Selected Topics in Literature and Language twice, with pre-approval by the Department Chair. A student may take one 400-level <4000-level> English course for graduate credit, with pre-approval by the Department Chair and Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. See the Graduate English Handbook for guidelines and restrictions.

English Course Blocks

The English graduate curriculum is organized into five blocks, each comprising courses with shared topics or historical kinship; the student takes at least one class from each block.

  • Block 1: English Language, Early and Middle English Literature
  • Block 2: Theory, Pedagogy, and Writing Disciplines
  • Block 3: Early Literature
  • Block 4: 19th-Century British and American Literature
  • Block 5: 20th- and 21st-Century Literature in English

The student working under Plan 1 or Plan 2 takes at least one class from each block, as designated in the degree schedules for those plans below; the student working under Plan 3 takes at least one course in Block 1 and at least one course from three of the remaining blocks, as designated in the degree schedule for that plan below. 


With the approval of the Chair of the Department, a student may substitute up to six hours of the following special and variable topics courses for block requirements: ENGL 5369 <ENG 569>, Studies in the Novel; ENGL 5370 <ENG 570>, Studies in Multicultural Literature; ENGL 5374 <ENG 574>, Studies in Women's Literature; ENGL 5388 <ENG 588>, The Study of Major Figures in American Poetry; **ENGL 5391, The Study of Major Figures in British Poetry**; and ENGL 6330, Special Topics in English. The block requirement for which such a course may be substituted will be announced explicitly in the online course listings before registration and in the instructor's syllabus. 

Degree Plans

A graduate student in English may pursue one of three degree plans. Plan 1 requires a thesis; Plans 2 and 3 do not require a thesis.

Plan 1 – M.A. in English

This degree plan is designed for prospective junior and senior college teachers; for students who plan to continue their studies at a doctoral level; and for teachers of high school English who wish to increase scope, depth, and expertise in their teaching specialties. There is no secondary field under Plan 1, and the student must write a thesis. Under this plan, students take thirty hours of coursework and six hours of thesis. Students may pursue a creative writing emphasis, which requires an internship with the Texas Review Press, two creative writing workshops, and a creative thesis.

 

Item
Requirement
Options
Hours
Required
1
Specified
Course
Choose all from
ENGL 5330 <ENG 697> Graduate Research: Methods and Theories
3
2
Block 1
Choose one from
ENGL 5377 <ENG 577> Early & Middle English Literature
ENGL 5383 <ENG 583> English Linguistics
ENGL 5389 <ENG 589> History and Development of the English Language
3
3 Block 2

Choose one from
ENGL 5331 <ENG 531> Creative Writing: Fiction
ENGL 5332 <ENG 532> Creative Writing: Poetry
ENGL 5333 <ENG 533> Practicum: Editing and Publishing
ENGL 5335 <ENG 535> Workshop in Teaching Writing
ENGL 5336 <XXX XXX> Narrative Theory
ENGL 5337 <XXX XXX> Poetic Theory and Prosody
ENGL 5367 <ENG 567> Practicum in Teaching College Composition
ENGL 5368 <ENG 568> Literary Criticism and Theory
ENGL 5384 <ENG 584> Rhetoric & Composition Theory
ENGL 5390 <ENG 590> Technical & Professional Writing

3
4 Block 3 Choose one from
ENGL 5372 <ENG 572> Early American Literature
ENGL 5375 <ENG 575> Restoration-18th Century British Literature
ENGL 5376 <ENG 576> The Classical Tradition
ENGL 5378 <ENG 578> Renaissance & Seventeenth-Century British Literature
3
5 Block 4 Choose one from
ENGL 5379 <ENG 579> Romantic Literature
ENGL 5380 <ENG 580> Victorian Literature
ENGL 5385 <ENG 585> American Literature, 1800-1860
ENGL 5386 <ENG 586> American Literature, 1860-1920
3
6 Block 5 Choose one from
ENGL 5371 <ENG 571> Modern World Literature
ENGL 5381 <ENG 581> British Literature, 1900-the Present 
ENGL 5387 <ENG 587> American Literature, 1920-the Present
3
7 Electives Choose four from
All graduate courses in English, excluding thesis courses
12
8 Thesis Choose all from
ENGL 6398 <ENG 698> Thesis I
ENGL 6399 <ENG 699> Thesis II
6
TOTAL
36

 

 

Plan 2 – M.A. in English (Non-thesis)

This degree plan is designed for prospective junior and senior college teachers; for students who plan to continue their studies at a doctoral level; and for teachers of high school English who wish to increase scope, depth, and expertise in their teaching specialties. There is no secondary field under Plan 2, and the student may not write a thesis. Under this plan, students take thirty-six hours of coursework. Students may pursue a creative writing emphasis, which requires an internship with the Texas Review Press, two creative writing workshops, and a creative thesis.

 

Item
Requirement
Options
Hours
Required
1
Specified
Courses
Choose all from
ENG 5330 <ENG 697> Graduate Research: Methods and Theories
3
2
Block 1
Choose one from
ENG 5377 <ENG 577> Early & Middle English Literature
ENG 5383 <ENG 583> English Linguistics
ENG 5389 <ENG 589> History and Development of the English Language
3
3 Block 2

Choose one from
ENGL 5331 <ENG 531> Creative Writing: Fiction
ENGL 5332 <ENG 532> Creative Writing: Poetry
ENGL 5333 <ENG 533> Practicum: Editing and Publishing
ENGL 5335 <ENG 535> Workshop in Teaching Writing
ENGL 5336 <XXX XXX> Narrative Theory
ENGL 5337 <XXX XXX> Poetic Theory and Prosody 
ENGL 5367 <ENG 567> Practicum in Teaching College Composition
ENGL 5368 <ENG 568> Literary Criticism and Theory
ENGL 5384 <ENG 584> Rhetoric and Composition Theory
ENGL 5390 <ENG 590> Technical and Professional Writing

3
4 Block 3 Choose one from
ENGL 5372 <ENG 572> Early American Literature
ENGL 5375 <ENG 575> Restoration-18th Century British Literature
ENGL 5376 <ENG 576> The Classical Tradition
ENGL 5378 <ENG 578> Renaissance & Seventeenth-Century British Literature
3
5 Block 4 Choose one from
ENGL 5379 <ENG 579> Romantic Literature
ENGL 5380 <ENG 580> Victorian Literature
ENGL 5385 <ENG 585> American Literature, 1800-1860
ENGL 5386 <ENG 586> American Literature, 1860-1920
3
6 Block 5 Choose one from
ENGL 5371 <ENG 571> Modern World Literature
ENGL 5381 <ENG 581> British Literature, 1900-the Present
ENGL 5387 <ENG 587> American Literature, 1920-the Present
3
7 Electives Choose six from
All graduate courses in English, excluding thesis courses
18
TOTAL
36

 

Plan 3 – M.A. in English (Non-thesis)

Designed for teachers who need preparation in two teaching fields, this degree plan requires twenty-four semester hours of English and twelve hours in a second, approved field. The secondary field must logically support the major and must be chosen from departments offering graduate-level courses, such as History, Foreign Languages, or Political Science, or, in the case of public school teachers, from the College of Education.

 

Item
Requirement
Options
Hours
Required
1
Specified
Courses
Choose all from
ENGL 5330 <ENG 597> Graduate Research: Methods and Theories
3
2
Block 1
Choose one from
ENGL 5377 <ENG 577> Early and Middle English Literature
ENGL 5383 <ENG 583> English Linguistics
ENGL 5389 <ENG 589> History and Development of the English Language
3
3 Restricted Electives

Choose six1 from
Block 2
ENGL 5331 <ENG 531> Creative Writing: Fiction
ENGL 5332 <ENG 532> Creative Writing: Poetry
ENGL 5333 <ENG 533> Practicum: Editing and Publishing
ENGL 5335 <ENG 535> Workshop in Teaching Writing
ENGL 5336 <XXX XXX> Narrative Theory
ENGL 5337 <XXX XXX> Poetic Theory and Prosody
ENGL 5367 <ENG 567> Practicum in Teaching College Composition
ENGL 5368 <ENG 568> Literary Criticism and Theory
ENGL 5384 <ENG 584> Rhetoric and Composition Theory
ENGL 5390 <ENG 590> Technical and Professional Writing
Block 3
ENGL 5372 <ENG 572> Early American Literature
ENGL 5375 <ENG 575> Restoration-18th Century British Literature
ENGL 5376 <ENG 576> The Classical Tradition
ENGL 5378 <ENG 578> Renaissance & Seventeenth-Century British Literature
Block 4
ENGL 5379 <ENG 579> Romantic Literature
ENGL 5380 <ENG 580> Victorian Literature
ENGL 5385 <ENG 585> American Literature, 1800-1860
ENGL 5386 <ENG 586> American Literature, 1860-1920
Block 5
ENGL 5371 <ENG 571> Modern World Literature
ENGL 5381 <ENG 581> British Literature, 1900-the Present 
ENGL 5387 <ENG 587> American Literature, 1920-the Present

18
4 Secondary Field Choose four from
Any graduate courses in a field approved by Graduate Advisor
12
TOTAL
36
Notes:
1 Courses must be selected from at least three different blocks.

 

 


Courses

English (ENGL)

 

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