A minimum of 30 credit hours of approved graduate work as described hereafter is required for the master of arts degree. A minimum of nine credit hours must be taken in courses at the 600 level.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the requirements for admission to a degree program stated in this catalog, the applicant for enrollment in the program leading to a master’s degree in English should present the following:

1. At least a B average in undergraduate English courses
2. At least a B cumulative average for all undergraduate courses
3. A foreign language is desirable, but the requirement may be met concurrently with graduate study
4. Thirty‑three hours of undergraduate literature or 27 hours of literature and six hours of study in the English language or linguistics

Language Requirement

Competency in one modern foreign language or one classical language must be demonstrated before the completion of graduate work, unless this competency is demonstrated prior to admission. Competency in a foreign language is defined as the skill level attained by one year of college‑level study or the equivalent of a language other than English. If this requirement has not already been met, candidates may take language courses concurrently with graduate study.

Master's Thesis or Comprehensive Exam

Requirements for the degree include submission of a master’s thesis or passing the master’s comprehensive exam offered twice a year in April and July. The master’s thesis will be a substantial paper based on one of the approaches to literary analysis and interpretation studied in the course, Seminar in Literary Criticism, but it may originate in any graduate literature course. The paper should present an original thesis and incorporate the most recent research on the topic. This paper must be submitted at least two months prior to the date students expect to receive the degree and may not be submitted before degree candidacy is established. A passing score on the comprehensive exam is 80.

Additional Requirements

Other requirements for the award of the degree may be determined by the English Department and must be ascertained by students in consultation with a departmental graduate advisor.