The five-year program in English allows students in the Professional Writing major to complete the requirements of two degrees in five years. With one additional year of coursework, students in the program graduate with a Master's in English.
Application Requirements
Students apply to the five-year program in their third year, or in the semester prior to their final year of coursework.
To apply to the program, students must meet the following requirements:
- Junior standing or above in the PWR major
- Overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0
- Overall GPA of 3.0 in PWR major
Advancement to the MA
All program requirements for the PWR major and the undergraduate degree must be completed to advance to the fifth year in the MA program.
Cost
500-level courses taken in the fourth year will be paid for at the cost of undergraduate tuition. Courses in the fifth year will be paid for at the cost of graduate tuition.
Restrictions
500-level courses taken for the five-year program cannot count toward requirements for the undergraduate PWR major. (No "double dipping" program requirements).
Up to 12 credits of 500-level courses taken for the five-year program may count towards toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Students in the Adolescence English Education (AEN) program may not apply for the five-year program because it is not possible to complete the required BA/MA coursework alongside the required AEN coursework, including student teaching, during the senior year.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the Professional Writing BA program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate rhetorical awareness of genre, audience, purpose, and context.
- Structure and focus writing based on feedback and visibility of their work in online environments, publishing, workshops, or other venues inside or outside of the classroom.
- Evaluate and design documents and pieces for a specific audience and context.
- Create an original combination of content, design, and genre.
Upon successful completion of the English MA program, students will be able to:
- Investigate key literary and cultural texts, contexts, archives, and critical debates within English
- Demonstrate a mastery of interpretation, reading, writing, and communication
- Develop and compose a Master's thesis within the discipline of English Studies
Career Potential
When you successfully complete the MA in English at SUNY Cortland, you will be well prepared to move into a range of exciting careers in business, marketing, law, politics, education, nonprofit organizations, and the arts. You will also be prepared to pursue a Ph.D. in areas such as Literature, Rhetoric, Composition, Technical Communication, American Studies, Ethnic Studies, and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
