General Undergraduate Degrees information

The B.A. in English now requires 120 hours, with the first two years (approximately 60 hours) focusing on the university core and introductory courses and the final two years (the remaining hours) concentrating on advanced courses in the major, the minor, and electives.

The B.A in English with Teacher Certification also requires 120 hours, with the first two years (approximately 60 hours) focusing on the university core and introductory courses and the final two years (the remaining hours) focusing on advanced courses, internship, and residency.

The Minor in English consists of 18 hours, of which 6 hours must be advanced (3000 or 4000 level.)

The Minor in Writing consists of 21 hours, including core requirements, English 3371, and 9 hours of advanced writing electives.

The Minor in Creative Writing consists of 24 hours, including core requirements, one additional 2000-level requirement, English 3375, and 9 hours of advanced creative writing electives.

General Graduate Degrees Information

The Department of English offers a wide variety of graduate courses to meet the needs of students with a diversity of interests and academic backgrounds who wish to enhance their awareness of their literary and cultural environment by additional formal instruction or to increase their professional competence.

The Master of Arts program in English is designed to enable students to learn about, critique, and work in teaching, scholarship, writing, or other fields which value a strong background in language, rhetoric, and the study of culture through texts.

The M.A. in English provides a strong grounding in scholarly methods and in theory, making it an ideal preparation for doctoral study in disciplinary or interdisciplinary programs. M.A. graduates in English pursue careers in journalism, educational administration and services, publishing, and many business fields that demand writing and communication skills. The M.A. in English is also useful for prospective or experienced teachers who want both to sharpen their ability to teach literature and writing, and to advance professionally.

The doctoral program in English prepares students at the most advanced stage in the interpretation and composition of texts. The program emphasizes rigorous critical study in the fields of rhetoric, composition, critical theory, cultural studies, pedagogy and literary studies. Rather than offering separate tracks, the program allows the student in consultation with the Graduate Advisor and the student's dissertation committees to design a program of work that best suits their particular scholarly interests and career goals. The combination of a diversity of course offerings, required and elected courses, and the requirement that each student define a focus that reflects his or her intellectual and career interests provides students with the flexibility to adapt to changes in English studies. Specifically, the English doctoral program prepares students for careers in writing, including electronic and technical writing, as well as in teaching in community colleges, small colleges or regional state universities. The department trains students for college-level teaching several ways, but most importantly, by offering graduate courses in the teaching of literature and the teaching of composition. Doctoral students in English present papers at scholarly conferences, publish essays in scholarly journals and participate in other professional activities.

Writing Sample and Recommendations

In addition to the admission requirements set by the Graduate School, the English Department requires all international students to have speaking, reading, and writing competence in English and all applicants to submit to the Graduate Advisor a sample of their best academic writing. Three letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the Graduate Advisor. At least two of the letters of recommendation should be academic in nature.