English (MA) - Literature Concentration
Degree Requirements
A. Coursework. A minimum of thirty-six semester hours of credit is required beyond the bachelor’s degree with a grade of "A" or "B," to include the following two courses in the first year of course work.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EH 501 | Introduction to Crit Theory | 3 |
| EH 502 | Graduate Writing for English | 3 |
| Early Literature Requirement: Two courses from literary periods pre-1800 | 6 | |
| Later Literature Requirement: Two courses from literary periods post-1800 | 6 | |
| DEI Requirement: One course from the "diversity, equity, and inclusion" list (which may be in literature or creative writing): EH 548, EH 551, EH 552, or EH 588 | 3 | |
| Additional Coursework: Select 9 hours of additional courses | 9 | |
| Thesis or Capstone Requirement: Thesis Option (6 hours) or Capstone Option (3 hours + 1 additional course). See information below. | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Note on dual-listed courses: No more than 18 hours of dual-listed courses (courses listed simultaneously at both the 400 level and the 500 level) may be counted towards the minimum hours required for a degree. In addition, graduate students will receive graduate credit only when they enroll in the 500-level version of any dual-listed course.
B. Thesis or Capstone Requirement. The literature concentration requires either a literature thesis or a capstone, which is included in the program requirement of 36 hours.
- Thesis option (6 hours). The literature thesis is the preferred option for students who plan to enter a doctoral program in English. Students write a thesis, which may draw on a student's previous written work in courses, but which must also involve substantial further research under the supervision of a thesis director. An oral defense, which will situate the thesis in the comprehensive objectives of the creative writing concentration, will be required one to two weeks prior to the Thesis First Submission Deadline for the Graduate School. Six hours of thesis credit will be granted on the successful completion and oral defense of the thesis.
- Capstone option (3 hours + 1 additional course). Students produce a capstone project, which may draw on a student's previous written work in courses, but which must also involve significant further research, meeting the comprehensive objectives of the literature concentration under the supervision of a capstone mentor. Each capstone requires an annotated bibliography, a major researched essay or an essay/digital presentation, and a presentation in the department. In order to qualify for graduation, all capstone work must be completed by April 15 (spring) or November 15 (fall) and receive the approval of the capstone mentor and the Graduate Committee. Departmental presentations will be scheduled between the deadline and the end of the semester. NOTE: Students who choose the capstone option must take an additional course in order to complete the program requirement of 36 hours.
C. Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement. All students pursuing the M.A. in English must demonstrate a reading proficiency in Spanish, French, German, or Latin before registering for the comprehensive exam or for thesis hours. Foreign nationals for whom English is not native may offer their native language. Credit in reading courses in acceptable languages may not count toward the 36 hour credit requirement for the M.A. in English.