DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
The graduate program in English is designed to train students in preparation for doctoral work in university graduate schools, to improve the professional competence of public school teachers, to prepare promising scholars for college teaching, to advance the skills of creative writers, and generally to train students whose careers require advanced verbal and analytical abilities.
Admission Requirements
Students seeking admission to the graduate program in English must meet the following requirements:
- Submit a Graduate Studies Application for Admission with the application fee to Graduate Studies.
- Submit official transcripts of all college-level work, including the transcript that shows the date the undergraduate degree was conferred.
- Submit GRE scores.
- Submit three letters of recommendation that discuss the applicant’s suitability for graduate study.
- Submit a scholarly/critical writing sample with a minimum of ten pages; students wishing to pursue a creative writing emphasis may submit a creative portfolio as a supplement to the scholarly/critical writing sample.
- An applicant must have completed at least twelve hours of upper-division English courses with a GPA of 3.0 or better.
A holistic review of each student’s application fi le will be completed on a competitive basis.
The English graduate curriculum is organized into five blocks containing thirteen areas of study:
BLOCK I: |
English Language and Linguistics; Early and Middle English Literature |
BLOCK II: |
Literary Criticism and Theory; Rhetoric and Composition; Creative Writing; Professional Writing |
BLOCK III: |
The Classical Tradition; Renaissance and Seventeenth-Century English Literature; Eighteenth-Century English Literature; American Literature before 1800 |
BLOCK IV: |
Nineteenth-Century Literature in English |
BLOCK V: |
Twentieth-Century Literature in English |
There are three additional curriculum courses: Methods of Research and Bibliography (ENG 697); Thesis Sequence (ENG 698 and ENG 699); and Directed Study of Selected Topics (ENG 539).
Students are required to take Methods of Research and Bibliography(ENG 697)and at least one course each in British and American Literature.
A student may take one 400-level English course for graduate credit, with pre-approval by the Departmental Chair. The student may take a Directed Study of Selected Topics (ENG 539) up to two times, with pre-approval by the Department Chair. See the Graduate English Handbook for guidelines and restrictions.
Degree Requirements
A student majoring in English may choose from three degree programs: Master of Arts, Plan I; Master of Arts, Plan II; and the Master of Education, Plan II (which is administered by the College of Education). PLEASE NOTE: Plan I may be thesis or non-thesis; Plan II and Master of Education Plan II are non-thesis degrees only.
All MA students must complete four steps before being admitted to candidacy and filing an official degree plan:
- Must complete Methods of Research and Bibliography (ENG 698). The student should complete ENG 698 during the fi rst 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.
- Must complete the language requirement (Block I course).
- Must complete six additional hours of course work.
- Must have a B or better average for the twelve hours completed.
After meeting these requirements, the student should file a Declaration of Major form with the Director of Graduate Studies, who will then file a degree plan for the student.
All MA students must also 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 the semester or summer session in which the comprehensive exam is administered.
Master of Arts, Plan I (Thesis or 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 specialty. There is no minor under Plan I. Non-thesis students will take thirty-six hours of course work; thesis students will take thirty hours of course work and six hours of Thesis (ENG 698 or ENG 699). Students may pursue a creative writing emphasis, which includes a one-semester internship with the Texas Review Press, two creative writing workshops, and the writing of a creative thesis.
Curriculum Requirements for Plan I (with Thesis Option):
Research Methods (ENG 697) |
3 SCH |
| 3 SCH | |
| 3 SCH | |
| 3 SCH | |
| 3 SCH | |
| 3 SCH | |
Electives |
12 SCH |
Thesis I (ENG 698) |
3 SCH |
Thesis II (ENG 699) |
3 SCH |
Total |
36 SCH |
NOTE: Some classes fall into various blocks, depending upon a topic studied in a given term. These include ENG 569 (Blocks III, IV, and V), ENG 574 (Blocks IV and V), and ENG 588 (Blocks IV and V). For specifi cs, students should consult the Director of Graduate Studies or the Department Chair.
Master of Arts, Plan II (Non-thesis only). Designed for teachers who wish preparation in two teaching fi elds, this degree plan consists of twenty-four semester hours of English and twelve hours in a second fi eld. The minor field must logically support the major and must be chosen from departments offering graduate-level courses, such as history, art, political science, or, in the case of public school teachers, education.
Curriculum Requirements for Plan II:
Research Methods (ENG 697) |
3 SCH |
| 3 SCH | |
Electives (Selections must be from at least
three different blocks) |
18 SCH |
Courses in the minor |
12 SCH |
Total |
36 SCH |
Master of Education, Plan II (Non-thesis only). This program is for teachers of English in the secondary schools; interested students should consult the College of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction.