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College of Arts and Sciences

Curriculum for M.A. in English

Hub and Spoke Curriculum Summary

All students pursuing the Master of Arts in English will complete a 12-credit “Hub” of core requirements. Students can then choose to pursue one of four “Spokes,” depending upon their interests and goals. The Literature Spoke is intended for students who plan to go on to a doctoral program or whose primary interest is in continuing literary study. The Writing Spoke is designed for students who plan to teach English at the secondary level, are already teaching, or plan to pursue a career involving advanced writing skills. The Creative Writing Spoke is designed for students who are interested in becoming writers, teaching creative writing, or hoping to pursue an M.F.A. or a Ph.D. in creative writing. The General Spoke is designed for students primarily pursuing the degree for enrichment.

The M.A. program also requires a reading knowledge of French, German, Italian, or Spanish as attested by the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Subject to approval, Latin, Greek, or another language may be substituted. Reading knowledge will be demonstrated through a foreign language translation examination. Students who cannot pass the language exam may take the Rapid Reading and Translation course, offered in the spring, in its place. This course is offered in French or Spanish every other year.

Note: All students holding Teaching Assistant (TA) positions must enroll in ENGL 6513 Composition for Teachers in the first year of their appointment. That 3-credit course is in addition to the 30 credits required for the degree. Teaching Assistants must, therefore, complete a total of 33 credits.

Curriculum for Literature Spoke

Hub Courses (12 Total Credits)
ENGL 6010 Introduction to Literary Research (3 credits)
ENGL 7011 Studies in Criticism (3 credits)
6000-Level American Literature Elective (3 credits)
6000-Level British Literature Elective (3 credits)

Literature Spoke Courses (12 Total Credits)
Literature Elective (3 credits)
Literature Elective (3 credits)
Literature Elective (3 credits)
One course from the following list:

  • ENGL 6411 Poetry Workshop (3 credits)
  • ENGL 6412 Modern Rhetoric and Writing (3 credits)
  • ENGL 6413 Fiction Workshop (3 credits)
  • ENGL 6414 Scientific and Technical Writing (3 credits)
  • ENGL 6415 Composition Theory and Practice (3 credits)
  • ENGL 6420 Linguistic History of English (3 credits)
  • ENGL 6421 Non-Fiction Workshop (3 credits)
  • ENGL 7410 Advanced Creative Writing Workshop (3 credits)

Seminar and Research Courses (6 Total Credits)
7000-Level Seminar Course (3 credits)
ENGL 7010 Master’s Thesis (3 credits)

Overall Total = 30 credits

Note: Thesis students must successfully complete a thesis, in accordance with departmental guidelines, in addition to completing the required number of credits. A degree will not be conferred without successful completion of a thesis even if the total credit requirement is met. Students that have completed all degree requirements except the thesis must register for Thesis Continuation until the thesis is complete.

Curriculum for Writing Spoke

Hub Courses (12 Total Credits)
ENGL 6010 Introduction to Literary Research (3 credits)
ENGL 7011 Studies in Criticism (3 credits)
6000-Level American Literature Elective (3 credits)
6000-Level British Literature Elective (3 credits)

Writing Spoke Courses (15 Total Credits)
Literature Elective (3 credits) Literature Elective (3 credits)
Three courses from the following list:

  • ENGL 6411 Poetry Workshop (3 credits)
  • ENGL 6412 Modern Rhetoric and Writing (3 credits)
  • ENGL 6413 Fiction Workshop (3 credits)
  • ENGL 6414 Scientific and Technical Writing (3 credits)
  • ENGL 6415 Composition Theory and Practice (3 credits)
  • ENGL 6420 Linguistic History of English (3 credits)
  • ENGL 6421 Non-Fiction Workshop (3 credits)
  • ENGL 7410 Advanced Creative Writing Workshop (3 credits)

Seminar and Research Courses (3 Total Credits)
7000-Level Seminar Course (3 credits)
Or
ENGL 7010 Master’s Thesis (3 credits)

Overall Total = 30 credits

Note: Thesis students must successfully complete a thesis, in accordance with departmental guidelines, in addition to completing the required number of credits. A degree will not be conferred without successful completion of a thesis even if the total credit requirement is met. Students that have completed all degree requirements except the thesis must register for Thesis Continuation until the thesis is complete.

Curriculum for Creative Writing Spoke

Hub Courses (12 Total Credits)
ENGL 6010 Introduction to Literary Research (3 credits)
ENGL 7011 Studies in Criticism (3 credits)
6000-Level American Literature Elective (3 credits)
6000-Level British Literature Elective (3 credits)

Creative Writing Spoke Courses (15 Total Credits)
Literature Elective (3 credits)
ENGL 7410 Advanced Creative Writing Workshop (3 credits)
Total of 9 credits from the following list (any of these workshops may be taken twice):

  • ENGL 6413 Fiction Workshop (3 credits)
  • ENGL 6411 Poetry Workshop (3 credits)
  • ENGL 6421 Non-Fiction Workshop (3 credits)

Note: Students may take the 3-credit Summer course, Travel Writing in Italy (which runs as the graduate course Special Topics in Literary Studies) in place of one of the workshops.

Research (3 Total Credits)
ENGL 7010 Master’s Thesis (3 credits)

Overall Total = 30 credits

Note: Thesis students must successfully complete a thesis, in accordance with departmental guidelines, in addition to completing the required number of credits. A degree will not be conferred without successful completion of a thesis even if the total credit requirement is met. Students that have completed all degree requirements except the thesis must register for Thesis Continuation until the thesis is complete.

Curriculum for General Spoke

Hub Courses (12 Total Credits)
ENGL 6010 Introduction to Literary Research (3 credits)
ENGL 7011 Studies in Criticism (3 credits)
6000-Level American Literature Elective (3 credits)
6000-Level British Literature Elective (3 credits)

Elective Courses (18 Total Credits)
General Spoke students may take any combination of literature and writing courses to fulfill this requirement with the exception of ENGL 7010 Master’s Thesis.

Overall Total = 30 credits