Program Plan Overview

MA Plan 1

The MA Plan 1 is designed with a special emphasis on literary and cultural studies. The program typically offers 3-4 courses in both the Fall and Spring semesters.

For an interdisciplinary emphasis, students can also choose courses from other programs within the department or from various other departments including, but not limited to, Philosophy, Romance languages, GREAL, Ethnic studies, American Culture Studies, Popular Culture, Communications, History, etc. Students will want to check with their advisor before enrolling in these classes. In the summer sessions only, MA students may be eligible to take graduate fiction or poetry workshops, depending on space. Including Thesis hours, the program offerings and requirements will result in an MA with 33 hours.

Any two-year cycle of these courses would be organized to provide students with an overarching sense of cultural studies and literary theory, as well as an MA level familiarity with historical contexts and periods. The sample plan below is for rotation of courses. All courses are three credits.

Required Courses - 9 hours

6010 (Research Methods)

6070 (Intro to Theory)

6990 (Thesis Research)

Student-Selected Courses - 24 hours

ENG courses: 12 hours

ENG or extra-program/extra-department courses: 12 hours

Suggested Paths of Study

Year One, Fall Semester:
___ ENG 6010: Research Methods
___ ENG seminar in an area of interest (elective)
___ ENG 6020: Teaching of Writing (for funded first-year students; does not count toward graduation) or ENG seminar in an area of interest (elective, for non-funded students)

Year One, Spring Semester:
___ ENG 6070: Introduction to Literary Theory and Criticism
___ ENG seminar in an area of interest (elective)
___ ENG seminar in an area of interest (elective)

Year Two, Fall Semester:
___ ENG seminar in an area of interest (elective)
___ ENG seminar in an area of interest (elective)
___ ENG 6990 or ENG seminar in an area of interest (elective)

Year Two, Spring Semester:
___ ENG seminar in an area of interest (elective)
___ ENG seminar in an area of interest (elective)
___ ENG 6990 or ENG seminar in an area of interest (elective)

An MA Plan II with a portfolio option instead of the thesis is an option for graduate students.