Master of Arts in English
The graduate program in English develops skills in critical thinking, writing, and research, encourages intellectual curiosity, and provides training for careers and professional advancement in related fields such as teaching, editorial work, journalism, publishing, writing, and research.
Students pursuing the MA in English choose between two degree concentrations, Literature or Composition. The two-track curriculum provides two separate fields of study within English, offering multiple career opportunities as well as preparing students for doctoral work.
Requirements for Admission to the Program:
Note: Applications for this program are accepted three times a year.
- Fall admission – July 1
- Summer admission – April 1
- Fall admission – November 1
Students must fulfill the general requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies and Research. In addition:
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Applications must indicate a degree concentration: Literature or Composition.
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In their personal Statement of Goals and Objectives, applicants to the Program in English should specify their reasons for pursuing graduate-level studies in Literature or Composition, and they should identify the background, strengths, and academic skills that they feel will ensure their success as an MA student.
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All applicants must submit a representative sample of academic or professional writing that demonstrates their critical thinking and/or research strengths and indicates their ability to do well in advanced study in English Literature or Composition. The writing sample should not exceed 15 pages in length, and should preferably be work completed for an upper-division undergraduate course in English or for a graduate-level English course. (Those who cannot meet this requirement may petition the Graduate Coordinator for admission in a written statement.)
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GRE scores are not required for admission, but they may be submitted to supplement an application.
Literature Concentration:
As the Master’s degree is understood to build upon an already solid foundation of literary study, applicants seeking admission to the MA program in English, Literature concentration, must have a BA in English (or a minimum of 30 credit hours of undergraduate work in literature and composition), including reasonable coverage of British and American literature and at least one course in Literary Criticism. Students who do not meet these requirements may be offered a provisional admission and allowed to complete their undergraduate training at NEIU prior to taking courses toward the MA degree.
Composition Concentration:
As the Master’s degree is understood to build upon an already solid foundation of study, applicants seeking admission to the MA program in English, Composition concentration, must have a BA in English, English Education, or a related field subject to the approval of the Graduate Committee in Composition. Students who do not meet these requirements may be offered a provisional admission and allowed to complete their undergraduate training at NEIU prior to taking courses toward the MA degree.
NOTE: All petitions to transfer between degree concentrations are subject to the admissions requirements of the track into which a student is transferring.
Requirements for the Degree:
All graduate credits must be at the 400 level, except for a maximum of two 300-level courses specifically approved for graduate degree credits in English (see list of required and elective courses below). Be sure to consult with your program advisor to design a course of study in the sub-field or fields you're most interested in.
The graduate program requires 33 credit hours of coursework in the literature (principally British and American), or 33 hours with a concentration in composition. (The specifics of each program are defined below.) Both programs offer a culminating project which can be a thesis, or a public presentation of a major paper. Students in the Comp track can also opt for a final written examination instead of a public presentation.
Literature Concentration:
A student’s coursework should be planned with a view to achieving adequate and substantial preparation in British and American literature, with some work in world literature. In addition to coursework, students must maintain good academic standing in the program and complete either a Thesis and Thesis defense or a major project and presentation of research.
The program includes the following coursework:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 3 | |
| Literary Methods And Practice | ||
| Eight graduate-level electives selected through consultation with the graduate advisor | 24 | |
| Advanced Composition | ||
| Summer Creative Writing Institute | ||
| Ecological Crises And Narratives | ||
| Writing In Public: Community Literacies, Public Intellectuals, And Rhetorics Of Change | ||
| Cultural And Literary Studies: History, Theory, Practice | ||
| Seminar In Reading Film | ||
| Ekphrastic Practice: Responding To Art In Inquiry-Based Creative Writing | ||
| Studies In Shakespeare | ||
| Milton | ||
| Studies In Literary Criticism | ||
| Studies In Literary Criticism: Ideology And Material Form | ||
| Critical Writing For Creative Writers | ||
| Studies In American Literature:American Classics, 1820-1860 | ||
| Studies In American Literature: Ethnic Literature | ||
| Graphic Novels And Social Conflicts | ||
| Producing "America": Issues Of Work, Class, & Political Economy in U.S. Literature And Culture | ||
| American Renaissance Revisited | ||
| The Age Of Literary Realism In The United States | ||
| U.S. Literary Modernism & Its Others | ||
| Seminar In Faulkner | ||
| Graduate Seminar In Early American Women's Writing | ||
| Producing "America":Issues Of Work, Class, And Political Economy In U.S. Literature And Culture | ||
| Screenwriting | ||
| Latina/o/x Literature | ||
| Contemporary Poetic Forms | ||
| Contemporary U.S. Literature Since The Cold War | ||
| Material Culture | ||
| Re-Thinking Race & Gender | ||
| Thesis Hours (6 total credits) - or two additional 400-level courses | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Composition Concentration:
Students must complete the 6 hours of Core Requirements, 18 hours of Core Electives and 9 hours of Free Electives. In addition, students must maintain good academic standing in the program and must either pass a comprehensive exam, offer a public presentation, or write a Thesis.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| ENGL-433 | Seminar In Composition Theory | 3 |
| ENGL-435 | Writing Assessment: Theory And Practice | 3 |
| Core Electives 1 | 18 | |
| Advanced Composition * | ||
| Argumentative Prose * | ||
| Summer Creative Writing Institute | ||
| Writing In Public: Community Literacies, Public Intellectuals, And Rhetorics Of Change | ||
| Crafting The MA List: Composing Literary, Cultural, And Compositional Fields | ||
| Pedagogies Of College Level Writing | ||
| Alternative Literacies | ||
| Seminar In Basic Writing Theory | ||
| English Studies And Technology * | ||
| Research In Composition | ||
| Stylistics | ||
| FREE Electives | 9 | |
| Thesis Option (6 credits) plus one course from the categories below, or 9 credits of Coursework from the Categories Below | ||
English Department: Any 400-level or graduate-approved 300-level writing, literature, or theory course. Up to six credits from graduate-approved 300-level courses in English can be applied toward the degree. | ||
Linguistics Department: Any 400-level course relevant to the student's career and academic goals and approved by the graduate advisor. | ||
TESOL Department: Any 400-level course relevant to student's career and academic goals and approved by the graduate advisor. | ||
Literacy Education Department: Any 400-level or 500-level course relevant to the student's career and academic goals and approved by the graduate advisor. | ||
Communications, Media, and Theater Department: Any 400-level course relevant to the student's career and academic goals and approved by the graduate advisor. | ||
| Total Hours | 33 | |
Good Standing in the Program
- All students must maintain a minimum 3.0-grade point average in the program.
- Regardless of overall grade point average, grades of C or below at the master’s level indicate a need for the increased academic application. If more than one grade of C is received, a student must petition the departmental Graduate Committee in writing for permission to continue.
Thesis Option
An optional scholarly thesis is open to degree candidates enrolled in either degree track and may be written in place of two 400-level electives. This option is subject to departmental approval. The student, in consultation with a thesis advisor and the Graduate Coordinator, will submit a thesis proposal that must be approved before they can register for the Thesis Hours. Students completing the thesis option will give an oral defense of their thesis before a departmental committee prior to filing the project with the Graduate College.
Major Project
Students who do not opt to write and defend a thesis in the M.A. Literature track must, in consultation with a faculty advisor, develop and deliver a public presentation on one of their major research projects.This option will be available to students in the Comp track as well.