Master of Arts in English

Northeastern’s M.A. in English offers three concentrations of advanced courses that develop skills in critical thinking, writing, and research, encourage intellectual curiosity and creativity, and provide 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 a degree concentration and can complete their electives with a combination of courses from all three concentrations. Concentrations in Literature, Composition, and Creative Writing in this way promote interdisciplinary methods and familiarity with interrelated fields of study within English. The three-track curriculum prepares students for multiple career opportunities as well as 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:

Applications must indicate a degree concentration: Literature, Composition, or Creative Writing.
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, Composition, or Creative Writing, and they should identify the background, strengths, and academic skills that they feel will ensure their success as an MA student.
Applicants for a concentration in Literature or Composition 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.)
Applicants for a concentration in Creative Writing must submit a representative sample of Creative Writing work in at least two genres that demonstrates their artistic/thematic/formal inquiries and/or their ability to do well in advanced study. The writing sample should not exceed 12 pages in length, and should preferably be work completed for an upper-division undergraduate course in Creative Writing or for a graduate-level or post-baccalaureate Creative Writing course. (Those who cannot meet this requirement may petition the Graduate Coordinator for admission in a written statement.)
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.

CREATIVE WRITING CONCENTRATION:

As the Master’s degree is understood to build upon an already solid foundation of the study of Writing and Literature, applicants seeking admission to the MA program in English, Creative Writing concentration, must have a BA in English or Creative Writing OR a BA in a related field, with a Minor/focus in Creative Writing OR a minimum of 18 credit hours of undergraduate work in creative writing, including: reasonable knowledge of distinctions between genres in the discipline of Creative Writing and reasonable knowledge of Modern and/or Contemporary Literature. 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 literature, composition, or creative writing. The creative writing concentration requires a final thesis project. The Literature and Composition concentrations require either a final thesis project or a public presentation of work. Students in the Composition concentration can opt for a written examination instead of a public presentation of work. (The specifics of each program are defined below.)

THESIS AND THESIS OPTION

All students in the Creative Writing Concentration complete a Thesis Project (manuscript of creative work, rooted in a considered line of inquiry) over at least two semesters and deliver a public presentation of their thesis work. Students in Literature and Composition may opt to complete a Thesis Project and public presentation of their thesis work. The Thesis Project takes the place of two 400-level elective courses, for a minimum of two semesters and six credit hours.

In consultation with a thesis advisor and the Graduate Coordinator, students opting for the Thesis Project will submit a project proposal for approval before they can register for Thesis Hours. Students completing the thesis option will give a public presentation of their work prior to filing the project with the Graduate College.

Public Presentation
Students in the Literature and Composition tracks who do not opt for a final thesis project must present their work in a public forum, as in the ENG 410 Course Conference. This may also be scheduled in consultation with a faculty advisor.

All students in the Creative Writing Concentration deliver a public presentation of their thesis work.

Literature Concentration:

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.

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Required course:
ENGL-410	Literary Methods And Practice	3
Eight graduate-level electives selected through consultation with the graduate advisor:		24
ENGL-376	Advanced Composition
ENGL-397	Summer Creative Writing Institute
ENGL-402	Ecological Crises And Narratives
ENGL-409A	Writing In Public: Community Literacies, Public Intellectuals, And Rhetorics Of Change
ENGL-411A	Cultural And Literary Studies: History, Theory, Practice
ENGL-414	Seminar In Reading Film
ENGL-416	Ekphrastic Practice: Responding To Art In Inquiry-Based Creative Writing
ENGL-418	Studies In Shakespeare
ENGL-422	Milton
ENGL-430	Studies In Literary Criticism
ENGL-430A	Studies In Literary Criticism: Ideology And Material Form
ENGL-446	Critical Writing For Creative Writers
ENGL-449L	Studies In American Literature:American Classics, 1820-1860
ENGL-449N	Studies In American Literature: Ethnic Literature
ENGL-456A	Graphic Novels And Social Conflicts
ENGL-464	Producing "America": Issues Of Work, Class, & Political Economy in U.S. Literature And Culture
ENGL-466	American Renaissance Revisited
ENGL-467	The Age Of Literary Realism In The United States
ENGL-468	U.S. Literary Modernism & Its Others
ENGL-470	Seminar In Faulkner
ENGL-472	Graduate Seminar In Early American Women's Writing
ENGL-477	Producing "America":Issues Of Work, Class, And Political Economy In U.S. Literature And Culture
ENGL-478	Screenwriting
ENGL-479A	Latina/o/x Literature
ENGL-482	Contemporary Poetic Forms
ENGL-484	Contemporary U.S. Literature Since The Cold War
ENGL-487	Material Culture
ENGL-495	Re-Thinking Race & Gender

Up to two courses that meet any of the following criteria OR courses approved by Grad Advisor:

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.

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.

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Required Courses:
ENGL-433	Seminar In Composition Theory	3
ENGL-435	Writing Assessment: Theory And Practice	3
Core Electives:		18
ENGL-376	Advanced Composition
ENGL-377	Argumentative Prose
ENGL-397	Summer Creative Writing Institute
ENGL-409A	Writing In Public: Community Literacies, Public Intellectuals, And Rhetorics Of Change
ENGL-427A	Pedagogies Of College Level Writing
ENGL-432	Alternative Literacies
ENGL-434	Seminar In Basic Writing Theory
ENGL-437	English Studies And Technology
ENGL-439	Stylistics

Up to two courses that meet any of the following criteria OR courses approved by Grad Advisor:

Creative Writing Concentration:

Students must complete 3 hours of the English MA Core Requirements (choosing either ENGL 410 (Literary Methods And Practice) or ENGL 433 (Seminar In Composition Theory), 12 hours of Creative Writing Concentration Electives, 12 hours of Free Electives (½ of which should be in English), and 6 hours of Thesis work.

In addition, students must maintain good academic standing in the program and must offer a public presentation of a Thesis.

Creative Writing Concentration students choose, as their Core Requirement, one of our two MA cores (one that emphasizes theory or one that emphasizes praxis), based on their future academic or professional plans:

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Required course:
ENGL-410	Literary Methods And Practice	3
or ENGL-433	Seminar In Composition Theory
Creative Writing Concentration Electives:		12
ENGL-397	Summer Creative Writing Institute
ENGL-416	Ekphrastic Practice: Responding To Art In Inquiry-Based Creative Writing
ENGL-446	Critical Writing For Creative Writers
ENGL-403	Writing The Now
ENGL-404	Elements Of Style For Creative Writers
ENGL-474A	Hybrid-form Writing In And Across Genres And Forms
ENGL-478	Screenwriting
ENGL-304A	Literary Editing
ENGL-305A	Literary Publishing
ENGL-392A	Writing/Life: Advanced Creative Writing Practice
Any two to four of the Lit Concentration or Comp Concentration Courses as Electives		6-12

Up to two courses that meet any of the following criteria OR courses approved by Grad Advisor as “in support of” an interdisciplinary Creative Writing project:

In the Creative Writing Concentration, a Thesis, rooted in inquiry and a praxis that centers literary engagement, is required. During the first semester of thesis work, the student meets with an advisor to discuss inquiry and praxis, and during the second, meets to draft the manuscript. A public presentation is required, though this can happen during the first or the second semester.
(6 hours)

Good Standing in the Program
1. All students must maintain a minimum 3.0-grade point average in the program.
2. 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.