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Resources for Graduate Students in English

• Contact Information for the Director of Graduate Studies
• Overview of the M.A. program
• Timeline
• Scholarships and AwardsGraduate School Website

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Timeline for Degree Completion

To graduate in two years, students opting to write a thesis must take three courses worth 9 credit hours during their first three semesters and one 3-credit-hour course in addition to 3 credit hours of English 5950: Thesis during their final semester.

To graduate in two years, students opting for an examination must take three courses worth 9 credit hours during their first three semesters and two 3-credit-hour courses in addition to 3 credit hours of English 5940: MA Exam Tutorial during their final semester.

Some students choose to complete summer courses between their first and second years in order to make more time for the completion of the thesis or examination during the fourth semester.

The Graduate School requires students to complete the degree within 6 years of the initial date of enrollment in the program.

Registering for Courses

Students should give preference to courses numbered 5000 or above. Students may take no more than 9 credit hours total of courses numbered 4750-4999 and numbered 5000 or above in departments outside of English.

Students in the Literary Studies with Creative Writing Emphasis concentration should note that they are required to take a course in the genre in which they will write the thesis.

A maximum of 6 credit hours of English 5990: Independent Study or of English 5950: Thesis may be counted toward the MA degree. A maximum 9 credit hours of English 5990 and English 5950, in combination, may be counted toward the MA degree.

GPA and Coursework

Students whose overall GPA is below 3.0 or whose transcript shows more than 9 credit hours of graduate coursework at below a “B” are ineligible for graduation.

Workshops

The Graduate Studies Committee typically offers professionalization workshops on preparing an application to a PhD program, attending conferences, writing a thesis prospectus or examination petition, thesis writing, publishing, the job search, and other topics. Watch for these workshops, and attend them whenever possible. Most are typically offered only once a year, some only once every other year.

Awards

The Graduate School sponsors competitive awards for which English MA students are eligible to apply. For instance, the Williams Travel Award provides financial support to selected graduate students presenting their work at professional conferences. The competition takes place in the fall and the spring, with applications typically due on the first Friday of November and the first Friday of February, respectively. Visit the Graduate School’s Achievements and Awards and Competitive Awards pages at and for more information.

During the spring semester of each academic year, the English Department sponsors awards for academic and creative writing through The Literary Essay Contest and the James K. Johnson Creative Writing Awards.