Program Requirements
The MA program requires 33 credit hours for students pursuing a non-thesis option or 30 credit hours for students who choose to write a thesis. All students must successfully take a Comprehensive Exam. This exam asks non-thesis students to demonstrate mastery of material from four of eight possible subject areas. Students who elect the thesis option test in two of the eight subject areas. All degree-seeking students are required to take ENGL 5950: Methods of Research. Students holding Graduate Assistantships are also required to take ENGL 5057: Writing: Theory and Teaching. For the remainder of their program, students select from a variety of graduate courses in literature and linguistics, the only restriction being that they may count no more than three split-level (5XX7) courses toward their degree.