Degree Requirements
Degree Outlines:
Students in the MA in Literature program pursue a Thesis or a Non-Thesis track
| Thesis Track (30 hours total) | Non-Thesis Track (36 hours total) |
| Literary Scholarship - 3 hours Literature - 15 hours Minor or Area of Emphasis - 6 hours Thesis Credit - 6 hours Total: 30 hours | Literary Scholarship - 3 hours Literature - 15 hours Minor or Area of Emphasis - 9 hours Literature Electives - 9 hours Total: 36 hours |
Click here to read about the Thesis Guidelines and the Non-Thesis Guidelines.
Students choose to enroll in an approved graduate Minor or develop an Area of Emphasis (Cognate). As defined by the MA in Literature program, an Area of Emphasis comprises 2 or more graduate courses related by period, genre, or subject. Assuming that students meet prerequisites for courses, they may take additional graduate courses in Literature or develop Areas of Emphasis from courses in programs outside Literature. Prospective Minors in Departments outside of English must contact those Departments and apply for admission as Minors.
Our classes are seminars, with a maximum of 15 students, and meet once each week, in the evening or late afternoon.
Entering students are required to take the following 18 hours of literature in graduate courses in English:
- Literary Scholarship (ENG 5301)
- At least one course in Medieval Literature
- At least one course in Renaissance Literature
- Three courses in literature after the Renaissance with at least one British and one American