Admission to the Program

In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for graduate study, applicants should have a grade point average of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate literature courses. The Graduate Record General Examination is required. An undergraduate major in literature is desirable, but applications from candidates who have majored in other fields will also be considered, provided that substantial study of literature has been done. Two letters of recommendation and a sample of critical writing are required. Part-time as well as full-time students are welcome in the program.  

Degree Requirements

• 36 credit hours of approved graduate work with at least 18 credit hours in 500- or 700-level courses 
• A written comprehensive examination based primarily on literature taught in M.A. seminars and other literature courses 

Course Requirements

• 9 credit hours from the following: 

LIT-521 Readings in Genre: Poetry (3) 

LIT-522 Readings in Genre: Drama (3) 

LIT-523 Readings in Genre: Novel (3) 

LIT-524 Readings in Genre: Cinema (3) 

• 18 graduate credit hours in literature, with at least 9 credit hours at the 700 level 

Teaching

• LIT-730 Teaching of Writing (3) 
• LIT-731 Teaching of Writing Practicum (3) 
• an approved graduate course in literature, education, linguistics, or anthropology (3) 

Pre-doctoral

• LIT-732 Literary Theory (3) 

and 

LIT-793 Directed Research in Literature (3) plus another  700 level course in literature 

or 

LIT-797 Master’s Thesis Seminar (6) 

or 

6 credit hours in literature at the 700 level 

General

• 9 additional graduate credit hours in literature 

Interdisciplinary

• 9 graduate credit hours in another department or departments, in a individually-designed program of study as approved by the M.A. program director