English Program Graduation Requirements

  1. Students must complete an application for graduation one semester prior to their expected graduation date.
  2. A 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) is required for graduation. No grade below a “C” will be credited toward the degree.
  3. Students must successfully complete comprehensive written and oral examinations, or the thesis and oral defense.

Thesis Option

A Master’s thesis in English should be a work of 50 or more pages demonstrating competent and substantial research coupled with an innovative approach to the subject matter. The thesis will be directed by a faculty member and a committee of two other faculty members (one of whom must be from a department outside English). Once the thesis has been submitted, students will have an oral defense covering both the thesis

Non-Thesis Option—Comprehensive Examination

Students will develop, in consultation with their committee, a reading list in a specialized area. This list should consist of approximately six to eight primary and secondary works, excluding material that students have already studied in their classes. Students will then take a two-hour written examination over this reading list and a followup oral examination over that written test and their coursework. These examinations should be taken before or immediately after the final semester. Students following this option must complete 36 hours of coursework.

T-5 Certification

Students wishing to obtain T-5 certification may do so after the completion of the M.A. program, provided they have a T-4 certificate and complete the professional education courses required for T-5 certification by the State Department of Education.

***Students seeking the M.A. in English as a second master’s degree must satisfy all the requirements for the Master of Arts in English.