Master of Arts in English
The M.A. in English is the stepping stone toward completion of a Ph.D. in the field, which most often leads to the position of a college professor. Admission requirements for the M.A. program are as follows:
- Meet the undergraduate course requirements for English: 18 undergraduate semester hours in upper-level English.
- Submit critical writing sample with an application for admission.
- Have 12 semester hours (or 2 high school credits plus intermediate level at university level) of coursework or the reading knowledge of one foreign language before admission to candidacy.
Three "tracks" for the M.A. are offered: non-thesis, thesis, and teaching. Each requires 30 total hours; non-thesis and thesis require all coursework in English, while the teaching track allows up to 9 hours in Education. All students are initially admitted as non-thesis or teaching track. Upon successful completion of at least 9 hours in English and with a viable thesis prospectus, candidates may request departmental permission to move into the thesis track.
Master of Education in English
A thirty-hour program of English and Education courses with no thesis. This program also requires a class A secondary school teaching certificate in English Language Arts before you complete the M.Ed. The program is designed for those who intend to teach at the secondary level throughout their career. Completion upgrades your certificate to AA-level.
Master of Liberal Studies
The MLS is a 36-hour program designed for students who want to learn more about a variety of humanities fields but who do not need a thesis or any sort of education certificate. Since no thesis is required, the MLS is not suitable for someone planning on going on toward a Ph.D. The MLS is intentionally broad and diversified in its scope; students take a variety of courses from the different humanities departments (Art, English, Music, Communications, and History and Political Science). There are two track options for this degree. See the current online graduate catalog for more specific details.
