English, M.A.
For further information: EnglishGrad@southernct.edu
Application Deadline
Rolling Admissions. Although the department has rolling admissions throughout the year, including the summer, candidates are encouraged to apply by May 1 for the fall semester and by December 1 for the spring semester in order to guarantee admission and eligibility for available assistantships and other funding opportunities.
Master of Arts in English
The Master of Arts degree in English is designed for students who plan to pursue doctoral studies in English, for those who want to extend their knowledge and appreciation of literature, composition, theory, or critical theory, or who are interested in a specialization in African American literature. The degree is also appropriate for those who are already certified teachers. Applicants are required to have a reading knowledge of one foreign language.
Admissions Procedures
Candidates for any graduate degree or certification program in English should make certain that they have all materials on file with the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. They should also contact the English Department graduate coordinator Dr. Joel Dodson (Email: dodsonj2@SouthernCT.edu or Telephone: (203) 392-6903) to set up an appointment to discuss the application.
Prospective degree candidates may register as part-time non-matriculated students in graduate courses. Up to nine credits of non-matriculated course work may be applied toward the degree if the student is admitted to a program.
To be accepted into the Master of Arts program, candidates must:
- meet the general admission requirements of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies;
- have completed a minimum of 30 undergraduate credits in English with a grade point average of 3.2 or higher;
- have an overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher (Note: interested applicants who do not meet the English or overall GPA requirements may contact the Graduate Coordinator to discuss their eligibility);
- submit a typed, 500-word statement of purpose explaining why they want to enter the degree program they have selected (including area(s) of interest in English studies, academic background, and future career goals); a 5-10 page writing sample of academic or professional non-fiction prose (ideally written for an upper-level college English class); and three letters of recommendation, at least two of which should be from academic references. These materials should be submitted together with transcripts, application forms, and application fees directly to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, not the English Department;
- have a reading knowledge of one modern foreign language. This requirement should be met before the student begins the graduate program but must be met before the student enrolls for more than fifteen hours of course work; the requirement can be met by passing two years, or the equivalent, of college-level work in a foreign language; students may demonstrate proficiency by means of a transcript indicating a passing grade in four semesters of college-level foreign language study, by a waiver of equivalency from the Southern Connecticut State University Department of Foreign Languages, or through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).
The submission of GRE or Miller's Analogy Test results is optional.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships and Funding Opportunities
The graduate teaching assistantship in English Composition offers graduate students the opportunity to observe and teach in the college classroom. Applicants must either be matriculated graduate students in English who have completed 6 credits or more in graduate English courses with at least a 3.5 average in those classes or newly admitted students whose GPA in undergraduate English courses is strong enough to warrant consideration. Those who receive the award, a stipend of approximately $4,800, intern in English composition during the fall semester and are mentored by the Director of Composition or a departmental designee. They may also be given the opportunity to teach one composition course the following spring, depending on course availability. Past teaching assistants have found the assistantship valuable in discovering a call to teach, securing part-time work, preparing for doctoral or additional graduate-level study, and attaining positions in secondary schools. Two to three awards are given each year. Applications are typically due in March and selection occurs in April for the following fall. To learn more about the Graduate Teaching Assistantship and other assistantships and funding opportunities, please visit: https://inside.southernct.edu/english/graduate-assistantships-scholarships.
Program Sequence - 30 Credits
As sequencing changes, it is highly recommended that students meet with their program advisor to finalize a list of requirements for graduation.
Required Courses
ENG 517 – Research Methods – 3 credits
ENG 508 – Contemporary Critical Theory – 3 credits
Early English Language or pre-1500 English Literature (choose one)
ENG 510 – History of the Language – 3 credits
ENG 512 – Literature of the Anglo-Saxons – 3 credits
ENG 514 – English Medieval Literature – 3 credits
ENG 580 – Chaucer – 3 credits
ENG 581 - Medieval Women in Literature - 3 credits
ENG 583 – Arthurian Legend – 3 credits
ENG 587 – Seminar (when topic is pre-1500 English Literature not in translation) –
3 credits
British Literature from 1500-1800 (choose one)
ENG 525 – 17th Century Poetry – 3 credits
ENG 542 – Shakespeare – 3 credits
ENG 552 – English Renaissance – 3 credits
ENG 555 – The 18th Century: Age of Satire – 3 credits
ENG 584 – Milton – 3 credits
ENG 587 – Seminar (when topic is that from the period of English Literature from 1500-1800)
– 3 credits
British Literature (choose one)
ENG 512 - Literature of the Anglo Saxon - 3 credits
ENG 514 - English Medieval Literature - 3 credits
ENG 525 - 17th Century Poetry - 3 credits
ENG 535 - Victorian Poetry - 3 credits
ENG 536 - Early Victorians - 3 credits
ENG 537 - Later Victorians - 3 credits
ENG 538 - Victorian Novel - 3 credits
ENG 542 - Shakespeare - 3 credits
ENG 552 - English Renaissance - 3 credits
ENG 555 - The 18th Century: Age of Satire - 3 credits
ENG 557 - Romantic Period - 3 credits
ENG 559 - 20th Century English Literature
ENG 580 - Chaucer - 3 credits
ENG 581 - Medieval Women and Literature - 3 credits
ENG 583 - Arthurian Legend - 3 credits
ENG 584 - Milton - 3 credits
ENG 587 - Seminar (when topic is pre-1500 English Literature not in translation) -
3 credits
American Literature (choose two)
ENG 522 - Wright, Ellison, and Baldwin - 3 credits
ENG 523 - Contemporary African American Literature - 3 credits
ENG 524 - The Harlem Renaissance - 3 credits
ENG 560 - 20th Century American Drama - 3 credits
ENG 562 - The American Novel Before 1850 - 3 credits
ENG 564 - Poe, Hawthorne, and Melville - 3 credits
ENG 565 - Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman - 3 credits
ENG 566 - 20th Century American Poets - 3 credits
ENG 567 - Mark Twain, Howells, and James - 3 credits
ENG 568 - American Novel: 1900-1945 - 3 credits
ENG 569 - American Novel Since 1945 - 3 credits
ENG 586 - Seminar in American Literature - 3 credits
Electives (upon advisement)
3 Graduate credits in any area of English
Capstone (choose one)
Comprehensive Exam and two electives in any area of English Study – 6 credits
or
Thesis ENG 590 (mandatory for Creative Writing Specialization) - 6 credits
Thesis students should choose courses with care so that they have a background in
the area of their thesis.
Specialization (Optional – replaces 9 elective credits)
African American Literature (students substitute 9 credits in African American Literature)