Graduate Studies in English
What is the MA Program?
The Master of Arts is a 36 credit hour program offering training in the production, analysis, and teaching of literary texts. Full-time students may complete the program in two years. Adjusted courses of study are available to part-time students.
What are the benefits of an MA degree?
These advanced degree programs offer a life-enriching continuation of intellectual study. They foster the further development of skills valued by current employers, including writing and analytical skills, and specialized knowledge in areas such as textual analysis, computer-assisted writing, literacy studies, pedagogy, research, and editing. The degrees also lead to employment opportunities teaching English in schools or community colleges, working in the service and information industries, the news media, advertising, public relations, and in other corporations requiring writing specialists.
Admissions
Applicants for the program must have:
a bachelor's degree in English or in a closely related field from an accredited institution.
an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
(for international applicants only) TOEFL scores.
Please note: a candidate who does not meet all of the requirements listed above may apply for special-student status. Candidates without a degree in English or a closely related field may be asked to take six credits of specified undergraduate coursework in English.
Master of Arts in English
The MA offers a more flexible program of study than the MAT and provides broad expertise in English Studies including literary analysis, composition, and creative writing. Students may choose up to five elective courses, which will allow them more opportunities to shape their course of study. The MA degree opens employment opportunities teaching English in the schools or community colleges, working in the service and information industries, the news media, advertising, public relations, and in other corporations requiring writing specialists. It also offers a life-enriching continuation of intellectual study. To complete this degree, students should meet the course requirements listed below.
MA Course Requirements (36 credit hours):
L501 Professional Scholarship in Literature (4 cr.)
L502 Contexts for the Study of Writing (4 cr.)
G660 Stylistics (4 cr.)
Five elective courses, with emphasis either in creative writing or literature
W609 Independent Writing Project (4 cr.) Students must take at least one course in the area of the project; students wishing to complete an independent writing project in creative writing must take at least one workshop in the genre in which they intend to write the project.
Transfer Policy
Applicants may be allowed to transfer up to two graduate courses or 8 credit hours from another graduate institution (or from previous graduate work at IU South Bend) if those courses demonstrably contribute to the work required for the English MA. Unless transfer courses are clearly equivalent to the required core courses for the MA, those courses will be counted as electives. Candidates should include in the application a request to transfer courses, a brief description of each course identifying how it contributes to the English MA, and supporting documentation such as syllabi, assignments, papers, or other relevant material.
Foreign Language Requirement
Applicants must have completed two college semesters of a single foreign language by the time the MA or MAT degree is conferred. Candidates who have completed these two courses as part of other graduate or undergraduate programs need not take additional courses as part of the MA or MAT program. Candidates who have gained foreign language skills outside of the classroom may take a Foreign Language Placement Exam to demonstrate their achievement of language skills equivalent to those achieved from two semesters of formal study.
Academic Regulations
Students must confer with their academic advisors on a regular basis to determine an effective course of study.
An average grade of B (3.0) is required for graduation, and no course with a grade lower than B- (2.7) will be counted towards the degree. Students are required to maintain good academic standing, i.e., to maintain a 3.0 GPA. A student whose GPA drops below 3.0 must restore his/her GPA to 3.0 within 9 credit hours. Failure to maintain good standing will result in dismissal from the program.
Library Access
Graduate students at IU-South Bend have access to the entire Indiana University library system through Interlibrary Loan. ILLiad is an electronic system you can access from the library’s home page; generally speaking, it is a model of efficiency. You may also go to the reference desk at our library to obtain an Associated Libraries of Indiana card. This card allows you to check out books at other Indiana libraries, including the University of Notre Dame. ALI cards permit you to check out books through the end of the current semester. Be sure to become familiar, too, with all of the electronic resources available to you, both from home and from university computers.
