Program goals
The Department of English offers an M.A. degree for students seeking study beyond a bachelor’s degree. The M.A. in English prepares graduates to teach in secondary or higher education, to pursue a doctorate or to obtain other positions in the public and private sector. The M.A. in English is designed for students pursuing advanced English studies with an emphasis on research, criticism and methodology. Students may choose to focus their course work in either literature or writing and rhetoric.
Student learning outcomes
- Develop advanced reading and writing skills
- Engage in theoretical and/or textual/bibliographical scholarship
- Conduct original research and advance an original argument under faculty direction
- Explain and defend original research in a formal presentation or defense
- Survey the professional and academic work to which the degree leads
VCU Graduate Bulletin, VCU Graduate School and general academic policies and regulations for all graduate students in all graduate programs
The VCU Graduate Bulletin website documents the official admission and academic rules and regulations that govern graduate education for all graduate programs at the university. These policies are established by the graduate faculty of the university through their elected representatives to the University Graduate Council.
It is the responsibility of all graduate students, both on- and off-campus, to be familiar with the VCU Graduate Bulletin as well as the Graduate School website and academic regulations in individual school and department publications and on program websites. However, in all cases, the official policies and procedures of the University Graduate Council, as published on the VCU Graduate Bulletin and Graduate School websites, take precedence over individual program policies and guidelines.
Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on academic regulations for graduate students.
Degree candidacy requirements
A graduate student admitted to a program or concentration requiring a final research project, work of art, thesis or dissertation, must qualify for continuing master’s or doctoral status according to the degree candidacy requirements of the student’s graduate program. Admission to degree candidacy, if applicable, is a formal statement by the graduate student’s faculty regarding the student’s academic achievements and the student’s readiness to proceed to the final research phase of the degree program.
Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following degree candidacy policy as published in the VCU Graduate Bulletin for complete information and instructions.
Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on degree candidacy requirements.
Graduation requirements
As graduate students approach the end of their academic programs and the final semester of matriculation, they must make formal application to graduate. No degrees will be conferred until the application to graduate has been finalized.
Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following graduation requirements as published in the Graduate Bulletin for a complete list of instructions and a graduation checklist.
Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on graduation requirements.
Admission requirements
| Degree: | Semester(s) of entry: | Deadline dates: | Test requirements: |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.A. | Fall | Mar 1 | |
| Spring | Oct 1 |
In addition to the general admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School, the following requirements represent the minimum acceptable standards for admission:
- A baccalaureate degree in an area appropriate to the study of literature or writing
- A GPA that indicates the applicant can successfully pursue a graduate degree
- Three letters of recommendation from former instructors
- A writing sample, optimally ranging from 10-15 double-spaced pages
Degree requirements
In addition to general VCU Graduate School graduation requirements, students are required to complete course work in core and elective courses and to conduct significant research.
- Credit hour requirements: Students in the M.A. in English program are required to earn a minimum of 30 graduate credit hours beyond the baccalaureate. At least half of the credit hours presented for graduation must be at the 600 level or higher.
- Other requirements: Students must complete one of two final projects: either a directed study, under the supervision of a faculty member with a public presentation; or a thesis in consultation with a faculty committee, which culminates in an oral defense. Students must obtain approval for their final projects from their supervising faculty and the M.A. committee.
Curriculum requirements
Non-thesis option
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core requirements | ||
| ENGL 605 | Introduction to Scholarship in English Studies | 3 |
| ENGL 606 | Literary Criticism | 3 |
| ENGL 614 | Cultural Discourses | 3 |
| ENGL 620 | Intertextuality | 3 |
| ENGL 624 | Texts and Contexts | 3 |
| Directed study | ||
| ENGL 695 | Directed Study/Major Project and Presentation | 3 |
| Recommended electives | ||
| Select 12 credit hours of the following: | 12 | |
| Children's Literature II | ||
| Applied English Linguistics | ||
| Studies in Linguistics | ||
| Methods for Teaching Multilingual Learners | ||
| Studies in British Literature and Culture | ||
| Special Topics in American Literature and Culture | ||
| Young Adult Literature | ||
| Authors | ||
| Genres | ||
| Form and Theory of Genre: ____ | ||
| Community Writing | ||
| Teaching Writing | ||
| Theories of Rhetoric and Composition | ||
| Responding to Writing | ||
| Studies in Writing and Rhetoric: ____ | ||
| Themes in Interdisciplinary Studies | ||
| Creative Writing: ____ | ||
| Creating Writing: Poetry | ||
| Creative Writing: Drama | ||
| Literary Editing and Publishing | ||
| Film and Television Scripts | ||
| Writing Nonfiction | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Internship in Writing | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this degree is 30.
Thesis option
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core requirements | ||
| ENGL 605 | Introduction to Scholarship in English Studies | 3 |
| ENGL 606 | Literary Criticism | 3 |
| ENGL 614 | Cultural Discourses | 3 |
| ENGL 620 | Intertextuality | 3 |
| ENGL 624 | Texts and Contexts | 3 |
| Thesis | ||
| ENGL 799 | Thesis | 6 |
| Recommended electives | ||
| Select nine credit hours of the following: | 9 | |
| Children's Literature II | ||
| Applied English Linguistics | ||
| Studies in Linguistics | ||
| Methods for Teaching Multilingual Learners | ||
| Studies in British Literature and Culture | ||
| Special Topics in American Literature and Culture | ||
| Young Adult Literature | ||
| Authors | ||
| Genres | ||
| Form and Theory of Genre: ____ | ||
| Community Writing | ||
| Teaching Writing | ||
| Theories of Rhetoric and Composition | ||
| Responding to Writing | ||
| Studies in Writing and Rhetoric: ____ | ||
| Themes in Interdisciplinary Studies | ||
| Creative Writing: ____ | ||
| Creating Writing: Poetry | ||
| Creative Writing: Drama | ||
| Literary Editing and Publishing | ||
| Film and Television Scripts | ||
| Writing Nonfiction | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Internship in Writing | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this degree is 30.
Accelerated opportunities
The department offers opportunities for qualified undergraduate students to earn both an undergraduate and graduate degree in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. See the program page in the Undergraduate Bulletin for details.
Contact
Jennifer Rhee, Ph.D.
Associate professor and graduate program director
jsrhee@vcu.edu
(804) 828-1331
Additional contact
Thom Didato
Graduate programs adviser
tndidato@vcu.edu
(804) 828-1329
Program website: english.vcu.edu/ma