The M.A. in English, Literature Specialization is designed to facilitate the intellectual growth of passionate teachers, insightful scholars, and engaged public citizens. Faculty in the literature program approach texts from a wide range of methodological approaches, and graduate courses offer students an opportunity to follow their own interests in a variety of fields.
- Plan A students spend a year preparing a thesis (75-100 pages in length) demonstrating their mastery of material in one of these fields.
- Plan B students write a project of length (25-30 pages) and quality that warrants serious consideration from journals in the field of literary studies.
Students interested in graduate work should refer to the Graduate and Professional Bulletin.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion, students will be able to:
- Engage critically with literary texts in English from diverse geographical locations and historical periods using a wide range of methodological approaches.
- Locate literary texts in the cultural, ideological, economic, and political discourses of particular historical moments.
- Foster broad-based intellectual growth of future teachers, scholars, and engaged public citizens.
- Demonstrate, in writing, mastery of multiple texts or a literary movement, preparatory to matriculation in a Ph.D. program (Plan A).
- Write for a public audience, making disciplinary knowledge accessible to a broader readership (Plan B).
Effective Fall 2022
First Year | Credits | |
---|---|---|
E 600A | Research Methods/Theory: Literary Scholarship | 3 |
E 615 | Reading Literature-Recent Theories | 3 |
E 635 | Critical Studies in Literature and Culture | 3 |
One course from outside the English department1,2 | 3 | |
Electives2 | 6 | |
Total Credits | 18 | |
Second Year | ||
Pre-20th century literature course3 | 3 | |
Electives2 | 5 | |
E 610 | Literature Program Colloquium | 1 |
E 699 | Thesis | 6 |
Total Credits | 15 | |
Program Total Credits: | 33 |
A minimum of 33 credits are required to complete this program.
- 1
Students with an undergraduate major other than English may waive this requirement and select an additional 3 credits of elective courses instead.
- 2
Up to 9 credit hours outside the department allowed at the 300-level or above only.
- 3
One course in pre-20th century literature is required at the 500-level or above. Select course in consultation with graduate advisor.
In addition to required coursework, the following is required:
- Pass an oral defense of the thesis.
- Courses used to complete another degree cannot be counted toward the Masters degree.
- A minimum of 24 credits applied to a M.A. degree must be earned at CSU. Of these, at least 21 must be earned after admission to the program.
- Graduate courses taken at CSU prior to admission to the Graduate School can be applied to a M.A. degree if the grade earned is B or higher.
- At least 16 credits earned at CSU and applied to a M.A. degree must be at the 500-level or above; of these credits, at least 12 must be in “regular” courses. English courses considered to be other than “regular” include E 684A, E 684B, E 684C, E 684D, E 684E, E 687A, E 687B, E 687C, E 687E, E 687H, E 687I, E 687J, E 687K, E 687L, E 687M, E 694, E 695, E 698, E 699, and any courses graded pass/fail; see the Graduate and Professional Bulletin for more detailed information.
- Courses transferred to a M.A. program must have a grade of B or higher and must have a CSU equivalent at the 500-level or higher. Credits used to fulfill requirements for previously earned degrees are not accepted.
- Up to nine credits of coursework for a M.A. degree can come from CSU programs outside the English department. These credits must be at the 300-level or higher.
- A maximum of six credits of E 684A, E 684B, E 684C, E 684D, E 684E and E 687A, E 687B, E 687C, E 687E, E 687H, E 687I, E 687J, E 687K, E 687L, E 687M (combined) can count toward a M.A. degree. (PCMI students may take up to seven credits.)
- A maximum of two credits of E 694 or E 698 can count toward a M.A. degree.
- A maximum of two credits of E 695 can count toward a M.A. degree.
- A maximum of six credits of E 699 can count toward a M.A., Plan A degree.
- With the exception of specified courses in the M.A. English Education Specialization, all courses taken in the English department and applied to a M.A. degree must be taken at the 500-level or above.
Effective Fall 2019
First Year | Credits | |
---|---|---|
E 600A | Research Methods/Theory: Literary Scholarship | 3 |
E 615 | Reading Literature-Recent Theories | 3 |
E 635 | Critical Studies in Literature and Culture | 3 |
One course from outside the English department1 | 3 | |
Electives | 6 | |
Total Credits | 18 | |
Second Year | ||
E 610 | Literature Program Colloquium | 1 |
E 698 | Research Project | 3 |
Pre-20th century literature course2 | 3 | |
Electives | 9 | |
Total Credits | 16 | |
Program Total Credits: | 34 |
A minimum of 34 credits are required to complete this program.
- 1
The out-of-department course should be 300-level or above. Students with an undergraduate major other than English may waive this requirement and select an additional 3 credits of elective courses instead.
- 2
One course in pre-20th century literature is required at the 500-level or above. Select course in consultation with advisor.
In addition to required coursework, the following is required:
- Pass an oral defense of the final project.
- Courses used to complete another degree cannot be counted toward the master's degree.
- A minimum of 24 credits applied to an M.A. degree must be earned at CSU. Of these, at least 21 must be earned after admission to the program.
- Graduate courses taken at CSU prior to admission to the Graduate School can be applied to an M.A. degree if the grade earned is B or higher.
- At least 16 credits earned at CSU and applied to an M.A. degree must be at the 500-level or above; of these credits, at least 12 must be in “regular” courses. English courses considered to be other than “regular” include E 684A, E 684B, E 684C, E 684D, E 684E, E 687A, E 687B, E 687C, E 687E, E 687H, E 687I, E 687J, E 687K, E 687L, E 687M, E 694, E 695, E 698, E 699, and any courses graded pass/fail; see the Graduate Bulletin for more detailed information.
- Courses transferred to an M.A. program must have a grade of B or higher and must have a CSU equivalent at the 500-level or higher. Credits used to fulfill requirements for previously earned degrees are not accepted.
- Up to nine credits of coursework for an M.A. degree can come from CSU programs outside the English department. These credits must be at the 300-level or higher. (English Education students in Plan B may count up to 12 credits.)
- A maximum of six credits of E 684A, E 684B, E 684C, E 684D, E 684E and E 687A, E 687B, E 687C, E 687E, E 687H, E 687I, E 687J, E 687K, E 687L, E 687M (combined) can count toward an M.A. degree.
- A maximum of two credits of E 695 can count toward an M.A. degree.
- No E 699 credits can count toward a Plan B M.A. degree.
- With the exception of specified courses in the English Education M.A., all courses taken in the English department and applied to an M.A. degree must be taken at the 500-level or above.
- Both international students and students holding a GTA need to maintain 9 credit hours per semester.
For more information, please visit Requirements for All Graduate Degrees in the Graduate and Professional Bulletin.
Summary of Procedures for the Master's and Doctoral Degrees
NOTE: Each semester the Graduate School publishes a schedule of deadlines. Deadlines are available on the Graduate School website. Students should consult this schedule whenever they approach important steps in their careers.
Forms are available online.
Step | Due Date |
---|---|
1. Application for admission (online) | Six months before first registration |
2. Diagnostic examination when required | Before first registration |
3. Appointment of advisor | Before first registration |
4. Selection of graduate committee | Before the time of fourth regular semester registration |
5. Filing of program of study (GS Form 6) | Before the time of fourth regular semester registration |
6. Preliminary examination (Ph.D. and PD) | Two terms prior to final examination |
7. Report of preliminary examination (GS Form 16) - (Ph.D. and PD) | Within two working days after results are known |
8. Changes in committee (GS Form 9A) | When change is made |
9. Application for Graduation (GS Form 25) | Refer to published deadlines from the Graduate School Website |
9a. Reapplication for Graduation (online) | Failure to graduate requires Reapplication for Graduation (online) for the next time term for which you are applying |
10. Submit thesis or dissertation to committee | At least two weeks prior to the examination or at the discretion of the graduate committee |
11. Final examination | Refer to published deadlines from the Graduate School Website |
12. Report of final examination (GS Form 24) | Within two working days after results are known; refer to published deadlines from the Graduate School website |
13. Submit a signed Thesis/Dissertation Submission Form (GS Form 30) to the Graduate School and Submit the Survey of Earned Doctorates (Ph.D. only) prior to submitting the electronic thesis/dissertation | Refer to published deadlines from the Graduate School website. |
14. Submit the thesis/dissertation electronically | Refer to published deadlines from the Graduate School website |
15. Graduation | Ceremony information is available from the Graduate School website |