Department of English & Philosophy
Master of Arts in English
The M.A. in English is designed to be a foundation for pursuing a Ph.D. or advancing your career.
Advance Your Academic Journey with an M.A. in English.
Advance Your Academic Journey with an M.A. in English
Want to enhance your professional credentials? At MC, you can complete the master of arts degree in English with just 30 hours of graduate coursework. You’ll build a strong foundation in English studies and choose electives from Communication, Education, and TESOL. No thesis is required. Your graduate advisor will even help you to tailor your experience toward your future goals, whether you’re pursuing a career in a field such as secondary or community college teaching, editing and publishing, or nonprofit administration—or preparing for further graduate study.
The unique ‘Teaching English as a Second Language’ certification and intensive summer program are especially exciting to me in my future field…the wide variety of electives, especially in the expanding writing program, feel insightful, informative, and engineered to a promising future of teaching and research in the discipline of the English language.
— Jonathan Dacus, ‘25
As part of the program, you’ll complete a minimum of eighteen hours in English, so you’ll be qualified to teach lower-level undergraduate English courses, including dual enrollment. You can also earn a TESOL certificate as part of the English MA degree, if you’re interested.
Set Yourself Up To Thrive
We are proud to offer the Thrive Initiative. This initiative aims to financially support the next generation by offering outstanding scholarship opportunities to qualified students.
English MA applicants will be automatically considered for the Thrive Scholarship, which reduces graduate tuition by 33%, resulting in a cost of $400 per credit hour.
Choose an ON-Campus or Online M.A. Program
You can complete the English MA fully online or include face-to-face course options based on your interests and needs. If you’d like to fast track, the entire program can be completed in one year–or you can choose a slower pace. Either way, you’ll grow skills and knowledge to help you thrive, whatever your future holds.
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| REQUIREMENTS | HOURS | |
| ENG 6569 | Introduction to Graduate Writing and Research (fall semester, online) | 3 |
| At least fifteen hours of English graduate courses chosen in consultation with your advisor. Up to six hours may be earned via graduate field study credits oriented around your specific areas of interest. | 15 | |
| Twelve hours from Group 1 or Group 2 | 12 | |
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Group 1: TESOL Certificate courses. Completing the twelve-hour sequence below allows you to earn a TESOL certificate as part of your MA. |
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| Group 2: Electives in English, Modern Language/TESOL, Communication, and Education, chosen in consultation with your advisor. Up to six total hours from Communication and/or Education may be included. | ||
| A written cumulative examination based on graduate coursework | ||
| Total Hours | 30 |
Program Format
By completing all Group 1 courses in the summer, you may complete the entire MA online. A fully online MA is also available with Group 2 courses; however, some course combinations may involve in-person coursework. Your advisor will help you determine the best path for your individual timeline and preferences.
Admission requirements for the MA program are as follows:
- Minimum of eighteen undergraduate semester hours in upper-level English.
- Critical writing sample that demonstrates analytical and researched writing abilities.
- Twelve semester hours of one foreign language, or two high school credits plus six hours of intermediate level university credit in one foreign language. Students who lack this requirement may be granted provisional admission and must complete the requirement prior to degree completion.
