Program Overview

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Master of Arts in English

The Master of Arts in English program is designed to help graduate students attain a mastery of analytic and technical skills associated with the humanistic endeavor of producing and analyzing texts in the English language. By choosing one of two concentrations, students engage with the digital humanities and produce interesting, provocative, and useful projects for the public.

Program Overview

A master's degree in English will prepare students to engage with the issues that truly matter in our culture, as well as for doctoral study in the field of English and for jobs in the digital humanities within and outside of academia. The English Master's degree is a liberal arts degree in English Studies with a focus on digital research, writing, and dissemination of knowledge.

Concentrations

Students will concentrate in one of two areas within the degree:

• Digital Pedagogy
• Digital Publishing

Degree Requirements

The program requires students to meet specific requirements, including:

• Completion of a minimum number of credit hours
• Maintenance of a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher and an English GPA of 3.0 or higher

Entrance Requirements

Candidates must meet the following requirements for admission:

• A Bachelor's Degree in English or another related area of study
• Completion of the minimum course work equivalent to an English minor (15-16 credit hours in English beyond first-year composition) for candidates without a Bachelor's Degree in English
• A cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher and an English GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Candidates who have earned a GPA lower than 3.0 in English may receive conditional admission and may be required to complete additional course work
• A score of 580 or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or equivalent for candidates who are required to take the test

Admissions Process

The admissions process includes:

• Submission of the UIS application
• Submission of complete transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Submission of the English Department application
• A cover letter explaining interest in the MA program
• A Curriculum Vitae
• Names and contact information of three references, two of which need to be academic references
• A writing sample:
  • For Digital Publishing concentration: a creative writing sample (10-15 pages of poetry or prose) and an analytical writing sample (10-15 pages) illustrating a sustained argument built from primary and secondary sources
  • For Digital Pedagogy concentration: an analytic writing sample (10-15 pages) illustrating a sustained argument built from primary and secondary sources

Graduate Assistantships

Students are eligible to apply for Graduate Assistantships at UIS when admitted into a program. Students interested in an assistantship should indicate their plans to apply for a GA position in the statement of intent.

Advising

An academic advisor is assigned to assist students in developing appropriate courses of study. All students should consult their academic advisors before enrolling in courses, and a plan of study must be completed by the end of the first semester.

Grading Policy

Only courses in which students have earned a B- or better are accepted towards the M.A. degree in English.

Tutorial (Independent Study) Credits

Graduate students are limited to four tutorial hours. A student may take a tutorial only if a course needed to graduate is not being offered within a two-year time period from when a full-time student first enrolled in courses.

Master's Closure

The master's degree program in English offers graduate students three closure options:

• The traditional thesis
• A critical project
• A creative project At closure, students must enroll in ENG 589 (one to four hours). This course may be repeated for a maximum of four credit hours. After initial registration in ENG 589, students must maintain enrollment until all four hours of closure credit have been accumulated. If the thesis or project is not completed by the time four hours of ENG 589 are accrued in continuing enrollment, students must register for ENG 590 (zero credit hours, one billable hour) in all subsequent fall and spring semesters until the thesis or project is complete.