English, M.A.

For information regarding deadlines and requirements for admission, please see https://grs.uncg.edu/programs/.

In addition to the application materials required by the Graduate School, applicants must submit a 1-2 page statement of purpose, a writing sample (less than 30 pages), and a current cv or resume.

Degree Program Requirements

Required: 30-36 credit hours

No more than three courses at the 500 level may be submitted for the degree. All other work must be at the 600 level and above.

Required Core Courses (24 credits)
ENG 601English Studies: Content, Methods, and Bibliography 3
Select three literature courses (9 credits) 19
Select three elective courses (9 credits) 29
Select one critical theory course (3 credits) from the following: 33
ENG 549
The Critical Canon and Contemporary Issues
ENG 650
Modern Literary and Cultural Theory
Alternative Plans of Study (6 or 12 credits)
Select one plan from the following:6 or 12
Thesis Plan (6 credits)
Teaching Composition Plan (12 credits)
Plan of Study for Careers in the Humanities (12 credits)
Total Credit Hours30-36
1

Including one before 1800 and one after 1800.

2

Normally in English or American literature.

3

Or from special topics courses approved in advance by the Graduate Program Director.

Alternative Plans of Study

Thesis Plan

A total of 30 credits is required for the degree; the 24-credit core plus 6 thesis credits.

ENG 6996

M.A. students in the thesis plan must demonstrate reading knowledge of a foreign language. A level of proficiency in one foreign language, equivalent to completion of the first semester of an intermediate course (such as 203 at UNC Greensboro), must be documented either by previous course work completed during the last five years and approved by the Graduate Program Director, or by course work while enrolled in the M.A. program, or by an appropriate score on a written examination. Because of the language requirement, a minimum of credits is required for the degree: 24 core credits and 6 thesis credits. Native speakers of other languages can demonstrate foreign language proficiency through their graduate course work in English. Students in the M.A. Doctoral Track will ultimately have to fulfill the foreign language requirement for the Ph.D.

Students who have been admitted into the Ph.D. program and/or who have the permission of their thesis committee and the Graduate Program Director may elect to write a two-paper thesis instead of the traditional single-topic thesis. Recommended for those students for whom the M.A. will not be the terminal degree, the two-paper thesis will consist of two graduate papers expanded and revised to publishable quality.

Teaching Composition Plan

A total of 36 credits is required for the degree; the 24-credit core plus 12 credits distributed as follows:

ENG 680Teaching Internships in English *3
Select 3 elective courses (9 credits) in rhetoric and composition or language and linguistics from the following: **9
ENG 513
History of the English Language
ENG 522
Teaching Composition: Theories and Applications
ENG 688
Women's Rhetoric and Feminist Pedagogy
ENG 690
History of Rhetoric: Classical through Renaissance
ENG 691
History of Rhetoric: Enlightenment through Contemporary
ENG 742
Studies in Rhetorical Theory and Practice
ENG 744
Seminar in Composition Studies
ENG 746
Studies in Contemporary Rhetorical Theory
*

Capstone Experience.

**

Or special topics courses approved in advance by the Graduate Program Director.

Plan of Study for Careers in the Humanities

A total of 36 credits is required for the degree; the 24-credit core plus 12 credits distributed as follows:

ENG 680Teaching Internships in English *3
or ENG 622 Internship in English
Select 3 courses (9 credits) in a minor or collateral field9
*

Capstone Experience. ENG 622 with approval in advance from the Graduate Program Director.

Accelerated B.A. to M.A. in English

The Accelerated B.A. to M.A. in English requires 30-36 credit hours and is designed for those planning to pursue a doctorate; to teach in community colleges, technical institutes, or some undergraduate colleges; and to work in non-academic settings. Three plans of study beyond the core requirements are offered:

  1. Thesis Plan
  2. Teaching Composition Plan
  3. Careers in the Humanities Plan

Application and Admission

Qualified UNC Greensboro undergraduate students may apply for admission to the Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) in English. A cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.5 based on at least 30 credits earned at UNC Greensboro is required. Applicants must have completed at least 60 credits and may not apply for admission to the AMP before the first semester of the junior year.

English has the following additional requirements for AMP applicants:

At least 15 credits of undergraduate English courses at the 200 level or above, with an earned 3.5 GPA in these courses.

Standard application requirements for the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree program, excluding GRE scores (i.e., undergraduate transcript(s), three letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, writing sample, and resume or cv).

AMP applicants must complete the Accelerated Master's Program information along with their application for admission to the English M.A. degree program. Students admitted to the AMP program may apply a maximum of 12 credits of graduate-level course work toward completion of both the undergraduate and graduate degrees, provided that they earn a grade of B (3.0) or better in each graduate course and fulfill graduate-level requirements.

Courses

Up to, but not more than, 12 credits of graduate courses may be double-counted. For a course to apply toward both degrees, the student must earn a grade of B (3.0) or better in the course and fulfill graduate-level requirements.

The M.A. degree requires 30-36 credit hours of graduate-level course work. If the maximum of 12 credits is double-counted toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees, the student must complete a minimum of 18 credits of further graduate-level course work to complete the M.A. degree. No more than 9 credits at the 500 level may be counted toward the M.A. degree. Please see the University Catalog for a full description of the M.A. degree requirements.

The following courses have been identified as those that may be counted toward the B.A. and M.A. degrees. These courses have been chosen because they are well suited to AMP students and because they are offered frequently enough to provide students substantial opportunity to enroll in them. All courses that lead to the completion of the M.A. degree must be approved by the Graduate Program Director.

The following courses may be counted toward both the bachelor and master's degrees:

ENG 549The Critical Canon and Contemporary Issues3
ENG 601English Studies: Content, Methods, and Bibliography 3
ENG 642Topics in Pre-1800 Literature *3
ENG 664Topics in Post-1800 Literature *3
*

May be repeated twice for credit when topic or instructor varies.

Please consult with an advisor to determine how the courses taken at the graduate level will meet requirements in the bachelor's degree program. All degree requirements for the M.A. in English will remain the same.

M.A. Doctoral Track

Individuals intending to continue on to doctoral studies in English at UNC Greensboro may apply to the M.A. Doctoral Track which offers exceptionally well-qualified applicants the opportunity to gain admission to the master's and doctoral programs simultaneously. This program is designed for students who would like to obtain their M.A. and then proceed directly to the Ph.D. program. Students accepted into the Doctoral Track must fulfill all requirements for the M.A. and the Ph.D. and will earn both degrees. Students not accepted into the M.A. Doctoral Track may still be accepted into the M.A. only.