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Graduate Programs

Master of Arts Degree

The graduate English program has been designed to prepare students for careers in the analysis and production of texts. The program covers issues and skills in reading and writing, in the richest sense of these words-in order to prepare students to address these issues and to teach these skills. Graduates of the program should be prepared for such careers as teaching writing and literature; teaching English as a second language; and writing for business, government, and other professions. In contrast to traditional M.A. programs, which place heavy emphasis on literary history, the IUPUI program focuses on the application of English studies to contemporary situations and problems.

Admission Requirements

• Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in the student’s undergraduate major, documented by an official transcript. Applicants are expected to have been English majors, but admission also is considered for those who otherwise demonstrate the competency necessary for successful graduate work in English.
• The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test, normally with a minimum score of 600 in either the verbal or the quantitative section and 4.0 in analytical writing. Applicants are encouraged to take the examination by December of the year before admission.
• Three letters of recommendation.

Grades

M.A. students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (B).

Course Requirements

The M.A. in English requires 36 credit hours, including:

• 8 credit hours of ‘‘core’’ courses
• 24 credit hours of ‘‘area’’ courses, which may include 4-8 credit hours of internship
• 4 credit hours of thesis work

The three core courses, which carry 4 credit hours each, provide an introduction to three major areas in the discipline of English: language (G500 Introduction to the English Language), writing (W509 Introduction to Writing and Literacy Studies), and literature ( L506 Introduction to Methods of Criticism and Research).  Students are required to take two of the three core courses, preferably at the beginning of the graduate program.

Foreign Language Requirements

There is no foreign language requirement, but M.A. students going on for the Ph.D. are encouraged to validate their reading proficiency in a foreign language according to University Graduate School standards.