Master of Arts in English
Gain a strong foundation in language and literature
The UNA Master of Arts in English Program offers a solid professional and academic foundation in literary studies, enhanced with available coursework in writing, linguistics, and film studies. All courses are taught by a faculty of dedicated mentors and skilled educators with numerous publications and a wide range of research interests. The program provides an ideal environment for students who want the challenge of a large university with the personal attention of a small liberal arts college. UNA is a diverse, mid-sized university, located in the city of Florence, with excellent resources and a supportive faculty intent on preparing our graduate students for both teaching and scholarship.
Graduate study at UNA is competitively priced for the region. Graduate students may apply for assistantships, fellowships, or research awards. Our graduate students receive faculty guidance to develop conference presentations and publications. We host an annual graduate conference which attracts presenters from the region and beyond. Our graduate organization is growing and active, with many opportunities for professional development.
“The MA in English provided a forum for my critical thinking and judgment to grow. Learning the complex philosophical relationships in literature and connecting these to modern life is the heart of the degree. Thinking, Writing, and Maturity are staples of UNA's program, made possible by the outstanding scholars who expertly balance teaching and one on one interaction for the student's benefit.”
M. Brett Fish
M.A. in English
The MA in English prepares students to teach at the community college level, pursue advanced study at the Ph.D. level, or pursue career or salary advancement in fields of education, business and industry.
Important Forms
Program Requirements
Master of Arts Degree in English: a minimum of 36 semester hours of credit, to include the following core and options:
Core Courses of Study 6
Emphasis on contemporary methods and aims of literary research; special readings designed to familiarize students with a wide range of available source materials and research techniques. Required of students seeking a master’s degree in English. Open only to those students in the Master of Arts in English program. (Fall)
Major critical trends in literary theory, with emphasis on criticism since 1945, including structuralist, cultural materialist, deconstructive, and feminist approaches to literature. Exploration of these theories and analysis of selected works of literature. Required of students seeking a master’s degree in English. (Spring)
Literature Requirement18
Students must take a minimum of 18 semester hours of literature courses, not including the core classes. At least 15 of those hours must be in the student’s area of concentration, e.g., British or American literature.
Elective Courses of Study12
Foreign Language Requirement: The M.A. in English requires demonstration of reading proficiency in a foreign language. Students satisfy the foreign language requirement in one of the following ways:
- by completing a second-year course sequence in a language with a 3.0 or higher, or
- by successfully completing graduate coursework in foreign language reading proficiency, or
- by the successful completion of a reading proficiency examination administered through the Department of Foreign Languages, or
- by a comparable alternative approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
Total 36
THESIS OPTION: The master’s degree program in English provides for an option of a minimum 36 semester hours of coursework or 30 semester hours of coursework plus a thesis earning six hours’ credit. Student electing the thesis option must obtain approval from the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and must register for the thesis and pay the appropriate fee.
THESIS: Students choosing the Thesis Option must complete six (6) semester hours of EN 690 Thesis in addition to the core and 24 additional semester hours of graduate courses in English for a total of 36 hours.
THESIS PROPOSAL: Students choosing this option must submit a thesis proposal no later than mid-term of the semester prior to enrolling in EN 690 Thesis.
THESIS DEFENSE: Students choosing the Thesis Option must enroll in EN 695 Thesis Defense during the term in which they complete the thesis.
Selection of a research problem, review of pertinent literature, collection and analysis of data, and composition of a defensible thesis. May be taken twice for three semester hours or once for six semester hours credit. Prerequisite: permission of the Director of Graduate Studies. (Fall, Spring, Summer)
Orientation to and administration of a thesis defense for the MA in English program. A non-credit course required of all candidates for the thesis option. The course is to be taken in the last term in which the student is expected to complete all other program requirements. A grade of “S” indicating satisfactory performance or a grade of “U” for unsatisfactory performance will be recorded on the transcript. A grade of “S” is required for graduation; the course may be repeated once. Prerequisite: student must have completed all other program requirements or be enrolled in the last course for program completion.
NON-THESIS OPTION: Students choosing the Non-Thesis Option must complete 30 hours of graduate courses inEnglish in addition to the core, excluding EN 690.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION: Students choosing this option must enroll in EN 696, Comprehensive Examination, at the appropriate time and must successfully complete a comprehensive examination.
At least 50 percent of the coursework required to complete the selected option must be earned at the 600 level.
Orientation to and administration of a written comprehensive examination for the M.A. in English program. A noncredit course required of all candidates for the non-thesis option. The course is taken the term in which the student expects to complete all other program requirements, or the term immediately thereafter. A grade of “S” indicating satisfactory performance or a grade of “U” for unsatisfactory will be recorded on the transcript. A grade of “S” is required for graduation; the course may be repeated once. Prerequisite: student must have completed all other program requirements or be enrolled in the last course(s) for program completion. (Fall, Spring)