Master of Arts
The Master of Arts (MA) program in English equips graduate students with the knowledge and skills necessary both to the outstanding teacher and to the well-prepared candidate for further graduate study. The graduate committee of the department accordingly requires its master’s candidates to follow a course of advanced study that leads to a comprehensive knowledge of English and American literature. Candidates are also given training in the principles of literary criticism and in the use of bibliographic tools so that they will have a general competence in criticism and research.
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
The degree program for the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing places emphasis on the development of skills and understanding in the practice of imaginative writing and upon related academic study. It is not exclusively a studio program; rather, it encourages the development of writers who are able, as the result of additional coursework in English, to demonstrate skills useful in teaching, editing and other related areas. A core of workshops and tutorials leads to a final writing project: a collection of fiction or poetry, a novel, or some other appropriate work. Flexibility is provided in academic coursework to allow for a variety of possible interests.