Master of Arts
Developing critical awareness
The Master of Arts (MA) program develops scholars with a critical and comprehensive awareness of English studies. While offering specialization in one of various areas of strength in the department, the program requires a breadth requirement through course work and thereby grounds students’ interests in a wide and flexible understanding of English studies.
Program Requirements
This program offers a course work option and a project option, with optional specializations in print culture and research creation, for a minimum of 32 units. A student may pursue both print culture and research creation specializations, and some courses may overlap.
MA students are strongly urged to take a diverse range of courses across periods, areas, methods, and critical approaches as part of their graduate studies in English.
Course Work Option
Students must complete:
and an additional 24 graduate units
Project Option
Students must complete:
and an additional 16 graduate units
and a project
With either completion option, students may choose a general program or to specialize in either print culture or research creation.
Specializations
Print Culture Specialization
This specialization permits interdisciplinary specialization in the politics of print culture (1700–1900), focusing on the changing role of printed texts in an emerging commercial society. The print culture specialization can be done as either a course option or a project option. Learn more about the specialization in print culture.
Course Work Option
Students must complete:
ENGL 820 - Studies in Print Culture Theory (4)
and an additional 16 graduate units (at least 8 units of print culture-designated courses)
Project Option
Students must complete:
ENGL 820 - Studies in Print Culture Theory (4)
and an additional 16 graduate units (at least 4 units of print culture-designated courses)
and a project with a print culture focus
Research Creation Specialization
The interdisciplinary study of history, theories, methods, models, and approaches of research creation, "an approach to research that combines creative and academic research practices and supports the development of knowledge and innovation through artistic expression, scholarly investigation, and experimentation (SSHRC). Can be completed as a course option or a project option. Learn more about the research creation specialization.
Course Work Option
Students must complete:
ENGL 825 - Studies in History, Theory and Practice of Research Creation (4)
and an additional 16 graduate units (at least 8 units of print culture-designated courses)
Project Option
Students must complete:
ENGL 825 - Studies in History, Theory and Practice of Research Creation (4)
and an addtional 16 graduate units (at least 4 units of print culture-designated courses)
and a project with a research creation focus
Research Project
Research projects will be defended before the supervisory committee faculty and an external examiner. Research projects are examined per GGR 1.7.2a and are required to be submitted to the Library no later than the end of the subsequent term after their successful examination.
Program Length
Students in the course work option are expected to complete the program requirements in three terms. Students in the project option are expected to complete the program requirements in four to six terms.