Graduate Program

The graduate program in English is an integral part of the department's offerings. We offer both Master of Arts and Master of Arts in Teaching Degrees.

Master of Arts

The Master of Arts degree in English (M.A.) is designed for students pursuing advanced studies in English. Candidates in this degree program come from varied academic backgrounds. Some simply want to extend their undergraduate background and complete an M.A. in English, while others are destined for a Ph.D. and a college teaching career. A number of our M.A. students are already certified teachers in private or public schools and want an advanced degree in English for professional reasons. Finally, not a small number simply want to acquire the M.A. as an end in and of itself.

Master of Arts in Teaching

The Master of Arts in Teaching degree in English (M.A.T.) was developed for high-school and middle school English teachers. Specifically, the M.A.T. is designed for secondary school teachers who have initial licensure and are seeking professional licensure in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Also, this degree program will appeal to high-school and middle-school English teachers who already have standard certification (professional license) and simply want to acquire additional knowledge and a graduate degree in the discipline. Graduate students in the M.A.T. will complete courses in both English and education. Advising will be done by full-time members of the graduate faculty in the Department of English.

The revised M.A.T. program is designed to meet "appropriate master's degree" requirement, which of the criteria for professional stage licensure, as set in the most recent DOE licensure regulations.

Curriculum

For program requirements, please view the College Catalog, the official college resource for up-to-date program information and course descriptions. To view current course offerings, please visit InfoBear.

Admission

Application for admission should be made through the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education. An undergraduate major in English, with at least 24 hours of above average work in the discipline, is normally required for admission to this program. Students with deficient academic backgrounds are sometimes accepted into the program with the stipulation that these deficiencies be made up before work actually credited to the degree begins.

Last Modified: December 7, 2011