English Master's Classes

Whether you are seeking the non-thesis or the thesis option, the Master of Arts in English program is 36 credit hours. For those seeking the thesis option, six of those hours must be completed in thesis classes. The only required course that all graduate students must take is English 550: Literary Criticism. You have the chance to take a wide variety of literature courses, writing workshops and editing courses that will further your education and your career. View descriptions and availability of all English master's courses below.

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Theory & Criticism

ENGL 520 - Seminar in Literary Studies (3 credit hours)

This course provides graduate students with the opportunity for focused, in-depth study in the instructor's area of expertise. Students may enroll in this course any number of times as long as the topic is not a repetition of one for which credit has been granted.

ENGL 550 - Literary Criticism (3 credit hours)

A study of major schools of literary criticism. The course acquaints students with the ways in which verbal structures in general-but literary texts in particular-may be approached and understood, and how understanding of literary texts may be molded into coherent, developed arguments.

Literary movements & historical contexts

ENGL 530 - Renaissance Literature and Culture (3 credit hours)

This course examines literary texts and literary movements in their cultural and historical contexts. Topics may include representative works of the poetry, drama, and prose (fiction and nonfiction) emerging during the 16th and early 17th century.

ENGL 533 - Twentieth-Century Literature and Culture (3 credit hours)

This course examines literary texts and literary movements in their cultural and historical contexts. Possible topics include late realism, modernism, postmodernism, or a focus on a thematic preoccupation of 20th-century writers.

ENGL 534 - Contemporary Literature and Culture (3 credit hours)

This course examines literary texts and literary movements in their cultural and historical contexts. Particular attention will be paid to postmodernism and 21st century writers' responses to its texts and ideas. The impact of globalization on literary studies will be addressed also.

ENGL 538 - Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture (3 credit hours)

This course examines literary texts and literary movements in their cultural and historical contexts. Possible topics include romanticism, the age of revolutions, realism, Victorian literature, fin de siècle literature, or a focus on a thematic preoccupation of 18th- and 19th-century writers such as slavery, women's emancipation, or sciences and pseudosciences.

ENGL 555 - Medieval English Literature (3 credit hours)

Study of English literature from its beginnings in the eighth century to the beginning of the renaissance. Topics to be covered include old English poetry, research on medieval topics, pronunciation of middle English, romances, religious treatises, drama, and middle English lyrics. This course is usually offered once every three years.

Multicultural literature

ENGL 535 - Multicultural Literature (3 credit hours)

This course discusses American works by marginalized authors as a literary tradition. Particular attention will be paid to the ways in which minority authors from different time periods and cultures represent their experiences in America.

ENGL 536 - Postcolonial Literature (3 credit hours)

This course discusses works by authors of colonized nations as a literary tradition. Particular attention will be paid to the ways in which postcolonial authors from different time periods and cultures present their perspectives on colonialism and postcolonialism.

Individual authors

ENGL 560 - Shakespeare (3 credit hours)

This class studies representative plays from Shakespeare's career, taking a chronological approach but spanning all principal genres-comedy, history, tragedy, and romance. Students approach Shakespeare's work as both theatre and literature, with some emphasis on contemporary social and political influences. The course objective is to enhance the appreciation of Shakespearean drama in both its original and modern contexts.

ENGL 570 - Chaucer (3 credit hours)

Reading in Middle English the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, students examine the moral vision, artistic unity, humor and aesthetic beauty of Chaucer's art. Special attention is given to the narrative, dramatic and poetic devices through which Chaucer's poetry achieves its effects.

Writing and Editing

ENGL 522 - Issues in Literacy and Language (3 credit hours)

This course introduces students to the theoretical underpinnings of literacy and language instruction. Focus on a broad range of issues in the field by examining scholarly and professional research on reading and writing pedagogies, assessment, response, process theory, literate activity, writing as a social practice, and literacy technologies and contexts for English language arts instruction. Students will produce work that benefits professional development in a range of scholarly and instructional contexts.

ENGL 551 - Introduction to Creative Writing (3 credit hours)

Designed for graduate students with little or no previous creative writing experience, this course will teach students the basic techniques of the craft of creative writing of fiction and poetry, though the course may include drama and nonfiction. Though taught in a workshop format that emphasizes student writing, it also will focus on the work of contemporary writers for inspiration and technique.

ENGL 571 - Advanced Creative Writing Workshop (3 credit hours)

This class aims at furthering students' understanding of the craft and techniques of creative writing. Though the primary focus will be on workshopping student writing, students also will read and discuss essays by writers about technique, style and craft to enhance their understanding of the art of writing and hone not only their ability to write but also to critique their own work as well as that of others. As part of the class, students will have an opportunity to meet and hear contemporary poets and writers through the University's Kellogg Writers series. The genre focus of this course will rotate. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor

ENGL 580 - Etchings Press: Reading Prize

This course alternates between two national awards for established writers. In the fall, the English Department awards a prize to a published book of young adult fiction, graphic novel, or literary fiction. The books are submitted by the authors, and students read and choose the winner. In the winter, students run a chapbook contest based on criteria and submission guidelines they generate the previous spring or summer. Students are exposed to recently published or unpublished works in the fields. The Reading Prize course focuses on building editorial reading and judging knowledge while the chapbook Contest includes both editorial and publishing knowledge.

ENGL 580 - Literary Arts Programming: Kellogg Writers Series

This course will teach students how to plan and organize a reading series: scheduling writers' campus visits, promoting the series, and hosting writers on the day of their reading. Students will work with various campus offices as well as off-campus arts organizations to promote and coordinate writers' series events. May be repeated for a maximum of 3 credit hours.

ENGL 582 - Writing and Editing for the Web (3 credit hours)

This course will prepare students to write and edit content effectively for websites and other online venues that they design and implement. Sometimes, written content is lost on web pages as a result of overpowering multimedia, bad design, poor editing, or many other reasons. Web 2.0 software programs allow almost anyone to develop a content-rich and interactive website that can integrate many users and provide relevant information. This course will focus on making readable text an integral part of every page of a website. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor

ENGL 583 - Writing and Editing for Nonprofit Organizations (3 credit hours)

Students enrolled in this course will focus on the necessary writing, editing, design and persuasion skills to develop a range of effective documents for nonprofit organizations. Service learning projects throughout the semester will culminate in writing a grant proposal for a local nonprofit organization. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor

Individual studies (tailored to student interest)

ENGL 562 – Studies in English Language and Linguistics

This course is designed to giver learners a solid background in the structure of human languages and to prepare them for further study in English language teaching.

ENGL 580 - Special Topics in Literature (3 credit hours)

An opportunity for the department to offer courses on topics of special interest, such as the Etchings Press course mentioned above. Students may enroll in this course any number of times so long as the topic is not a repetition of one for which credit has been granted.

ENGL 585 - Directed Readings (1-9 credit hours)

Students pursue a focused program of readings under the direction of the instructor. Topics are tailored to the interests and needs of the student. May be repeated for credit.

ENGL 590 - Thesis/Project/English (1-5 credit hours)

Prerequisite: ENGL 589: Thesis Proposal

ENGL 599 - Independent Study/English (1-4 credit hours)

The student engages in individual study and/or a project. The project may be of the nature of research or advanced study in a selected area of interest. Prerequisite: Consent of the department chair and supervising faculty member

Courses Offered Online

ENGL 582 - Writing and Editing for the Web (3 credit hours)

ENGL 583 - Writing and Editing for Nonprofit Organizations (3 credit hours)

Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL)

Special note: All TESOL courses are open to both undergraduate and graduate students.

ENGL 561: Teaching English Language Learners (TELL) I

Methods of Instruction: This course offers participants and preservice/inservice teachers a foundation for successful instruction of English learners via a focus on the domains of methods and principles of instruction, materials development, and collaboration.

ENGL 563: Teaching English Language Learners (TELL) III

Assessment, Collaboration, and Advocacy: This course offers participants and preservice/inservice teachers a foundation for successful instruction of English learners via a focus on the domains of language assessment, collaboration, and advocacy.

ENGL 567: Teaching English Language Learners (TELL) II

Second Language Acquisition, Culture, and Professional Knowledge: This course offers participants and preservice/inservice teachers a foundation for successful instruction of English learners via a focus on the domains of second language acquisition (SLA), culture, and professional knowledge and growth.