Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
Students in the Master of Arts in English explore and research texts and their contexts, in intimate cohorts and with award-winning, nationally- and internationally-recognized faculty. Designed to provide a comprehensive experience of the field of English Studies, the M.A. offers courses in US, British, and World Anglophone literatures; literatures in translation; composition and rhetoric; technical and professional writing; and literary theory and criticism. Students in their second year have the opportunity to teach first-year writing courses, and all students undertake a thesis project.
This program includes the study of literature, literary criticism, and theory of composition. It is designed to provide students with the knowledge and command of English that prepares them specifically for:
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teaching English at the secondary or community college level;
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further graduate work at other institutions;
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employment in business, industry, and government service where effective communication skills are demanded;
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self-directed development in writing.
Requirements for Admission
Students apply via Cal State Apply and must submit a transcript, a brief (500-word) personal statement (i.e., statement of purpose), a 2000-word minimum scholarly writing sample in English Studies or a closely related field, and two academic letters of recommendation.
International Students must meet all the standard eligibility criteria and demonstrate proficiency in English (English Proficiency Exam Requirements)
Prerequisites: BA in English or related field.
Minimum GPA: 3.0.
Application due date: Fall enrollment only. Please see Graduate Student Dates and Deadlines for application deadlines.
Advancement to Candidacy
Completion of at least 24 seminar units with cumulative and higher ed GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Culminating Experience
10,000 word thesis, in the form of a scholarly essay (or its equivalent), that makes an original intellectual contribution to the field of English studies; undertaken with guidance from a faculty supervisor with relevant expertise.
The English Department’s blended BA + MA degree program offers English majors the opportunity to complete their B.A. and M.A. in English on an accelerated time line. Majors in good academic standing (3.25 major GPA and 3.25 cumulative GPA) can apply to the program when they have sophomore or junior standing (typically, in their 2nd or 3rd year at Cal Poly). Those admitted to the program begin their graduate coursework in their fourth year. At the end of that year, they will transition from undergraduate to graduate standing and receive both degrees at the culmination of their five-year experience. Students in the blended program complete both an undergraduate senior project and a graduate portfolio project.
Blended Options
BA English + MA English
Units Double Counted
0 units are double counted.
Requirements for Admission for the Blended Program
Students apply directly to the program and not through Cal State Apply; please contact the department graduate coordinator.
- Prerequisites: Sophomore or Junior standing; enrollment in the English major; a minimum 3.25 GPA (both in the major and cumulatively)
- Minimum GPA: 3.25
- Timeline for admission: Eligible students may apply in the Spring semester of their sophomore or junior standing year.
- Application materials: The Blended program application is an electronic Adobe power form. Contact the graduate coordinator for more information. A complete application entails:
- Blended program application: This application consists of a series of forms available at the link provided below.
- Personal statement: This document should explain your reasons for wishing to participate in the blended program. In it, we encourage you to reflect on how a Master's degree might help you to achieve your intellectual and professional goals. The graduate committee reviews personal statements to determine how well your academic interests and goals align with the MA program’s learning outcomes. Ideally, your statement should be approximately 500 words in length.
- Writing sample: We encourage you to submit a scholarly essay, written for one of your major courses, that demonstrates your capabilities as a critical thinker, researcher, and writer. Your writing sample should be no fewer than five and no more than twelve pages in length.
- Two faculty references: Submit the names and email addresses of two academic references; at least one must be faculty in the English department.
Program Learning Objectives
- Understand how British and US literary traditions developed, becoming familiar with significant writers, their works, and the connections between them.
- Understand the movements and traditions of Composition and Rhetoric Studies.
- Be able to think creatively and critically and to write effectively within all these areas of English Studies.
- Know how to conduct original research and integrate criticism (secondary sources) into your own analyses.
- Be prepared for lifelong learning.
- Be ready and able to pursue a wide range of personal and professional goals or to undertake further graduate studies.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| REQUIRED COURSES | ||
| Foundations | ||
| Select from the following: | 12 | |
| Introduction to English Studies | ||
| Graduate Introduction to Criticism and Theory | ||
| Introduction to Technical and Professional Communication | ||
| Composition Theory | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select from the following (at least 4 units must be literature courses): | 16 | |
| Seminars | ||
| Pedagogical Approaches to Composition | ||
| Graduate Seminar in U.S. Literature | ||
| Graduate Seminar in British Literature | ||
| Graduate Seminar in Global Anglophone Literature or Literature in Translation | ||
| Graduate Seminar in Film and Media Studies | ||
| Graduate Seminar in Cultural Studies | ||
| Topics | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Graduate Topics in Criticism and Theory | ||
| Graduate Topics in Technical Communication | ||
| Graduate Topics in Literature | ||
| Graduate Topics in Film and Media Studies | ||
| Graduate Topics in Cultural Studies | ||
| Special Advanced Topics | ||
| Thesis Project | ||
| ENGL 5599 | Thesis | 4 |
| Total Units | 32 | |