English, M.A.

Matthew A. Holtmeier, Ph.D., Graduate Coordinator
211 Burleson Hall
Box 70683
(423) 439-6678
e-mail: holtmeier@etsu.edu

Daniel Westover, Ph.D., Department Chair
103A Burleson Hall
Box 70683
(423) 439-6626
e-mail: westover@etsu.edu

Faculty: Mark Baumgartner; Michael Cody; Thomas Crofts; Felipe De Oliveira Fiuza; Yousif Elhindi; Matthew Fehskens; Isabel Gomez-Sobrino; Jesse Graves; Katrina Heil; Thomas Alan Holmes; Matthew Holtmeier; Scott Honeycutt; Michael Jones; Shawna Lichtenwalner; Theresa McGarry; Sharon McGee; Martha Michieka; Raluca Negrisanu; Kevin O’Donnell; Joshua Reid; Robert Sawyer; Judith Slagle; Phyllis Thompson; Chelsea Wessels; Daniel Westover.

The Department of English offers a Master of Arts degree in English with a general grounding in both British and American literature, in addition to a selection of courses in creative writing, rhetoric, linguistics, continental literature, and English education.

Program Admission Requirements

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A student applying to the graduate program in English must have:

1. An undergraduate degree in English or a related field from an accredited college or university.
2. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for all completed undergraduate coursework.
3. A writing sample of at least ten (10) pages.
4. Three (3) letters of recommendation.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) aptitude test is not required for the Master of Arts degree in English.

Applicants wishing to be considered for graduate assistantships must include an explanation of teaching interests in the personal statement required for application to the School of Graduate Studies.

A student who does not meet certain admission requirements may still be admitted to the program unconditionally with provision(s) upon the recommendation of the Graduate Coordinator in English with the understanding that stated provision(s) - for example, completion of a specified undergraduate course(s) - will need to be met for the student to remain in good standing. The student’s background and experience will be considered.

Course Requirements

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Students elect to take the program with the option of writing a thesis or completing a scholarly or pedagogical project under the guidance of a graduate committee. Because the program offers a broad-based degree, there is no concentration per se. At least 70 percent of the minimum required credits must be taken from courses for graduate students only.

The following 3 courses do not count for credit toward the degree:

• ENGL 5019 - Supervised Experience in Teaching  (required for all teaching assistants, who must register for this course when they take the practicum in teaching freshman composition during the semester of their first teaching assignment);
• ENGL 5029 - Supervised Experience in Research  (required for all research assistants);
• ENGL 5039 - Supervised Experience in Administration   (required for all administrative assistants). 

All graduate assistants who will serve as teaching assistants must satisfactorily complete the course below during any semester before their first teaching assignment: ENGL 5055 - Composition Pedagogy . 

Students must complete 30 credits (minimum) including ENGL 5950  and ENGL 5960  or ENGL 5970 . All graduate assistants with teaching assignments must fulfill the condition for teaching assistants above. All courses not covered by the requirements and conditions herein stated may be chosen at the student’s discretion with the guidance and advice of the department graduate coordinator.

To complete their degree work, all students must complete a culminating experience in the form of writing a thesis or completing an independent project under the guidance of a graduate committee. Independent projects may include: directed study in a specific literature with an oral examination, an expanded essay submitted for publication, a pedagogical project consisting of the development of teaching materials, or another scholarly/pedagogical project with approval from the graduate coordinator and graduate committee.