Graduate Program
MASTER OF ARTS
Concentration in Women's Studies
The M.A. in English with a concentration in women's studies
allows graduate students to pursue an interest in women's studies
as a substantial part of their preparation in British and American
literature. Students in this interdisciplinary concentration
have access to the expertise of women's studies faculty from
other departments as well as those in English when developing
thesis projects. The University's Women in the Curriculum / Women's
Studies program offers a lively schedule of cultural and intellectual
events throughout the year, including visits from distinguished
scholars.
English Department faculty with interest in women's studies
and women's literature include Carla Billitteri (Feminist Theory),
Laura Cowan (Rebecca West), Steve Evans (Gertrude Stein, women
experimental writers), Benjamin Friedlander (Emily Dickinson),
Naomi Jacobs (Victorian women writers, gender and narrative),
Margo Lukens (Native American and African American women writers),
Deborah Rogers (early women novelists, Ann Radcliffe).
Concentration Requirements
- Normally 30 credit hours of graduate courses (up to 39 in
some cases)
- Teaching Assistants must take ENG 693 Teaching College
Composition
- WST 510
Advanced Studies in Feminist Theory
- ENG 549 Studies in Women's Literature
- At least three more credit hours (one
course) in women's studies, as pre-approved by advisory committee
in program of study
- Six or seven (18-21 credit hours)
other graduate courses in literature (four or five if writing a thesis)
- Six credit hours of ENG 699 Thesis if writing a
thesis
- May take up to six
credit hours at the undergraduate 400 level, if pre-approved by advisory
committee in program of study
- May take up to three credit hours
of creative writing, if pre-approved by advisory committee in program
of study
Admission Requirements
Applicants normally are expected to have at least a 3.0 grade-point
average in English from an accredited institution and a verbal
score of 600 or more on the Graduate Record Examination. The
GRE Subject Test in Literature in English is recommended but
not required. Candidates who did not major in English as undergraduates
are considered for admission, but may be required to complete
up to 39 hours for the degree, depending on the level of their
preparation or GRE Subject Test score. Applicants should submit
a 10-20 page writing sample of literary analysis. Those wishing
to be considered for Teaching Assistantships should also include
a statement about their philosophy of teaching and their teaching
experience, if any. Intermediate proficiency in a second language
is a requirement for admission that may, at the discretion of
the admissions committee, be completed within the first year
of study.
Degree Requirements
The M.A. in English with a Concentration in Women's Studies
is a 30-hour degree including at least nine credits in women's
studies: WST 510, Advanced Studies in Feminist Theory; ENG 549,
Studies in Women's Literature; and one other women's studies
course, to be approved by the student's WST advisor. The remaining
21 credits, which may include up to six credits of thesis work,
are taken in English courses. Graduate Teaching Assistants in
the department are also required to take ENG 693: Teaching College
Composition during their first semester of teaching. A six-hour
comprehensive written examination, graded "Pass" or "Fail," is
required of all M.A. candidates. Based on the department's M.A.
Reading List, the written examination is offered twice each year,
in spring and fall. Thesis candidates do a one-hour defense of
their thesis. This concentration may not be combined with any
other except literature.
For financial aid information, please click here.
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