English (M.A.)
Admission Requirements
Admission to this program is contingent upon admission to the Graduate School. Application deadlines are October 15 (for Winter admission) and January 15 (for Fall admission with funding consideration). The deadline for fall admission without funding consideration is August 1. The English Department requires that all applicants provide a statement of purpose, two academic letters of reference, and sample essay from a previous English course. M.A. applicants who wish to emphasize creative writing also must submit a creative writing sample.
Applicants are also required to submit an application supplement. View the graduate admissions page of the English Department's website for more details.
Please note that graduate admissions decisions are made by a committee and not by individual faculty members.
Program Requirements
The Master of Arts degree in English is offered as a Concentration in Creative Writing (Plan A or Plan C), Concentration in Technical and Professional Writing (Plan C), or as a Plan B or Plan C option. These options correspond to the Graduate School's Plans A, B or C for the master's degree.
Academic Scholarship: All course work must be completed in accordance with the regulations of the Graduate School and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Plan A or Plan C: Concentration in Creative Writing
The M.A. program in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing is designed to prepare students to go on to a Master of Fine Arts or doctoral work in creative writing or to train students with a specific interest in creative writing that may not lead to further advanced study.
The M.A. in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing requires thirty-three credits of course work, which must include five 7000-level courses from the English Department's course list in the Graduate Bulletin. ENG 6800 can count as a 7000-level course for MA students in this concentration.
Students in the M.A. program in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing should plan to take an additional 15-18 credits of creative writing courses at the 5000-, 6000-, and 7000- levels, taken from the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 5530 | Topics in Poetry | 3 |
| ENG 5550 | Topics in Fiction | 3 |
| ENG 5695 | Publishing Practicum | 3 |
| ENG 5860 | Topics in Creative Writing | 3 |
| ENG 5870 | Poetry Writing Workshop | 3 |
| ENG 5880 | Fiction Writing Workshop | 3 |
| ENG 5885 | Topics in Creative Non-Fiction Writing | 3 |
| ENG 6006 | Teaching Creative Writing | 2 |
| ENG 6800 | Advanced Creative Writing | 3 |
| ENG 7800 | Seminar in Creative Writing | 3 |
In discussion with their advisor prior to submitting the plan of work, students in this concentration will choose to undertake either Plan A (thesis) or Plan C (portfolio):
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 8999 | Master's Thesis Research and Direction | 6 |
| The submission of a zero-credit portfolio | 0 | |
The Plan C portfolio should consist of:
- a minimum of 60 pages of the student's best, assigned work from their graduate courses satisfying the M.A. degree.
- a five to seven page reflective essay that serves as an introduction of the works included in the portfolio as well as an explanation of how the works chosen satisfy the learning objectives of the M.A. program. The essay should situate the works within the student's overall trajectory through the M.A. program while also providing an overview of what the student has learned within their particular sub-field(s) in English Studies during their time in the program.
Plan B
The M.A. program in English Plan B is designed to prepare students to go on to doctoral work in English or to train students with a specific interest in English that may not lead to further advanced study.
The M.A. in English requires thirty-three credits, which must include five 7000-level courses from the English Department's course list in the Graduate Bulletin as well as a three-credit essay. Demonstration of proficiency in at least one foreign language is also required if directed to do so by an academic advisor based on the research topic of the Master's Essay (for further details, consult the Director of Graduate Studies).
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select five 7000-level courses in English at Wayne State University | ||
| ENG 7999 | Master's Essay Direction | 3 |
Students in the M.A. program in English Plan B should plan to take an additional 10-15 credits at the 5000-, 6000-, and 7000- levels from the English Department's course list in the Graduate Bulletin.
Plan C
The M.A. program in English Plan C is designed to prepare students to go on to doctoral work or to train students with specific interests (e.g., professional writing) that may not lead to further advanced study in English. The M.A. program in English Plan C requires thirty-three credits of course work, which must include:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select five 7000-level courses in English at Wayne State University | ||
| The submission of a zero-credit portfolio | ||
Students in the M.A. program in English Plan C should plan to take an additional 13-18 credits at the 5000-, 6000-, and 7000- levels from the English Department's course list in the Graduate Bulletin.
The Plan C portfolio should consist of:
- a minimum of 60 pages of the student's best, assigned work from their graduate courses satisfying the M.A. degree.
- a five to seven page reflective essay that serves as an introduction of the works included in the portfolio as well as an explanation of how the works chosen satisfy the learning objectives of the M.A. program. The essay should situate the works within the student's overall trajectory through the M.A. program while also providing an overview of what the student has learned within their particular sub-field(s) in English Studies during their time in the program.
Plan C: Concentration in Technical and Professional Writing
The M.A. degree in English with a concentration in technical and professional writing is designed to accommodate students with specific interests in preparing for careers as writers, or in publishing, or who want to pursue advanced study in a PhD program.
The M.A. program in English with a concentration in Technical and Professional Writing requires thirty-three credits of course work, which must include:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 7066 | Writing in Multiple Settings | 3 |
| ENG 7820 | Graduate Internship Practicum | 2 |
| ENG 7840 | Technical and Professional Communication | 3 |
| ENG 7870 | Teaching Practicum in Technical and Professional Writing | 2 |
Students in the M.A. program in English with a Concentration in Technical and Professional Writing should plan to take 9 credits, taken from the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 5005 | Digital Storytelling | 3 |
| ENG 5695 | Publishing Practicum | 3 |
| ENG 5825 | Grant, Proposal, and Public Writing | 3 |
| ENG 5830 | Writing in the Workplace | 3 |
| ENG 5840 | Topics in Professional Writing | 3 |
| ENG 5895 | Topics in Environmental, Nature, and Science Writing | 3 |
For the remaining 14 credit hours of elective courses, students may choose from the 5000-, 6000-, and 7000-level courses in the English Department's course list in the current Graduate Bulletin.
The Plan C portfolio should consist of:
- a minimum of 60 pages of the student's best, assigned work from their graduate courses satisfying the M.A. degree.
- a five to seven page reflective essay that serves as an introduction of the works included in the portfolio as well as an explanation of how the works chosen satisfy the learning objectives of the M.A. program. The essay should situate the works within the student's overall trajectory through the M.A. program while also providing an overview of what the student has learned within their particular sub-field(s) in English Studies during their time in the program.