MA English

Designed to meet the needs of teachers and writers seeking professional training and credentials, students planning to go on to doctoral programs at other universities, and others preparing for a profession or pursuing cultural interests, the Master of Arts program in English at Cleveland State University allows students to focus on literature, critical theory, cultural studies, linguistics, and/or pedagogy.

Through this program, you will develop

• analytical skills to interpret texts and to defend your interpretations effectively;
• excellent facility in written and spoken language;
• a thorough awareness of a particular field within the study literature, theory, cultural studies, linguistics, or pedagogy;
• the capacity to produce scholarly or critical written work that could lead to publication in reputable venues.

Most classes are offered between 4:00 and 8:00 pm weeknights. A few courses are offered online and during summer sessions. Though we encourage foreign language proficiency, there is no foreign language requirement.

Two Tracks to Degree Completion

Graduate Catalog 

• MA Literature (Thesis option): 33 credits minimum

• MA Literature (Portfolio option): 36 credits minimum

MA Literature (Thesis Option): 

1. Core courses (6 credits): 

• ENG 600 - Literary Analysis
• ENG 601 - Critical Approaches to Literature 

2. Graduate seminars (12 credits): 

• ENG 695 - Graduate Seminar 

(Taken four times, with change of topic.) 

3. Electives (9 credits): 

• Courses numbered ENG 506 and higher; at least one additional graduate seminar is recommended. 

4. Thesis (6 credits): 

• ENG 699 - Thesis
• ENG 698 - Pre-thesis Colloquium
• ENG 698 may be substituted for 3 credits of ENG 699 

Note(s): 

To earn these credits, the student must prepare an acceptable master’s thesis of 30 to 50 pages, written under the direction of a committee of three English graduate faculty members. Students should submit a thesis proposal approved by a committee of three English graduate faculty members after completing 18 credits of graduate work in the program. 

5. A successful master’s examination based on the student’s thesis topic. 

MA Literature (Portfolio Option): 

1. Core courses (6 credits): 

• ENG 600 - Literary Analysis
• ENG 601 - Critical Approaches to Literature 

2. Graduate seminars (18 credits): 

• ENG 695 - Graduate Seminar 

(Taken six times, with change of topic.) 

3. Electives (12 credits): 

• Courses numbered ENG 506 and higher. 

4. Final Portfolio 

A student pursuing the Portfolio option must submit a “Degree Completion Plan” to the English Department’s Director of Graduate Studies promptly after completing 18 credit hours in the program. Candidates for the portfolio option should submit a portfolio of their best writing from advanced English MA classes (typically four final seminar papers from 695 seminars) to the English Department’s Graduate Committee no later than the 10th week of the semester in which the student intends to graduate. A committee of graduate faculty from the English Department will evaluate student portfolio and render a final decision on its acceptability. 

Applications and deadlines 

Applications to the MA in English are accepted on a rolling basis. 

A baccalaureate degree with a major or concentration in English, and an overall grade-point average of 2.75 or higher and a 3.0 average in courses in English, are minimum requirements for admission, though satisfying those requirements will not guarantee admission. (A concentration is defined as a minimum of 24 quarter hours or 16 semester hours beyond Freshman English). Students without a sufficient number of undergraduate courses in English will take undergraduate courses, as required by the Graduate Director. Such concentrations normally emphasize British and American Literature surveys and courses that stress writing about literature. 

Those interested in applying for admission must meet the following requirements: 

1. All regular application materials for admission–including the application, two letters of recommendation, and official transcripts from all colleges attended–must be submitted directly to Campus 411, All-In-1.
2. All applicants must submit samples of their academic writing (between ten and twenty pages of work submitted from prior courses; a term paper from an advanced English course is ideal) to the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of English.
3. 1-2 page statement of purpose
4. An applicant whose undergraduate major was in a field other than English may be required to take a certain number of undergraduate English courses as a condition for admission to the M.A. program. These courses do not count toward degree requirements. 

Apply Now: http://www.csuohio.edu/graduate-admissions/how-apply 

The GRE is NOT required. 

Though we encourage foreign language proficiency, there is no foreign language requirement. 

Career Information 

Students who are pursuing the MA in English as a means of enhancing their teaching careers will be well served by either the thesis or portfolio options for completing the degree. Students who are taking the MA as preparation for doctoral study in English should select the thesis option, should take as many research seminars (ENG 695) as possible, and should take ENG 506 - Composition Theory in order to enhance their eligibility for doctoral teaching assistantships at other universities. This course of study also is recommended for students who are preparing for careers teaching writing or administering writing centers in community colleges and schools. Our graduates have also succeeded in Library Science, Law School, and careers involving writing and editing for and within corporations and foundations. 

Opportunities after graduation, alumni have continued to work in the following areas: 

Public and private schools and universities 

Public libraries 

Publishing and Editing 

Creative management 

Museums and Institutes 

Broadcasting and Radio 

Stage directing 

UX writing 

Government 

Alumni have also continued to Ph.D. programs in English. 

Financial Assistance 

Opportunities for funding 

The Department of English offers competitive funding to selected graduate students that includes a stipend and tuition coverage. Depending on experience and qualificatins, students can work in The Writing Center as tutors and/or in First-Year Writing as instructors. If you are interested in applying for an assistantship, complete your application to the program and send your resume or CV to Dr. Julie Townsend, j.a.townsend19@csuohio.edu before February 1 to be considered for the next academic year, beginning in the Fall semester. The department also provides an annual Andrews Award to assist a graduate student in the completion of a thesis of exceptional merit. 

Funding is dependent on our yearly graduate assistant budget, which can vary year to year. Funding is not guaranteed. 

Roadmap to Financial Aid  

Navigating the financial aid process from start to finish can be confusing.   How can you be successful? Start the process early, complete required documents, and don't forget to budget and borrow smart if you need loans! Visit https://www.csuohio.edu/financial-aid for more information. 

Faculty Research and Resources 

Our graduate faculty includes a wide range of distinguished scholars and leaders in the fields of English literary studies, American literary studies, world literatures, and rhetoric and composition, with over thirty books and several hundred major articles in those fields. Faculty have published books with some of the most important scholarly presses, including University of Pennsylvania Press, University of Virginia Press, University of Alabama Press, Palgrave Macmillan, and Bedford St. Martin’s. Our scholars regularly contribute to significant journals, appear in essay collections published by top-tier venues like Oxford and Cambridge University Presses, and serve as editors within premier publication series in their fields. 

Graduate students in English at Cleveland State University may also benefit from opportunities to learn the crafts of editing and publishing at the CSU Poetry Center. Founded in 1962, the Center is a non-profit independent press and arts center and manages a catalogue of nearly 200 titles. It is one of the most recognized and competitive publishers of contemporary poetry and prose in the nation. 

Cross-Registration 

Students may petition the Committee on Graduate Studies to take up to eight elective credits in graduate courses outside the English Department, in cases where such courses meet the students’ particular research needs. A student combining TESOL endorsement with the MA in English, for example, may be allowed to count graduate-level Methods in TESOL courses as English electives. 

For more information, contact:
Dr. Julie Townsend (j.a.townsend19@csuohio.edu)
Director, Graduate Studies in English