Master of Arts Program

The M.A. program in English offers a rigorous, personalized, project-based postgraduate experience that will prepare students to achieve their professional and personal goals. Students will have the freedom to pursue their particular interests in literary studies in a way that prepares them for an array of future plans, including admission to a doctoral program in English; admission to graduate programs in a range of disciplines, including law, library sciences, education or business; or preparation for careers in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Under the guidance of a faculty mentor, M.A. students will design a program of study that may include traditional course work, internships and a culminating project.

Two Tracks to Choose From

The M.A. degree has two tracks: a thesis-based track (Plan A) and a non-thesis track (Plan B). Students will determine which track to pursue in their first semester. For students matriculating in the fall 2018 and after, the degree requirements are as follows:

Plan A: Thesis-Based

Plan A requires 30 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree, including 24 credit hours of course work, which consists of a combination of courses at the 5000 level and up suited to each student's interests and goals, plus 6 credit hours of a master's thesis. The thesis must be approved by the thesis director and two other readers, one usually being the director of graduate studies. For current requirements, please refer to the Bulletin.

Master’s thesis

  • The thesis will typically consist of an annotated bibliography, an outline (required by the Graduate School), and a complete article-length essay between 8,000 and 10,000 words. Unlike the professional project, the M.A. thesis will most frequently be a piece of academic writing suitable for publication; however, other modes are possible.

  • The thesis carries 6 credits, as mandated by the Graduate School.  Implicitly, the student receives 3 credits for the research/bibliography portion and 3 credits for the writing portion. These credits can be taken over two semesters or concurrently.

  • The Thesis Committee has a Director and a Second Reader. The Director must be tenured (to protect the time of newer faculty); the Second Reader can hold any rank. The Director is primarily responsible for completing the necessary forms and guiding the student’s writing process. The Second Reader reads at least one draft and consults with the student on content— especially if the Director is not an expert in the subject area—but is not primarily responsible for guiding the writing process.

Plan B: Non-Thesis

Plan B requires 30 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree and will consist of courses at the 5000 level and above suited to each student's interests and goals. For current requirements, please refer to the Bulletin.


Financial Aid

Although assistantships are not typically available for students pursuing an M.A. degree, a number of merit-based partial tuition scholarships are available.

How to Apply

Apply through Marquette’s graduate application portal after reading through the application instructions. You’ll need to submit 1) a statement of purpose explaining why you are applying to Marquette’s MA in English, framing it in terms of your academic interests and career goals; 2) 1-2 writing samples, single-authored by the applicant, that in total add up to between 12-20 pages; these samples should showcase your analytical thinking, argumentation, and voice as a writer; and 3) two (ideally three) letters of recommendation from people who know your scholarly work well.    

Questions?

Students with questions about the M.A. program should contact Dr. Ben Pladek, the Director of Graduate Studies in English.