Graduate Catalog 2023-2024

English, Master of Arts (067)

Department website: http://www.wku.edu/english/


Program Coordinator

Trini G. Stickle, trini.stickle@wku.edu, (270) 745-5726

The master's program provides an intensive study of literature and composition through a highly adaptable curriculum that develops advanced skills in literary criticism, rhetorical analysis, communication, and analytical thinking. The program supports career advancement in industry and education pathways or continuing graduate work in an English-focused doctoral program. For licensed K-12 educators, the program can lead to a rank change.

Program Admission

In addition to meeting Graduate School requirements, applicants should have earned at least 27 credit hours of undergraduate English with a GPA of 3.0 or better. Those not meeting this requirement may be admitted conditionally on a case-by-case basis. Applicants should also submit a 2-page statement of purpose describing the reason(s) for pursuing an M.A. in English at Western Kentucky University. The statement may include academic interests, career goals, relevant paid or volunteer experiences, and any other information applicants wish to share with the admissions officer.

Applicants seeking Rank II or Rank I certification must have or be eligible for a secondary school teaching certificate and must include a copy with the application for admission. Applicants whose certificates have expired may be admitted, but they may enroll for only 6 hours before submitting a re-issued teaching certificate.  Kentucky applicants will need to contact the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board for reissued certificates.  Applicants from out-of-state with expired certificates must complete the requirements for their respective states to renew their certificates.

Graduate School Admission

Please refer to the admission section of this catalog for Graduate School admission requirements.

Program Requirements (30 hours)

Required Courses
ENG 520Introduction to Graduate Studies3
Select two Literature Electives from the following list: 6
19th Century American Literature
British Literature since 1900
Literary Theory and Criticism
Early Modern English Literature
Chaucer
Shakespeare
British Romanticism
The Eighteenth Century
Dante's Divine Comedy and its Influences
Victorian Literature & Culture
The British Novel
American Novel
American Poetry
Southern Literature
Women's Literature
Studies in American Literature
Studies in British Literature
Studies in World Literature
Seminar in British Writers
Seminar in American Writers
Select two Writing Electives from the following list: 6
Advanced Composition
Editing and Publishing
Composition Theory and Practice in Writing Instruction
Theories of Rhetoric and Persuasive Writing
Writing and Technology
Electives15
Complete 15 hours in any ENG 4@G, 5@, 6@ course 1
Total Hours30
1

All GTAs required to take ENG 510 as one of their electives. Students who wish to write a thesis will only take 9 hours of electives and 6 hours of ENG 599. No more than 3 hours of creative writing courses (ENG 474G, ENG 475G, ENG 403G, and ENG 501) with permission of creative writing faculty member teaching the course.