Master of Arts in English - Language and Linguistics

The English Department houses over 30 full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty members and over 50 graduate students enrolled in MA and PhD programs with emphases in critical theory and all the major literary periods, including Medieval, Early Modern, Restoration and 18th Century, Romantic, Victorian, American to 1914, and Modern and Contemporary.

We have concentrations in Creative Writing, Literature, and Language and Linguistics (MA only). MU offers interdepartmental graduate minors available in Women's and Gender Studies, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, College Teaching, and others listed here.

We have a number of initiatives, programs, courses and colloquia in place to ensure that students are integrated into the vibrant life of the department as colleagues (see our department calendar for a selection). The English Graduate Student Association (EGSA) has representatives on all major departmental committees, and its officers work closely with English Department officers on matters related to graduate education.

The MA program is a two-year program with 30 hours of coursework, including at least 15 hours in graduate seminars at the 8000-level. Coursework builds on a student's Bachelor's-level knowledge of her or his field to provide a broad perspective on literature and culture while allowing for specialization and advanced research work. All MA students are expected to provide external funding, either paid by themselves or by another organization. This means that MA students are not eligible for teaching or research assistantships funded by the department.

The MA program provides students with the opportunity to complete coursework within an adaptable, individually personalized timeline, students may attend courses full-time or part-time and have the option of completing a low-residency program. The part-time option is especially convenient for working professionals.

Students in the English Department may pursue an emphasis in English Language and Linguistics at the undergraduate as well as the graduate level (MA only). The courses in this area of study offer a perspective on English that is rather distinct from that found elsewhere in the Department's courses. Students gain a greater appreciation for the English language by examining its structural complexities as well as its social functioning. Students also gain a set of analytical tools that will help them view language in a new light, whether that be the language of ordinary conversation, of literature, or of any other context.

The MU English faculty includes several linguists who teach full-time in the English Language and Linguistics area. In addition to undergraduate introductions to the field, we regularly offer courses for advanced undergraduates and graduate students in the structure and history of English as well as more specialized courses in phonology, syntax, and American dialectology. Students may also take courses in Old and Middle English language and literature. Other courses of interest are offered by faculty from across campus through the interdepartmental program in Linguistics. An emphasis in linguistics might be combined with a secondary area such as literature or rhetoric and composition to produce a well-balanced degree that can open the door to a range of career opportunities.