Master of Arts in English
Department
Department of English
College
Office of Graduate Studies and the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Overview of the program
The purpose of the Master of Arts in English at Southeastern is to advance students in the study of British, American, and World literatures, while preparing students for professional opportunities in English, including teaching, writing, doctoral study, and any work demanding complex interpretation and communication skills. Literary Studies constitute a core area of the program, supported by courses across the globe and the span of history up to today's poems, novels, plays, and films. Concentrations offer professional development, credentials, and internships in a range of related sub-disciplines: Creative Writing; Language and Literacy (rhetoric and composition, linguistics, ESL); and Professional Writing (business writing, document/web design).
Students may choose between Thesis and Non-Thesis options:
- Non-Thesis Option
- Complete at least thirty-six (36) hours of English in an individually-designed curriculum.
With the approval of the advisory committee, the student may take a maximum of six
(6) graduate hours in a related field. All students choosing the non-thesis option
must complete the following coursework:
- One advanced writing course: ENGL 467/567, ENGL 447/518, or ENGL 448/548.
- One theory and methods course: ENGL 477/577, ENGL 475/575, or ENGL 485/585.
- At least eighteen (18) hours of coursework in English at the 600 level.
- Thesis Option
Complete at least thirty-six (36) graduate hours of English, including six (6) hours of graduate credit from ENGL 770. The thesis must demonstrate the student's ability to do research and must show acceptable literary workmanship in organization, style, and content. With the approval of the advisory committee, students may take a maximum of six (6) graduate hours in a related field. All students choosing the thesis option must complete the following coursework:
- One advanced writing course: ENGL 467/567, ENGL 447/518, or ENGL 448/548.
- One theory and methods course: ENGL 475/575, ENGL 477/577, or ENGL 485/585.
- ENGL 770 (6 hrs) Thesis
- At least fifteen (15) hours of coursework in English at the 600 level.
All candidates for a Master of Arts in English must:
- Demonstrate knowledge of a foreign language either through six (6) hours of undergraduate coursework in one language,passing the Princeton examination, completion of a linguistics course approved as a substitution by the coordinator of graduate studies, or through demonstrated knowledge of a major computer language (such as C++, XML, or Java). The foreign language requirement is waived for international students whose native language is not English.
- Complete nine (9) hours of graduate coursework in three broad literary periods:
(1)ancient, medieval, and early modern literatures (2)Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-
Century literatures (3)Twentieth-Century and Contemporary literatures. - Pass all three parts of the M.A. comprehensive examination in English.
Concentrations
Students choosing the thesis option may write a thesis as a required part of a concentration in one area of English studies. Students must also complete courses in advanced writing and methods for their area. With the approval of the advisory committee, students may take a maximum of six (6) graduate hours in a related field. Three concentrations are offered:
- Concentration in Creative Writing
Requires the permission of the Coordinator of Creative Writing. All students choosing this concentration must complete the following coursework:- ENGL 475/575 Introduction to Contemporary Criticism
- ENGL 482/582 Intermediate Poetry Workshop
- ENGL 483/583 Intermediate Fiction Workshop
- ENGL 645 Creative Writing
- ENGL 770 (6 hrs) Thesis in Creative Writing
- Concentration in Language and Literacy
Requires the permission of the Coordinator of Language and Literacy. All students choosing this concentration must complete the following coursework:- ENGL 477/577 Foundations in Language and Literacy
- Two courses from the following: ENGL 467/567, ENGL 476/576, ENGL 646, ENGL 647, ENGL 413/508, ENGL 414/524, ENGL 642
- ENGL 770 (6 hours) Internship and Thesis in Language and Literacy
- Concentration in Professional Writing
Requires the permission of the Coordinator of Professional Writing. All students choosing this concentration must complete the following coursework:- ENGL 448/548 Advanced Technical and Professional Design
- ENGL 485/585 Foundations in Professional Writing
- ENGL 486/586 Document Production and Design
- ENGL 770 (6 hrs) Internship and Thesis in Professional Writing
In all three cases, students will be required to complete the specialized coursework listed, complete an internship in a professional level of accomplishment and can serve as part of a professional portfolio.
Strengths of the program
- Flexibility in personally-designed degree plans, convenient class scheduling (including online courses), and individual advising.
- Graduate faculty in a wide range of specialties, from ancient literatures to contemporary Asian fiction, from renowned novelists and poets to specialists in the teaching of writing. This nationally-known, diverse group of scholar-teachers ensures engagement with recent trends and abiding traditions in the field.
- Concentrations offering professional credentials and internships
- Preparation for teaching at the college level or doctoral study
- Graduate instruction in theory, methods, and content for teachers in grades 6-12
- Rigorous graduate training in creative, critical, and professional writing
- Background for publishing, public relations, business, and law
- Graduate Assistantships and Teaching Fellowships for professional development
Additional Strengths:
- Literary journals Louisiana Literature and 19th Century Studies, based in our department and directed by Dr. David Hanson, offering access to an international array of scholars and writers. Graduate students have the opportunity to work as editorial assistants for either journal.
- The Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project, based in our department and directed by Dr. Richard Louth, is a National Writing Project site and part of a North American network of outstanding teachers teaching teachers.
- The Writing Center, directed by Dr. Jayetta Slawson, offers students at all levels assistance with their writing; graduate assistants staff the center and thereby gain direct teaching and tutorial experience.
- Faculty who have won awards and distinctions:
- Dr. David Hanson was awarded a $45,000 ATLAS grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents; to complete his electronic edition, "The Early Ruskin Manuscripts," DCH was awarded an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellow of the Huntington Library; in addition, the project was accepted to participate in the first workshop for electronic editing, sponsored by NINES (Networked Interface for Nineteenth-Century Scholarship) at the University of Virginia.
- Dr. Joel Fredell received the Women's Hospital Distinguished Professorship in the Humanities at Southeastern Louisiana University for 2005-2008; his research sabbatical included the Orr Memorial Fellowship from Southeastern in 2003 for archival work in England on "Designing the Book of Margery Kempe," and the Fletcher Jones Foundation Fellowship at the Huntington Library in 2003 for "Book Design and Authorship in Late Medieval England."
- Dr. Richard Louth was awarded the original grant in 1991 for the Louisiana Writing Project (SLWP), which is funded by the National Writing Project (NWP). Dr. Louth is a member of the Rural Sites Network Leadership Team, part of the national group's Networks and the NWP Task Force and NWP Technical Assistance. The SLWP is a collaborative effort of the NWP, the College of Arts Humanities, and Social Sciences and the College of Education. Southeastern has been given the grant for the SLWP every summer since its inception.
Careers in the program
- Teaching: University Instructor, Community College instructor, public and private school, (international) English as a Foreign Language, English as a Second Language
- Publishing: editor, manuscript reader, publicity and marketing, literary agent
Other media: scriptwriting, web design - Government, non-profit, business administration: in-house publishing and web design, public relations, copywriting, documentation, fundraising, research
- Fine Arts: poet, fiction writer, screenwriter, dramatist, arts critic
Campus organizations and activities affiliated with the program
- Louisiana Literature (See Additional Strengths)
- Nineteenth-Century Studies (See Additional Strengths)
- Southeastern Writing Project (See Additional Strengths)
- Writing Center (See Additional Strengths)
- Black Graduate Student Organization
How do I know this is the degree for me?
Common Strengths and interests of students in the program
Students hoping to pursue an MA in English at Southeastern should complete:
- A bachelor's or equivalent degree from an accredited college or university
- 24 hours of undergraduate English, including 12 hours at the junior/senior level
- The General Test of the GRE
Notable Alumni
Allison Pelegrin
Sheila Stroup
Beverly Marshall
Contact Information
Ziba Rashidian, Director of Graduate Studies in English
Telephone: 985-549-5780
E-mail: ziba@selu.edu
Department of English
SLU 10861
Hammond, LA 70402
On Campus: D Vickers Hall, Room 222
Telephone: 985-549-2100
Fax: 985-549-5021
engladvis@selu.edu
