The Masters of Arts in English at Morehead State University offers students a comprehensive overview of advanced literary study as well as courses in creative and technical writing and linguistics. The 33-hour program offers both thesis and non-thesis options as well as a full array of Internet courses in all the major areas of English Studies. Morehead is one of the few accredited schools in the nation to offer a Master’s degree in English completely online, and it is the first in the region to fully support a virtual learning environment. Students who pursue their degree at Morehead State are offered both the flexibility of a self-paced distance learning program that is based on an adult model of education and the dynamic interaction between people in a traditional classroom setting.

The department maintains a graduate English faculty of 16, holding terminal degrees from a number of leading universities throughout the country. The size of the program assures careful, personal attention to student progress toward the M.A. degree and into a job search or post-graduate work upon completion of the program. 

Online Option: 

As a regional institution serving a geographically isolated region, MSU has long made an investment in various forms of Distance Learning and currently offers a number of programs, including the Master of Arts in English, entirely online. Like our traditional program, the online program offers students a solid background in English language and literature, and it includes thesis and non-thesis options. The only difference between the degrees lies in method of delivery. Students who take courses online are offered the flexibility of a virtual environment. [A student in the on-line program may include some face-to-face classes when feasible.]

For additional information about the MA in English, please visit www.moreheadstate.edu/ma-english.

Admission to Morehead State University (see MSU admission requirements).

The Master of Arts degree in English provides a comprehensive overview of the practice of contemporary literary studies by training students in the advanced research methods used to analyze language and literature. The flexible degree program, which includes a fully online option, is designed to meet the needs of a wide variety of degree candidates, as it serves students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. as well as returning teachers seeking professional certification and those interested in careers in publishing or related fields.

Requirements for Admission:

1. General admission to graduate study.
2. Completion of an undergraduate major or minor in English.
3. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on all undergraduate English courses above the freshman level, to have included 12 credits of upper  division English and American literature courses.
4. A minimum score of 146 on the verbal and 140 on the quantitative sections of the GRE.

Requirements for the Degree:
 

1. Satisfy general degree requirements.

2. Maintain a 3.0 GPA in all English courses; a maximum of two C's will be
accepted for credit toward the degree.

3. Satisfactory performance on the M.A. in English examination. (No student may
take the exam more than twice.)

4. A minimum of 33 graduate hours, with at least 27 hours in English and no
more than six hours in one other field. The 27 graduate hours in English are to
include the following minimum requirements: three hours in major author
coursework,  three hours in writing,
three hours in linguistics, and 12 hours in literature, with at least three
hours in British and three hours in American literature. Only three hours of
ENG 676 may count toward the completion of the M.A. program in English.

5. Thesis option: in place of two elective graduate courses, students may complete
a thesis (six hours) and an oral defense. 

Online Option Requirements:  

As a regional institution serving a geographically isolated region, MSU has long made an investment in various forms of Distance Learning and currently offers a number of programs, including the Master of Arts in English, entirely online. Like our traditional program, the online program offers students a solid background in English language and literature, and it includes thesis and non-thesis options. The only difference between the degrees lies in method of delivery. Students who take courses online are offered the flexibility of a virtual environment. [A student in the on-line program may include some face-to-face classes when feasible.]

General overview of program requirements:

The M.A. degree requires 33 hours of course work in English and related fields. Of these 33 hours, 27 must be in graduate English courses, and these English courses must include 12 hours in literature (with at least 3 hours in American and 3 hours in British literature), 3 hours in linguistics, 3 hours in writing, and 3 hours in the introduction to graduate studies course (bibliography).

Outline of required courses:
Required Core Sem. Hrs.

Major Author – Choose three-hours from list below:
ENG 634 -- Chaucer
ENG 635 – Topics in Shakespeare
ENG 636 – Major American Author
ENG 637 – Major British Author
ENG 638 – Milton                                                                                 3

Writing - Choose three-hours from list below:
ENG 608 — Morehead Writing Project Summer Institute I
ENG 609 — Morehead Writing Project Summer Institute II
ENG 612 — Theories of Teaching Writing
ENG 683 — Advanced Poetry Writing
ENG 684 — Advanced Fiction Writing
ENG 690 — Technical Writing                                                             3

Linguistics - Choose three-hours from list below:
ENG 601 — Semantics
ENG 604 — Linguistics: Grammar
ENG 680 — English Syntax
ENG 685 — Psycholinguistics
ENG 697 — Sociolinguistics                                                                3

American Literature - Choose three-hours from list below:
ENG 619 — American Renaissance
ENG 620 — American Poetry
ENG 622 — American Novels
ENG 624 — American Literature in Perspective
ENG 636 – Major American Author
ENG 661 — Studies in American Literary Periods
ENG 663 — American Fiction                                                             3

British Literature - Choose three-hours from list below:
ENG 630 — Topics in British Literature
ENG 632 — The English Novel
ENG 633 — Old English Literature
ENG 634 — Chaucer
ENG 635 — Topics in Shakespeare
ENG 637 – Major British Author
ENG 638 — Milton
ENG 645 — Renaissance Literature
ENG 647 — Restoration and Eighteenth Century British Literature
ENG 648 — Romantic Period
ENG 650 — Victorian Period
ENG 652 — Twentieth Century British Literature                               3

Additional Literature - Choose six-hours from list below:
ENG 619, ENG 620, ENG 622, ENG 624,
ENG 628, ENG 632, ENG 633, ENG 634,
ENG 635, ENG 638, ENG 645, ENG 647,
ENG 648, ENG 650, ENG 652, ENG 653,
ENG 661, ENG 663, ENG 666 or ENG 670                                       6

Electives
Six hours from ENG 6
Complete one of the following groups:
Thesis:
ENG 699 — Thesis or 6
Nonthesis:
Six-hours from any department 6
Total Required 33


Coursework in related fields: Students enrolled in the program can take up to 6 hours in a related field of study. Many of our students choose to take coursework in Education, but History, Communication, Art, and Music are also viable related fields.

Thesis option: The thesis option is open to both online and on-campus students. Students who pursue this option will receive 6 credit hours (hours that count as English electives) for successfully writing and defending a critical or creative thesis.

Exit exam: All students are required to pass a written exit exam. A description of the exam, including a required reading list, is available on our department website. Students have the option of either traveling to MSU’s campus on the announced date of the exam or arranging with the graduate coordinator for a proctored exam at an institution close to home.

For more information on requirements: Please see the Graduate Catalog, which is available online. The first part of the catalog outlines general rules and regulations of graduate study at MSU; pages 108-110 outline the M.A. in English in particular.