MA Program Requirements

Coursework

The Department of English offers an MA in Composition, Rhetoric, and English Studies (CRES). Degree requirements include courses in theory, writing, linguistics, and pedagogy.

Degree Options

The program offers two paths to the MA:

  • Plan I (Thesis): A student writing a thesis will take 6 thesis hours (EN 599) and in consultation with the field advisor and drop 6 hours of coursework from his or her concentration.
  • Plan II (Non-Thesis / Capstone): A student not writing a thesis will satisfy the graduation requirement by writing a capstone paper with an oral defense supervised by a CRES faculty member.

Language Requirement

MA students must demonstrate reading proficiency in a foreign language in one of two ways:

  • certification through the appropriate department of a “B” average or the equivalent of two years of undergraduate- or graduate-level study in a single foreign language, completed within five years of admission to the master’s program
  • passing the foreign language reading course or examination prepared by the Department of Modern Languages and Classics. Students who are not native speakers of English may use their native language to fulfill this requirement.

Visit the UA Graduate Catalog for information about the CRES program, including degree options and course requirements.