English, M.A.

Kevin Donovan, Program Director
(615) 898-2665
Kevin.Donovan@mtsu.edu

The Department of English offers the Master of Arts, the Doctor of Philosophy, and a minor at the graduate level.

Graduate study in English is primarily an engagement in the deep and intense study of literature and language, theory, and writing, undertaken for the special pleasure in knowledge and understanding of the world and its semiotic systems that such studies bring. It also provides preparation and training for careers within and without the academy.

The Master of Arts in English curriculum allows students to explore traditional areas of literary study (Chaucer, Spenser, Shakespeare, Milton, Blake, etc.) as well as topics related to popular culture, film, gender, folklore, linguistics, and children's literature. Opportunities are also available for concentrated studies in rhetoric, pedagogy, and composition theory.

Please see the undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.

Admission Requirements

Admissions decisions are based on the department's judgment of the applicant’s capacity, suitability, and preparation for graduate study. Admission to graduate study is not automatically guaranteed by meeting minimum admission requirements.

Applicants should have earned at least 30 semester hours of undergraduate English.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Application for Summer/Fall admission must be complete by March 1. Application for Spring admission must be complete by October 1. Those seeking teaching assistantships must apply by February 1 for the following Fall semester. All application materials, including the assistantship application, should be sent directly to the College of Graduate Studies.

Applicant must

1. submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
2. submit three letters of recommendation from professors or professionals that address the applicant's potential to successfully complete an M.A. program in English;
3. submit official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (English subject test optional);
4. submit official transcripts of all previous college work;
5. submit a 500-word statement of purpose outlining academic interests and professional goals.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts in English requires 30 hours coursework including three credit hours of thesis research or 33 hours for students choosing the portfolio option.

Candidate must

1. successfully complete a directed portfolio (ENGL 6913) if in the non-thesis option;
2. successfully complete and defend a thesis (ENGL 6640) if in the thesis option.

Curriculum: English

Candidate must complete 30 hours (thesis option) or 33 hours (directed portfolio option) in the one of the following emphases:

Literary Studies, choosing one of two options

M.A. with Thesis (30 hours)

Core Requirements (6 hours)

• ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research

  3credit hours

  Literary scholarship: its nature and scope; traditional and modern methods; the definition and solution of research problems; the production of literary scholarship. Required of all master's students enrolling in English.

• ENGL 6701 - History of Criticism  3 credit hours  OR 
  

  ENGL 6701 - History of Criticism

  3credit hours

  Examines significant critical movements in Western literature from classical times into the twenty-first century.

• ENGL 6705 - Contemporary Critical Theory  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6705 - Contemporary Critical Theory

  3credit hours

  Covers major critical trends in literary theory since 1965, including feminist, Marxist, structuralist, and deconstructive approaches to literature. Students explore background and implications of these theories and analyze selected works of literature in light of these approaches.

Distribution Requirements (12 hours)

• British or American literature up to 1700 3 credit hours
• British or American literature from 1700 to 1900 3 credit hours
• British or American literature since 1900 3 credit hours
• Global literatures in English 3 credit hours

Electives (9 hours)

May be fulfilled by any combination of English courses. One 5000-level Foreign Language for Reading Knowledge course may be used as an elective. Students are expected to take 3 credit hours of directed reading and research (ENGL 6901) with their proposed thesis director the semester before enrolling for thesis hours.

Thesis (3 hours)

At least 3 credit hours of ENGL 6640 - Thesis Research must be completed with a grade of S, and the completed thesis must be successfully defended and accepted by the College of Graduate Studies.

M.A. with Portfolio (33 hours)

Core Requirements (6 hours)

• ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research

  3credit hours

  Literary scholarship: its nature and scope; traditional and modern methods; the definition and solution of research problems; the production of literary scholarship. Required of all master's students enrolling in English.

• ENGL 6701 - History of Criticism  3 credit hours  OR 
  

  ENGL 6701 - History of Criticism

  3credit hours

  Examines significant critical movements in Western literature from classical times into the twenty-first century.

• ENGL 6705 - Contemporary Critical Theory  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6705 - Contemporary Critical Theory

  3credit hours

  Covers major critical trends in literary theory since 1965, including feminist, Marxist, structuralist, and deconstructive approaches to literature. Students explore background and implications of these theories and analyze selected works of literature in light of these approaches.

Distribution Requirements (12 hours)

• British or American literature up to 1700 3 credit hours
• British or American literature from 1700 to 1900 3 credit hours
• British or American literature since 1900 3 credit hours
• Global literatures in English 3 credit hours

Electives (12 hours)

May be fulfilled by any combination of English courses. One 5000-level Foreign Language for Reading Knowledge course may be used as an elective.

Directed Portfolio (3 hours)

Three credit hours of ENGL 6913 must be completed with a grade of S. The  portfolio is made up of three course papers revised according to the recommendations of the assigning professors into short essays appropriate for submission to relevant academic journals and an essay of at least 1,500 words addressing the choice of essays and reflecting on the process of revising them into publishable articles. Final submission of the portfolio to the English Office of Graduate Programs should include the originally assigned papers, the revised articles, the reflective essay, and a sign-off sheet for each paper signed by the assigning professor attesting the professor's satisfaction with the revisions.

Language and Writing Studies with Thesis (30 hours)

Core Requirements (6 hours)

• ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research

  3credit hours

  Literary scholarship: its nature and scope; traditional and modern methods; the definition and solution of research problems; the production of literary scholarship. Required of all master's students enrolling in English.

• ENGL 6801 - History of Rhetoric: Ancient to Renaissance  3 credit hours  OR 
  

  ENGL 6801 - History of Rhetoric: Ancient to Renaissance

  3credit hours

  An examination of the major theorists and themes, including literary and pedagogical implications, from the ancient period to the Renaissance.

• ENGL 6805 - History of Rhetoric: Early Modern to Contemporary  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6805 - History of Rhetoric: Early Modern to Contemporary

  3credit hours

  An examination of major theorists and themes, including literary and pedagogical implications, from early modern period to the present.

Required Courses in the Concentration (12 hours)

• ENGL 6821 - Seminar in Teaching Composition  3 credit hours  OR 
  

  ENGL 6821 - Seminar in Teaching Composition

  3credit hours

  Open only to first-year teaching assistants or with consent of instructor.

• ENGL 5540 - Approaches to Teaching ESL Grammar and Writing  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 5540 - Approaches to Teaching ESL Grammar and Writing

  3credit hours

  Prerequisite: ENGL 4510/ENGL 5510. A survey of the background and basic methods needed to teach English grammar and composition to students for whom English is a second language. Emphasizes understanding the problems nonnative speakers face and developing techniques for helping nonnative speakers express themselves in written English.

• ENGL 6651 - Essentials of Linguistics  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6651 - Essentials of Linguistics

  3credit hours

  Major linguistic approaches to the study of language-dominant trends and current issues in linguistics; the phonological, morphological, and syntactic structure of the English language.

• ENGL 6811 - Studies in Composition and Rhetoric  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6811 - Studies in Composition and Rhetoric

  3credit hours

  An introduction to the intellectual foundations of composition studies focusing on influential theories as well as the field's intellectual and disciplinary history.

• ENGL 6815 - Special Topics in Composition and Rhetoric  3 credit hours  OR 
  

  ENGL 6815 - Special Topics in Composition and Rhetoric

  3credit hours

  Intensive examination of themes, periods, figures, and texts in composition and/or rhetoric. Subject will vary with instructor. May be taken for multiple credit up to 9 hours.

• ENGL 6611 - Special Topics in Literature and Language  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6611 - Special Topics in Literature and Language

  3credit hours

  A specialized field of literary or linguistic inquiry, its bibliography, critical problems, and probable solutions. Topics vary with the professor assigned to the course. May be taken for multiple credit up to 9 hours.

Electives (9 hours)

• ENGL 6801 - History of Rhetoric: Ancient to Renaissance  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6801 - History of Rhetoric: Ancient to Renaissance

  3credit hours

  An examination of the major theorists and themes, including literary and pedagogical implications, from the ancient period to the Renaissance.

• ENGL 6805 - History of Rhetoric: Early Modern to Contemporary  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6805 - History of Rhetoric: Early Modern to Contemporary

  3credit hours

  An examination of major theorists and themes, including literary and pedagogical implications, from early modern period to the present.

• ENGL 6655 - Special Topics in the History of the English Language  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6655 - Special Topics in the History of the English Language

  3credit hours

  Advanced study of various aspects of the English language from its beginnings in Proto-Indo-European to the present day (writing systems, Indo-European, phonology, morphology, syntax, lexicon, stylistics, semantics, etc.). Subject will vary with instructor.

• ENGL 6851 - Writing Center Theory  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6851 - Writing Center Theory

  3credit hours

  Examines the theoretical and practical components of writing center work, including collaborative, composition, learning, writing center, and postmodern theories. Open to all graduate students.

• ENGL 6825 - Practicum in Composition Methodology  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6825 - Practicum in Composition Methodology

  3credit hours

  In-depth study of how composition theory and research inform methodology. Topics covered vary according to interests of instructor and students.

• One 5000-level Foreign Language for Reading Knowledge course 3 credit hours

Culminating Project/Thesis (3 hours)

Either a thesis ( ENGL 6640 - Thesis Research) or a culminating project in which the student revises a seminar paper into an essay appropriate for submission to relevant academic journals. The revised paper must be accompanied by a rhetorical analysis of the target journal, a process narrative discussion the student's writing process, and a reflection piece articulating what the student learned through the process.

Language and Writing Studies with Portfolio (33 hours)

Core Requirements (6 hours)

• ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research

  3credit hours

  Literary scholarship: its nature and scope; traditional and modern methods; the definition and solution of research problems; the production of literary scholarship. Required of all master's students enrolling in English.

• ENGL 6801 - History of Rhetoric: Ancient to Renaissance  3 credit hours  OR 
  

  ENGL 6801 - History of Rhetoric: Ancient to Renaissance

  3credit hours

  An examination of the major theorists and themes, including literary and pedagogical implications, from the ancient period to the Renaissance.

• ENGL 6805 - History of Rhetoric: Early Modern to Contemporary  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6805 - History of Rhetoric: Early Modern to Contemporary

  3credit hours

  An examination of major theorists and themes, including literary and pedagogical implications, from early modern period to the present.

Required Courses in the Concentration (12 hours)

• ENGL 6821 - Seminar in Teaching Composition  3 credit hours  OR 
  

  ENGL 6821 - Seminar in Teaching Composition

  3credit hours

  Open only to first-year teaching assistants or with consent of instructor.

• ENGL 5540 - Approaches to Teaching ESL Grammar and Writing  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 5540 - Approaches to Teaching ESL Grammar and Writing

  3credit hours

  Prerequisite: ENGL 4510/ENGL 5510. A survey of the background and basic methods needed to teach English grammar and composition to students for whom English is a second language. Emphasizes understanding the problems nonnative speakers face and developing techniques for helping nonnative speakers express themselves in written English.

• ENGL 6651 - Essentials of Linguistics  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6651 - Essentials of Linguistics

  3credit hours

  Major linguistic approaches to the study of language-dominant trends and current issues in linguistics; the phonological, morphological, and syntactic structure of the English language.

• ENGL 6811 - Studies in Composition and Rhetoric  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6811 - Studies in Composition and Rhetoric

  3credit hours

  An introduction to the intellectual foundations of composition studies focusing on influential theories as well as the field's intellectual and disciplinary history.

• ENGL 6815 - Special Topics in Composition and Rhetoric  3 credit hours  OR 
  

  ENGL 6815 - Special Topics in Composition and Rhetoric

  3credit hours

  Intensive examination of themes, periods, figures, and texts in composition and/or rhetoric. Subject will vary with instructor. May be taken for multiple credit up to 9 hours.

• ENGL 6611 - Special Topics in Literature and Language  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6611 - Special Topics in Literature and Language

  3credit hours

  A specialized field of literary or linguistic inquiry, its bibliography, critical problems, and probable solutions. Topics vary with the professor assigned to the course. May be taken for multiple credit up to 9 hours.

Electives (12 hours)

• ENGL 6801 - History of Rhetoric: Ancient to Renaissance  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6801 - History of Rhetoric: Ancient to Renaissance

  3credit hours

  An examination of the major theorists and themes, including literary and pedagogical implications, from the ancient period to the Renaissance.

• ENGL 6805 - History of Rhetoric: Early Modern to Contemporary  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6805 - History of Rhetoric: Early Modern to Contemporary

  3credit hours

  An examination of major theorists and themes, including literary and pedagogical implications, from early modern period to the present.

• ENGL 6655 - Special Topics in the History of the English Language  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6655 - Special Topics in the History of the English Language

  3credit hours

  Advanced study of various aspects of the English language from its beginnings in Proto-Indo-European to the present day (writing systems, Indo-European, phonology, morphology, syntax, lexicon, stylistics, semantics, etc.). Subject will vary with instructor.

• ENGL 6851 - Writing Center Theory  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6851 - Writing Center Theory

  3credit hours

  Examines the theoretical and practical components of writing center work, including collaborative, composition, learning, writing center, and postmodern theories. Open to all graduate students.

• ENGL 6825 - Practicum in Composition Methodology  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6825 - Practicum in Composition Methodology

  3credit hours

  In-depth study of how composition theory and research inform methodology. Topics covered vary according to interests of instructor and students.

• One 5000-level Foreign Language for Reading Knowledge course 3 credit hours

Directed Portfolio (3 hours)

Three credit hours of ENGL 6913 must be completed with a grade of S. The  portfolio is made up of three course papers revised according to the recommendations of the assigning professors into short essays appropriate for submission to relevant academic journals and an essay of at least 1,500 words addressing the choice of essays and reflecting on the process of revising them into publishable articles. Final submission of the portfolio to the English Office of Graduate Programs should include the originally assigned papers, the revised articles, the reflective essay, and a sign-off sheet for each paper signed by the assigning professor attesting the professor's satisfaction with the revisions.

Teaching Writing and Literature with Thesis (30 hours)

Core Requirements (6 hours)

• ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research

  3credit hours

  Literary scholarship: its nature and scope; traditional and modern methods; the definition and solution of research problems; the production of literary scholarship. Required of all master's students enrolling in English.

• ENGL 6701 - History of Criticism  3 credit hours  OR 
  

  ENGL 6701 - History of Criticism

  3credit hours

  Examines significant critical movements in Western literature from classical times into the twenty-first century.

• ENGL 6705 - Contemporary Critical Theory  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6705 - Contemporary Critical Theory

  3credit hours

  Covers major critical trends in literary theory since 1965, including feminist, Marxist, structuralist, and deconstructive approaches to literature. Students explore background and implications of these theories and analyze selected works of literature in light of these approaches.

Required Courses in the Concentration (12 hours)

• ENGL 6651 - Essentials of Linguistics  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6651 - Essentials of Linguistics

  3credit hours

  Major linguistic approaches to the study of language-dominant trends and current issues in linguistics; the phonological, morphological, and syntactic structure of the English language.

• ENGL 6821 - Seminar in Teaching Composition  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6821 - Seminar in Teaching Composition

  3credit hours

  Open only to first-year teaching assistants or with consent of instructor.

• ENGL 6881 - Seminar in Teaching of Literature  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6881 - Seminar in Teaching of Literature

  3credit hours

  Recommended for second-year teaching assistants and others interested in teaching literature.

• ENGL 6801 - History of Rhetoric: Ancient to Renaissance  3 credit hours  OR 
  

  ENGL 6801 - History of Rhetoric: Ancient to Renaissance

  3credit hours

  An examination of the major theorists and themes, including literary and pedagogical implications, from the ancient period to the Renaissance.

• ENGL 6805 - History of Rhetoric: Early Modern to Contemporary  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6805 - History of Rhetoric: Early Modern to Contemporary

  3credit hours

  An examination of major theorists and themes, including literary and pedagogical implications, from early modern period to the present.

Electives (9 hours)

From any 6000-level English classes or one 5000-level English class. One 5000-level Foreign Language for Reading Knowledge course may be used as an elective.

Capstone Project/Thesis (3 hours)

At least 3 credit hours of ENGL 6640 must be completed with a grade of S, and the completed thesis must be successfully defended and accepted by the College of Graduate Studies. The thesis may be a conventional academic investigation or it may be a hybrid pedagogical project involving classroom research/inquiry supported by scholarly research.

Teaching Writing and Literature with Portfolio (33 hours)

Core Requirements (6 hours)

• ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research

  3credit hours

  Literary scholarship: its nature and scope; traditional and modern methods; the definition and solution of research problems; the production of literary scholarship. Required of all master's students enrolling in English.

• ENGL 6701 - History of Criticism  3 credit hours  OR 
  

  ENGL 6701 - History of Criticism

  3credit hours

  Examines significant critical movements in Western literature from classical times into the twenty-first century.

• ENGL 6705 - Contemporary Critical Theory  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6705 - Contemporary Critical Theory

  3credit hours

  Covers major critical trends in literary theory since 1965, including feminist, Marxist, structuralist, and deconstructive approaches to literature. Students explore background and implications of these theories and analyze selected works of literature in light of these approaches.

Required Courses in the Concentration (12 hours)

• ENGL 6651 - Essentials of Linguistics  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6651 - Essentials of Linguistics

  3credit hours

  Major linguistic approaches to the study of language-dominant trends and current issues in linguistics; the phonological, morphological, and syntactic structure of the English language.

• ENGL 6821 - Seminar in Teaching Composition  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6821 - Seminar in Teaching Composition

  3credit hours

  Open only to first-year teaching assistants or with consent of instructor.

• ENGL 6881 - Seminar in Teaching of Literature  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6881 - Seminar in Teaching of Literature

  3credit hours

  Recommended for second-year teaching assistants and others interested in teaching literature.

• ENGL 6801 - History of Rhetoric: Ancient to Renaissance  3 credit hours  OR 
  

  ENGL 6801 - History of Rhetoric: Ancient to Renaissance

  3credit hours

  An examination of the major theorists and themes, including literary and pedagogical implications, from the ancient period to the Renaissance.

• ENGL 6805 - History of Rhetoric: Early Modern to Contemporary  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6805 - History of Rhetoric: Early Modern to Contemporary

  3credit hours

  An examination of major theorists and themes, including literary and pedagogical implications, from early modern period to the present.

Electives (12 hours)

From any 6000-level English classes or one 5000-level English class. One 5000-level Foreign Language for Reading Knowledge course may be used as an elective.

Directed Portfolio (3 hours)

Three credit hours of ENGL 6913 must be completed with a grade of S. The  portfolio is made up of three course papers revised according to the recommendations of the assigning professors into short essays appropriate for submission to relevant academic journals and an essay of at least 1,500 words addressing the choice of essays and reflecting on the process of revising them into publishable articles. Final submission of the portfolio to the English Office of Graduate Programs should include the originally assigned papers, the revised articles, the reflective essay, and a sign-off sheet for each paper signed by the assigning professor attesting the professor's satisfaction with the revisions.

Popular Culture/Culture Studies (30 hours)

Core Requirements (6 hours)

• ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research

  3credit hours

  Literary scholarship: its nature and scope; traditional and modern methods; the definition and solution of research problems; the production of literary scholarship. Required of all master's students enrolling in English.

• ENGL 6701 - History of Criticism  3 credit hours  OR 
  

  ENGL 6701 - History of Criticism

  3credit hours

  Examines significant critical movements in Western literature from classical times into the twenty-first century.

• ENGL 6705 - Contemporary Critical Theory  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6705 - Contemporary Critical Theory

  3credit hours

  Covers major critical trends in literary theory since 1965, including feminist, Marxist, structuralist, and deconstructive approaches to literature. Students explore background and implications of these theories and analyze selected works of literature in light of these approaches.

Required Courses in the Concentration (12 hours)

• ENGL 6511 - History of Children's Literature  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6511 - History of Children's Literature

  3credit hours

  History of British and American literature for children and analysis of issues in the field.

• ENGL 6515 - Special Topics in Children's and Adolescent Literature  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6515 - Special Topics in Children's and Adolescent Literature

  3credit hours

  Selected genre, period, ethnicity, tradition, or literary focus on children's and/or young adult literature. Subject will vary with instructor. May be taken for multiple credit up to 9 hours.

• ENGL 6551 - Popular Culture Studies  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6551 - Popular Culture Studies

  3credit hours

  Major trends and significant debates in the development of popular culture theory and criticism.

• ENGL 6301 - Postcolonial Literature and Theory  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6301 - Postcolonial Literature and Theory

  3credit hours

  Introduces postcolonial studies through an exploration of seminal literary and critical writings in the field. Primary focus on the critical thought and discursive practices that define postcolonial discourse and their application to literature that engages issues of colonialism, its aftermath, and other forms of imperialism.

• ENGL 6555 - Special Topics in Popular Culture Studies  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6555 - Special Topics in Popular Culture Studies

  3credit hours

  A theme, genre, period, text, or artist in one or more popular cultural media. Subject will vary each time the course is taught. May be taken for multiple credit up to 9 hours.

• ENGL 6711 - Reading Postmodernism  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6711 - Reading Postmodernism

  3credit hours

  Theoretical discourse which works to define the cultural mindset known as postmodernism. Theories examined will be applied to examples of postmodern literature, film, and/or television. Topics emphasized include the instability of social and cultural categories, the dissolving boundaries between high and low culture and art, and the subversion of realist narrative strategies.

• ENGL 6715 - Studies in Narratology  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6715 - Studies in Narratology

  3credit hours

  Examines modern and contemporary theories of narrative (modernist, rhetorical, structuralist, dialogical) with particular application to selected authors and texts.

• ENGL 6805 - History of Rhetoric: Early Modern to Contemporary  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6805 - History of Rhetoric: Early Modern to Contemporary

  3credit hours

  An examination of major theorists and themes, including literary and pedagogical implications, from early modern period to the present.

• ENGL 6571 - Studies in Folklore  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6571 - Studies in Folklore

  3credit hours

  Study of folklore with focus on the history of the discipline.

• ENGL 6575 - Special Topics in Folklore  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6575 - Special Topics in Folklore

  3credit hours

  Selected area of folklore: folk narrative, folklore and literature, folk song, folk religion, proverb, or folklore of a particular group. May be taken for multiple credit up to 9 hours.

• ENGL 6561 - Film Studies  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6561 - Film Studies

  3credit hours

  Covers such topics as the film text, adaptation, narratology, genres, ideology, authorship, theory, history, schools, movements, national cinemas, and film audiences.

• ENGL 6565 - Special Topics in Film Studies  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 6565 - Special Topics in Film Studies

  3credit hours

  Examines a theme, genre, director, period, school or movement, national cinema, etc. Subject will vary each time course is taught. May be taken for multiple credit up to 9 hours.

• WGST 6000 - Feminist Theory  3 credit hours  
  

  WGST 6000 - Feminist Theory

  3credit hours

  Study of selected theorists with a focus on the way women's voices contribute to the social, political, and ideological discourses addressing fundamental issues in sex and gender reflected in culture across time; how the contributions of feminist theory interact with ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic class and shape personal experience.

Electives (9 hours)

From any 6000-level English classes or one 5000-level English class. One 5000-level Foreign Language for Reading Knowledge course may be used as an elective.

Thesis (3 hours)

At least 3 credit hours of ENGL 6640 - Thesis Research must be completed with a grade of S, and the completed thesis must be successfully defended and accepted by the College of Graduate Studies.

Open Degree Plan (30-33 hours)

M.A. with Thesis (30 hours)

Students choosing this option take 30 hours of coursework including ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research. At least 3 credit hours of ENGL 6640 - Thesis Research must be completed with a grade of S, and the completed thesis must be successfully defended and accepted by the College of Graduate Studies.

M.A. with Portfolio (33 hours)

Students taking this option take 30 hours of coursework including ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research plus a minimum of 3 hours of ENGL 6913 - Directed Portfolio, completed with a grade of S. The portfolio is made up of three course papers revised according to the recommendations of the assigning professors into short essays appropriate for submission to relevant academic journals and an essay of at least 1,500 words addressing the choice of essays and reflecting on the process of revising them into publishable articles. Final submission of the portfolio to the English Office of Graduate Programs should include the originally assigned papers, the revised articles, the reflective essay, and a sign-off sheet for each paper signed by the assigning professor attesting the professor's satisfaction with the revisions.

Graduate Assistant Requirements

Graduate teaching assistants are required to take ENGL 6821 - Seminar in Teaching Composition in their first year of the program.

Program Notes

Candidate must

1. file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to entry into the program;
2. file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term in which the student intends to graduate.

English, Ph.D.

Kevin Donovan, Program Director
(615) 898-2665
Kevin.Donovan@mtsu.edu

The  Department of English offers the Master of Arts, the Doctor of Philosophy, and a minor at the graduate level.

Graduate study in English is primarily an engagement in the deep and intense study of literature and language, theory, and writing, undertaken for the special pleasure in knowledge and understanding of the world and its semiotic systems that such studies bring. It also provides preparation and training for careers within and without the academy.

The Ph.D. in English offers a generalist program that allows for specialization in a number of areas, including American Literature; Anglophone Literature; British Literature; Children's and Young Adult Literature; Folklore; Linguistics; Literary Theory; Popular Culture and Film; and Rhetoric, Composition, and Pedagogy. Courses are designed as seminars, and graduate students may expect highly individualized attention from the graduate faculty.

Please see undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.

Admission Requirements

Admissions decisions are based on the department's judgment of the applicant's capacity, suitability, and preparation for graduate study.  Admission to graduate study is not automatically guaranteed by meeting minimum admission requirements.

Candidates will be expected to have completed at least 30 semester hours of English at the undergraduate level. Applicants without an M.A. will be expected to have completed at least 20 hours of graduate coursework in English.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Application for Summer/Fall admission must be complete by March 1. Application for Spring admission must be complete by October 1. Those seeking teaching assistantships must apply by February 1 for the following Fall semester. All application materials, including the assistantship application, should be sent directly to the College of Graduate Studies.

Applicant must

1. submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
2. submit three letters of recommendation from professors or professionals that address the applicant's potential to successfully complete a Ph.D. program in English;
3. submit official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (English subject test optional);
4. submit official transcripts of all previous college work;
5. submit a 500-word statement of purpose outlining academic interests and professional goals.

Degree Requirements

The Doctor of Philosophy in English requires 60 hours.

Candidate must

1. demonstrate a reading knowledge of one foreign language. (Committees may require more than one language.) The language requirement must be fulfilled in one of the following ways:
   1. completing two 3-hour foreign language courses of 3000- or 4000-level work emphasizing reading, translation, or composition;
   2. earning a final grade of A or B in a foreign language course numbered 5990 or in SPAN 5920;
   3. passing a reading examination administered by the World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Department;
   4. earning a final grade of B or better in both ENGL 7011 - Old English Language and Literature and ENGL 7015 - Beowulf, which must be taken sequentially; or
   5. meeting this requirement at the M.A. level.
2. successfully complete a qualifying exam, comprehensive in scope, before the completion of two semesters of coursework above the M.A. level (12 hours of 7000-level work). Ph.D. students must pass this exam in order to proceed in their program. (The examination may be taken no more than twice.)
3. upon the completion of coursework, successfully complete two written Ph.D. exams in chosen concentrations from among the following areas: Old and Middle English Literature; Early Modern British Literature (1500-Milton); Restoration and 18th Century British Literature; Long 19th Century British Literature (1770-1900): 20th Century and Contemporary British Literature; Early American Literature (through 1900); 20th Century and Contemporary American Literature; Anglophone Literature; Children's and Young Adult Literature; Composition and Rhetoric; Popular Culture and Film; Criticism and Critical Theory; Folklore; and Linguistics. An oral exam will be given upon the successful completion of each written exam.
4. complete a dissertation (12 hours minimum) and oral dissertation defense.

Curriculum: English

All Ph.D. candidates must complete the following course of study:

Core Courses (6 hours)

• ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research  3 credit hours  OR 
  

  ENGL 6001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research

  3credit hours

  Literary scholarship: its nature and scope; traditional and modern methods; the definition and solution of research problems; the production of literary scholarship. Required of all master's students enrolling in English.

• ENGL 7001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7001 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research

  3credit hours

  Literary scholarship: its nature and scope; traditional and modern methods; the definition and solution of research problems; the production of literary scholarship. Required of all master's students enrolling in English.

• ENGL 7701 - History of Criticism  3 credit hours  OR 
  

  ENGL 7701 - History of Criticism

  3credit hours

  Examines significant critical movements in Western literature from classical times into the twenty-first century.

• ENGL 7705 - Contemporary Critical Theory  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7705 - Contemporary Critical Theory

  3credit hours

  Covers major critical trends in literary theory since 1965, including feminist, Marxist, structuralist, and deconstructive approaches to literature. Students explore background and implications of these theories and analyze selected works of literature in light of these approaches.

One course from each of the following groups (9 hours)

British Literature through the Renaissance

• ENGL 7011 - Old English Language and Literature  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7011 - Old English Language and Literature

  3credit hours

  Introduction to Old English language (grammar, phonology, syntax, and vocabulary) and literature (poetry and prose) and to the historical and cultural background of the Anglo-Saxon period.

• ENGL 7015 - Beowulf  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7015 - Beowulf

  3credit hours

  Prerequisite: ENGL 7011. Intensive line-by-line study of Beowulf in Old English, with special emphasis on its sources and analogues, significant criticism, and current dating studies of the poem.

• ENGL 7025 - Chaucer Seminar  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7025 - Chaucer Seminar

  3credit hours

  Close study of Chaucer's major and minor works in Middle English, with attention to Chaucer's historical and cultural context (including his sources) and to significant scholarly criticism.

• ENGL 7021 - Middle English Language and Literature  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7021 - Middle English Language and Literature

  3credit hours

  A study of Middle English literary types (in poetry, prose, and drama) and of the major authors and texts of the Middle English period. Includes study of Middle English dialects.

• ENGL 7051 - Studies in Early English Drama, Excluding Shakespeare: 900-1642  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7051 - Studies in Early English Drama, Excluding Shakespeare: 900-1642

  3credit hours

  Advanced study of the origin and development of English drama, emphasizing Elizabethan and Jacobean drama and the contributions of Shakespeare's contemporaries and successors.

• ENGL 7105 - Spenser Seminar  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7105 - Spenser Seminar

  3credit hours

  Seeks to develop an understanding of individual works in Edmund Spenser's oeuvre and some sense of their place in the larger cultural systems of the sixteenth century. Philosophical meditations, pastoral eclogues, shorter poems are engaged fully to consider Spenser's range and engagement with lyric forms, as well as complete study of his major works, The Faerie Queene.

• ENGL 7101 - Studies in Sixteenth-Century English Prose and Poetry  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7101 - Studies in Sixteenth-Century English Prose and Poetry

  3credit hours

  Considers works of prose, fiction, romance, and poetry of the sixteenth-century to investigate changing vocabularies, genres, and literary practices that emerge in the Renaissance in response to various cultural, social, and historical pressures.

• ENGL 7111 - Studies in Seventeenth-Century English Prose and Poetry  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7111 - Studies in Seventeenth-Century English Prose and Poetry

  3credit hours

  Selected nondramatic literature of the century, with primary emphasis on the seventeenth century before the Restoration. Included are Donne, Herbert, and the metaphysical poets and Jonson and the Cavalier poets.

• ENGL 7121 - Studies in Milton  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7121 - Studies in Milton

  3credit hours

  The major poetry of John Milton, including "Lycidas," Paradise Lost, Samson Agonistes, and Paradise Regained.

• ENGL 7115 - Studies in Shakespeare  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7115 - Studies in Shakespeare

  3credit hours

  Advanced study of Shakespeare's poems and plays, emphasizing poetic and dramatic techniques in his works and critical reaction to those works.

Other courses when appropriate:

• ENGL 7171 - Major British Writers  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7171 - Major British Writers

  3credit hours

  An in-depth study of one, two, or three British writers. Course varies according to interests of instructor and students. May be taken for multiple credit up to 6 hours.

• ENGL 7415 - Special Topics in Women's Literature  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7415 - Special Topics in Women's Literature

  3credit hours

  Study of selected women authors with a focus on the way women's voices contribute to literary discourse. Subject will vary with instructor. May be taken for multiple credit up to 9 hours.

• ENGL 7611 - Special Topics in Literature and Language  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7611 - Special Topics in Literature and Language

  3credit hours

  A specialized field of literary or linguistic inquiry, its bibliography, critical problems, and probable solutions. Topics vary with the professor assigned to the course. May be taken for multiple credit up to 9 hours.

• ENGL 7901 - Directed Reading and Research  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7901 - Directed Reading and Research

  3credit hours

  Prerequisite: Permission of the director of graduate studies. Individually supervised reading and research either in a historical period of English or American literature or in a major literary genre. Students may take no more than three directed reading courses.

British Literature since the Renaissance

• ENGL 7131 - Studies in Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Literature  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7131 - Studies in Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Literature

  3credit hours

  Designed to give students a definite critical knowledge of the major literary works of Restoration and eighteenth-century England, 1660-1800. Course may focus on either drama, poetry, or prose or a combination.

• ENGL 7141 - Studies in English Romanticism: Wordsworth and Coleridge  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7141 - Studies in English Romanticism: Wordsworth and Coleridge

  3credit hours

  Covers the major lyrical and narrative poetry of Wordsworth and Coleridge as well as select prose, e.g., Wordsworth's Preface to the second edition of Lyrical Ballads and Coleridge's Biogaphia Literaria.

• ENGL 7145 - Studies in English Romanticism: Shelley, Byron, and Keats  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7145 - Studies in English Romanticism: Shelley, Byron, and Keats

  3credit hours

  Covers the major lyrical, narrative, and dramatic poetry of the three principal younger generation Romantics as well as select prose, e.g., Shelley's A Defence of Poetry and Keats's letters.

• ENGL 7151 - Studies in Victorian Literature  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7151 - Studies in Victorian Literature

  3credit hours

  Intellectual backgrounds of the Victorian period; major prose writers: Macaulay, Carlyle, Newman, Mill, Ruskin, Arnold, Pater; major poets: Tennyson, Browning, Arnold.

• ENGL 7161 - Modern British Literature  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7161 - Modern British Literature

  3credit hours

  Intellectual backgrounds of modern British literature; major novelists: Forster, Woolf, Joyce, Lawrence; major poets: Yeats, Eliot, Auden, Thomas; selected minor writers.

Other courses when appropriate:

• ENGL 7171 - Major British Writers  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7171 - Major British Writers

  3credit hours

  An in-depth study of one, two, or three British writers. Course varies according to interests of instructor and students. May be taken for multiple credit up to 6 hours.

• ENGL 7415 - Special Topics in Women's Literature  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7415 - Special Topics in Women's Literature

  3credit hours

  Study of selected women authors with a focus on the way women's voices contribute to literary discourse. Subject will vary with instructor. May be taken for multiple credit up to 9 hours.

• ENGL 7601 - Studies in the Novel  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7601 - Studies in the Novel

  3credit hours

  The novel as a literary genre may be approached from a variety of perspectives, including generic, historical, theoretical, or single-author approaches. Course varies according to interests of instructor and students.

• ENGL 7611 - Special Topics in Literature and Language  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7611 - Special Topics in Literature and Language

  3credit hours

  A specialized field of literary or linguistic inquiry, its bibliography, critical problems, and probable solutions. Topics vary with the professor assigned to the course. May be taken for multiple credit up to 9 hours.

• ENGL 7901 - Directed Reading and Research  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7901 - Directed Reading and Research

  3credit hours

  Prerequisite: Permission of the director of graduate studies. Individually supervised reading and research either in a historical period of English or American literature or in a major literary genre. Students may take no more than three directed reading courses.

American Literature

• ENGL 7221 - African American Literature  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7221 - African American Literature

  3credit hours

  An in-depth study of the African American literary tradition with emphasis on significant authors, genres, texts, and contexts.

• ENGL 7225 - Studies in Southern Literature  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7225 - Studies in Southern Literature

  3credit hours

  Themes, theories, movements, and types of literature produced in the American South with particular emphasis on selected authors and texts.

• ENGL 7201 - Studies in American Literature to 1800  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7201 - Studies in American Literature to 1800

  3credit hours

  Surveys literature associated with the discovery and colonization of America from the first recorded European encounters with the New World until just after the founding of the United States. The readings represent a rich variety of genres (reports, letters, poetry, histories, journals/diaries, autobiographies, sermons, novels, slave/captivity narratives, trickster tales, drama, etc.) in accordance with the broad definition of literature characteristic of the period.

• ENGL 7205 - Studies in American Literature: 1800-1860  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7205 - Studies in American Literature: 1800-1860

  3credit hours

  Surveys literature associated with the Romantic period in American literary history, from the beginning of the nineteenth century through the 1860's.  Writing across a variety of genres including essays, short stories, poetry, novels, and slave narratives. Authors of this era answered the calls that had been made since the nation was founded for an artistically sophisticated and distinctive national literature.

• ENGL 7211 - Studies in American Literature: 1860-1910  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7211 - Studies in American Literature: 1860-1910

  3credit hours

  Covers the development of American literature from roughly the Civil War to World War I, including the rise of realism, naturalism, regionalism, and local color. Considers historical and cultural contexts.

• ENGL 7215 - Studies in American Literature: 1910-1950  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7215 - Studies in American Literature: 1910-1950

  3credit hours

  Covers the rise of American modernism, including experiments in fiction, drama, and verse; considers the phenomenon of expatriation, the radical visions of the depression decade, and the literary experience of the two world wars.

• ENGL 7401 - Studies in Contemporary Literature  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7401 - Studies in Contemporary Literature

  3credit hours

  Intellectual backgrounds of contemporary literature; significant developments in fiction, nonfictional prose, poetry, and drama.

Other courses when appropriate:

• ENGL 7231 - Major American Writers  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7231 - Major American Writers

  3credit hours

  An in-depth study of one, two, or three American writers. Course varies according to interests of instructor and students. May be taken for multiple credit up to 6 hours.

• ENGL 7415 - Special Topics in Women's Literature  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7415 - Special Topics in Women's Literature

  3credit hours

  Study of selected women authors with a focus on the way women's voices contribute to literary discourse. Subject will vary with instructor. May be taken for multiple credit up to 9 hours.

• ENGL 7601 - Studies in the Novel  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7601 - Studies in the Novel

  3credit hours

  The novel as a literary genre may be approached from a variety of perspectives, including generic, historical, theoretical, or single-author approaches. Course varies according to interests of instructor and students.

• ENGL 7611 - Special Topics in Literature and Language  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7611 - Special Topics in Literature and Language

  3credit hours

  A specialized field of literary or linguistic inquiry, its bibliography, critical problems, and probable solutions. Topics vary with the professor assigned to the course. May be taken for multiple credit up to 9 hours.

• ENGL 7901 - Directed Reading and Research  3 credit hours  
  

  ENGL 7901 - Directed Reading and Research

  3credit hours

  Prerequisite: Permission of the director of graduate studies. Individually supervised reading and research either in a historical period of English or American literature or in a major literary genre. Students may take no more than three directed reading courses.

Electives (33 hours)

Chosen from the above courses or any other English graduate courses to complete the required number of hours.

Cognate Option (6-9 hours)

The cognate option in the Ph.D. degree plan allows doctoral students to take graduate-level courses (6000 and 7000 level) in other disciplines related to their areas of concentration or professional goals that would apply as electives toward the degree in English. The cognate option is limited to a minimum of six (6) hours and a maximum of nine (9) hours. Courses taken in other departments beyond the nine hours for the cognate may not apply toward the Ph.D. in English, even as elective hours. Likewise courses taken outside the department by students who have not declared a cognate or received permission of the graduate advisor or program director will not count as credits toward the degree. 

Dissertation (12 hours)

• ENGL 7640 - Dissertation Research  1 to 6 credit hours  (12 hours minimum) 
  

  ENGL 7640 - Dissertation Research

  1 to 6credit hours

  Selection of a research problem, review of pertinent literature, collection and analysis of data, and composition of dissertation. Once enrolled, student should register for at least one credit hour of doctoral research each semester until completion. S/U grading.

Program Notes

Candidate must

1. file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to entry into the program;
2. file an approved Advancement to Candidacy form listing the members of the candidate's doctoral committee with the Graduate Office upon successful completion of the written and oral preliminary examination;
3. file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term in which the student intends to graduate.