For more information on this program, contact Dr. Joseph McCarren by e-mail or by calling (724) 738-2868.

Degree Course Requirements.  The College offers two different tracks toward a master of arts in English designed to prepare students for greater competencies in English language and literature:  the traditional and the professional writing tracks.

Traditional Track:

Students choose between a thesis option and a non-thesis option, choosing one of the two following course distributions:

Thesis option:

(33 semester hours)

• 3 semester hours: Thesis and Oral Defense
• 9 semester hours: Core
• 21 semester hours: Elective

Non-thesis option:

(36 semester hours)

• 6 semester hours: Seminars
• 9 semester hours: Core
• 21 semester hours: Elective

Within these, all students complete 9 hours of Required Core courses:

• Engl 601 Research in the Discipline
• Engl 602 Introduction to Rhetoric
• Engl 603 Literary Criticism

The 21 hours of Elective Courses provide opportunities for advanced studies in English, American, and world literatures, as well as linguistics, pedagogy, and writing.  They can be chosen from among the following:

• Engl 598 Selected Topics
• Engl 607 English Renaissance
• Engl 608 Eighteenth Century British Literature
• Engl 609 Nineteenth Century British Literature
• Engl 617 American Literature to 1865
• Engl 618 American Literature 1865-1945
• Engl 619 American Literature 1945-present
• Engl 620 Linguistics
• Engl 621 The Teaching of Writing and Literature
• Engl 651 Seminar in Shakespeare
• Engl 652 Literature of Pluralism
• Engl 653 Seminar in World Literature
• Engl 654 Seminar in Professional Writing
• Engl 688 Classic Stage (Stratford Tour)
• Engl 689 The Stratford Stage (Stratford Tour)
• Engl 699 Internship
• Engl 700 Independent Study
• Engl 800 Thesis

Workshops in The Teaching of Writing with Computers may be offered in Summer Session.

Students will take three two-hour comprehensive examinations, based partly on appropriate reading lists and partly on specific courses.  The comprehensive exam may not be taken until the student has completed 21 semester hours of graduate credit in the program.

Professional Track:

Core requirements (9 semester hours):

• Engl 601 Research in the Discipline
• Engl 602 Introduction to Rhetoric
• Engl 655 Administrative, Technical, and Scientific Writing

(6 semester hours from among the following):

• Engl 654 Seminar in Professional Writing
• Engl 656 Seminar in Visual Rhetoric
• Engl 657 Seminar in Advertising and Public Relations Writing

(15 semester hours from among the following):

• Engl 598 (up to 6 semester hours)
• Engl 620 Linguistics
• Engl 658 Seminar in Grant and Proposal Writing

• Engl 660 Seminar: Creative Writing or other English graduate courses with the consent of advisor

(6 hours)

In lieu of a thesis, degree candidates in the professional writing track will be required to complete a six-credit internship in a writing-related field.  At the completion of the internship, they will submit to the graduate internship coordinator a portfolio containing a representation of the writing completed during the internship, a work log that documents completed tasks, and a concluding retrospective essay which reflects on their work and experiences during the internship.  The portfolio will be evaluated by the graduate internship coordinator.

Final Portfolio

In lieu of comprehensive examinations, degree candidates in the professional writing track will be required to submit to the graduate coordinator (by the fourth week of their final term) a portfolio containing at least three writing projects (electronic and/or hand copy) completed during their course of study.  This portfolio must include an introductory essay discussing the significance of those projects in relation to their development as professional writers and will be evaluated by a committee of three graduate faculty of the student's choice on a pass/fail basis.

Admission Requirements:

All applicants for graduate study at Slippery Rock University must have a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 to be considered for unconditional admission. Applicants must also have official General Graduate Record Examination scores forwarded to the dean of Graduate Studies and Research, (see address below).

Degree Completion Process:

Completion of a master's degree at Slippery Rock University involves five steps. Students must:

1. obtain unconditional admission status;
2. be approved for degree candidacy (students must successfully complete between 6 and 12 credit hours in a declared program of study);
3. pass appropriate comprehensive examination;
4. complete research requirements;
5. complete requisite credit hours.

Upon completion of these five steps, the student must apply for graduation before the end of the semester in which he or she wishes to graduate. See the Graduate Catalog for further information.

Graduate Dean and Coordinator:

Should you have any further questions regarding this program, please contact the Graduate Coordinator for the Department of English, Joseph McCarren, by e-mail or by calling (724) 738-2043.  Application and procedural questions should be directed to Dr. Duncan Sargent, Graduate Director, at (724) 738-2116 or by writing:

Office of Graduate Studies and Research
North Hall Welcome Center
Slippery Rock University
Slippery Rock, PA 16057