We believe that all of these students should have a thorough grounding in the basic elements of literary study; thus all students must satisfy a common set of core requirements. We also believe, however, that students should focus on a particular emphasis, and thus we offer a choice of three departmental concentrations?literary history, creative writing, and rhetoric and composition.

Program Learning Objectives

• Introduce students to the professional conversation in English studies in various fields and to texts from diverse eras and cultures, with the intention of provoking and supporting their intellectual curiosity.
• Offer students instruction and practice in reading texts critically through multiple theoretical perspectives and in various historical, social, and aesthetic contexts.
• Provide students opportunity for frequent and extensive writing, culminating in longer pieces (MA essay or thesis), and guidance in fashioning this writing to participate in shared public conversation (publication, conference presentation, reviews, etc.)
• Introduce students to the theory and practice of the teaching of writing.
• Prepare students for continued graduate work, careers in teaching, or other professions that require knowledge of language and/or literature and skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing.

Rhetoric and Composition

Students concentrating on rhetoric and composition explore rhetoric and composition theory, history, and research, and the ways these relate to the teaching of writing. Because most of our students are also teaching assistants, this theoretical, historical, and pedagogical coursework is supplemented by practical teaching experiences and administrative opportunities.