Students are advised to take their core-course requirements during their first two semesters of graduate study. A departmental Committee on Graduate Studies, chaired by the Director of Graduate Studies, governs the Master of Arts program in English. The Committee on Graduate Studies administers admission of new students, appointment of graduate assistants, selection of Andrews Award winners, student petitions, and policy issues concerning the Master of Arts curriculum.

The graduate faculty of the English Department has published over thirty books and several hundred major articles in the fields of literary scholarship, linguistics, and critical theory. The range of research interests is illustrated by a partial list of books published by the faculty.

Students who are pursuing the MA in English as a means of enhancing their teaching careers should select the literature concentration. This course of study also is recommended for students who are preparing for careers teaching writing or administering writing centers in community colleges and schools.