The Master of Arts degree program in English is designed to prepare the student for continuing graduate study in English or related fields and to enhance the student’s intellectual and aesthetic life through the intense study of literature, writing studies, literary theory, film studies and linguistics.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the program is open to those applicants who possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college with an undergraduate major in English, or by special permission. Applicants must submit supporting documents as required for general admission to a graduate program (see Admission Requirements section). Applicants must submit a sample of scholarly work (an 8-15-page critical or research paper recently prepared).

An admissions decision is based upon an evaluation of all application documents by the graduate program coordinator. If probational admission is granted, the graduate program coordinator will stipulate the conditions to be met by the applicant before full admission is granted (e.g., satisfactory completion of prescribed undergraduate courses or completion of a certain number of graduate English courses with a satisfactory GPA).

Degree Candidacy

Admission to degree candidacy requires successful completion of 9-18 s.h. of departmentally approved graduate coursework with an overall B average and satisfaction of the foreign language requirement. This coursework should include at least 9 s.h. at Millersville University. Students need to complete both ENGL 614 The Profession of Engl Studies and ENGL 651 Literary Criticism to achieve degree candidacy. A student who accumulates a maximum of 21 s.h. of graduate coursework and whose grade average falls below a B will be dropped from the degree program.

Upon completion of 18 s.h. of graduate coursework, a student must apply and be admitted to degree candidacy, after which he/she should, in consultation with the graduate program coordinator, develop a program which lists the requirements needed to complete the degree program. Once a student has completed 18 credits of graduate coursework, they may not proceed with their program until they have been approved by the department for degree candidacy.