The Master of Arts degree launches students into the study of literature, writing, and rhetoric at the graduate level. The program offers one and a half to two years of intensive study in the major fields of British and American literature, covering the debates and approaches that animate the discipline of English. Our MA graduates are fully prepared to proceed to study at the doctoral level, and their training in critical thinking, language skills, and cultural history has also proven to be fruitful preparation for a range of careers outside of academia.
The master's program offers an optional cooperative education experience to eligible students. Co-op is central to both the Northeastern University experience and the College of Social Sciences and Humanities experiential liberal arts framework. Northeastern’s signature co-op ecosystem provides qualified master's students with six-month work experiences in businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies in Boston and across the United States. Graduate students take their work from campus learning spaces, apply their knowledge outside of the classroom, and then bring knowledge and skills gained in community learning spaces back to our campus learning spaces during the co-curricular experiential integration course.
Academic Standing/Progress
To be considered in good academic standing, MA students must be making progress toward their degree requirements, including maintaining a 3.000 minimum cumulative grade-point average.
General Regulations
Program requirements are described in the CSSH Graduate Programs General Regulations and the Graduate Program in English MA Guide. Both documents are updated annually.
Milestones
Annual progress review
Reading proficiency in a language other than English
Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Proseminar | ||
| ENGL 5103 | Proseminar | 4 |
| Theories and Methods | ||
| Complete 4 semester hours from the following: | 4 | |
| Topics in Literary Study | ||
| Topics in Literature and other Disciplines | ||
| Introduction to Digital Humanities | ||
| Topics in Digital Humanities | ||
| Theorizing Gender and Sexuality | ||
| Directed Study (GCWS Consortium, selected topics only) | ||
| Writing and Rhetoric | ||
| Complete 4 semester hours from the following (if completing 12 semester hours of literary period requirements); or complete 8 semester hours from the following (if completing 8 semester hours of literary period requirements): | 4-8 | |
| Topics in Rhetoric | ||
| Writing and the Teaching of Writing | ||
| Topics in Writing | ||
| Literary Periods | ||
| Complete 8 semester hours from two of the following literary periods (if completing 8 semester hours of writing and rhetoric requirements); or complete 12 semester hours from three of the following literary periods (if completing 4 semester hours of writing and rhetoric requirements): | 8-12 | |
| Literature Pre-1700 | ||
| Topics in Medieval Literature | ||
| Topics in Renaissance Literature | ||
| Literature 1700–1900 | ||
| Topics in 18th-Century Literature | ||
| Topics in Genre | ||
| Literature Post-1900 | ||
| Topics in American Literature | ||
| African-American Novel | ||
Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 8 semester hours of ENGL courses, or non-ENGL courses with prior approval. | 8 | |
ENGL 5000-ENGL 7980 | ||
| Thesis (minimum 3.500 GPA required) | ||
Optional Co-op Experience
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Four-month co-ops require registration at 1 SH for one term. Longer co-ops require registration at 1 SH per term for two consecutive terms | 1-2 | |
| Co-op Work Experience and Experiential Integration | ||
Program Credit/GPA Requirements
32 total semester hours required (34 with optional co-op)
Minimum 3.000 GPA required