Dec 04, 2024

2016-2017 Graduate Catalog

2016-2017 Graduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Master of Arts in Literature (LITR)

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

The M.A. in Literature provides master’s-level competence in English and American literature.

The degree is appropriate for teachers on the elementary, high school or community college level and for students planning to pursue doctoral study in English or American literature. The degree provides a valuable educational background for professions where critical thinking and clear, accurate expression, combined with a knowledge of literature, are desired.

Admission Requirements:

Applicants must submit the following:

A completed graduate school application
A personal statement (we recommend that these statements be 1 to 2 pages in length)
Official transcripts from ALL prior collages and universities (note: If you attended EMU, you do not need to request your EMU transcript)
An academic writing sample (preferably a piece of writing that addresses and analyzes literature)
Two letters of recommendation

Department Information:

English Language & Literature - College of Arts & Sciences

Mary K. Ramsey, Ph.D.
Department Head

612 Pray-Harrold
(734) 487-4220
mramsey6@emich.edu

Department Website

John Staunton, Ph.D.
Graduate Coordinator

612 Pray-Harrold
(734) 487-4220
jstaunto@emich.edu

Advisor Information:

Natasa Kovacevic, Ph.D.

612 Pray-Harrold
(734) 487-4220
nkovacev@emich.edu

Program Requirements:

Students must complete a major of 18 hours in the department’s courses in English and American literature (excluding children’s literature, for which there is a separate degree).

Degree Requirements: 30 hours

The M.A. in Literature requires 30 hours of course work to be distributed among required courses, major program courses, elective courses and cognate courses as follows:

Required Courses: 6 hours

English and American Literature Courses: 18 hours

Choose eighteen hours from the following

a) Old English, Medieval English, and Renaissance Literature: 6 hours

Two courses from the following:
LITR 512 - Middle English Literature 3 hrs
LITR 520 - Old English Poetry 3 hrs
LITR 530 - Studies in Chaucer 3 hrs
LITR 540 - Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama 3 hrs
LITR 541 - Studies in Shakespeare 3 hrs
LITR 545 - Studies in Renaissance Literature 3 hrs
b) Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Literature: 6 hours

Two courses from the following:
LITR 523 - Realism and Naturalism in American Literature 3 hrs
LITR 526 - 19th Century African American Literature 3 hrs
LITR 561 - Studies in 18th Century Literature 3 hrs
LITR 563 - Studies in 18th Century Fiction 3 hrs
LITR 565 - Studies in 19th Century British Fiction 3 hrs
LITR 568 - Studies in 19th Century American Poetry 3 hrs
LITR 569 - The American Renaissance: 1830-1860 3 hrs
LITR 570 - Studies in Romantic Literature 3 hrs
LITR 575 - Studies in Victorian Literature 3 hrs
c) Twentieth Century and Contemporary Literature: 6 hours

Two courses from the following:
LITR 527 - Studies in 20th and 21st Century African American Literature 3 hrs
LITR 566 - Studies in 20th Century British Fiction 3 hrs
LITR 567 - Studies in Commonwealth Literature 3 hrs
LITR 576 - Studies in 20th Century American Fiction 3 hrs
LITR 577 - Studies in 20th Century American Poetry 3 hrs
LITR 578 - Postcolonial Perspectives in Literature 3 hrs
LITR 580 - Studies in Contemporary Literary Trends 3 hrs

Elective or Cognate Courses: 6 hours

Additional Requirements:

In addition to required coursework, the student must either take the MA exam in Literature or submit a Thesis, in order to complete degree. The Thesis option both counts as the culminating event of the degree, and gives the student three hours of credit towards the elective portion of the coursework.