The Master’s Degree
The Master’s Program is designed for students who have shown an aptitude for sustained literary study and who now wish to pursue a more intensive and extensive training. Applicants invited into our program are undertaking not only to deepen their enjoyment and understanding of literary texts, modes, and movements, but also to explore and develop their potential as interpreters, scholars, and, in most cases, teachers of literature, language, and writing. They are embarking on a systematic course of study designed to ensure an understanding both of literary theory and of literary history and their significant achievements.
The Department of English M.A. program leads either to a terminal degree or to the doctorate. Admission to the M.A. program requires an undergraduate English major or equivalent, a “B” grade point average, and an acceptable score on the Graduate Record Examination General Aptitude Test. Preference is given to students who score at the 60th percentile or better on the verbal portion and at the 60th percentile or better on the analytical section of the GRE. Non-native English-speaking applicants must also present their TOEFL scores. Applicants should submit a writing sample, usually a critical or research paper written for an undergraduate literature course. Those applicants wishing to emphasize creative writing should also submit a sample of their creative work. Three letters of recommendation are also required. All decisions on admission are made by the M.A. Admissions Committee.
The M.A. Program in English at West Virginia University includes courses in traditional literary history as well as courses in postmodern theory, and department offerings represent the full spectrum of approaches to literary study. Because the diversity of the field has rendered the traditional notion of comprehensive knowledge of the field impractical, there is no terminal exam. Instead, the goal of breadth is provided by course distribution requirements, while the goal of rigor is provided by individual courses through the provision that only classes passed with a grade of “B” or better will count toward the degree. More…
Application information for the Masters Degree is here.