The Department of English offers master's and doctoral degrees in several areas of specialization: Literature and Cultural Theory; Rhetoric, Professional Writing, and Community Engagement; Creative Writing; and Media, Cinema, and Digital Studies. Students apply for admission to a specific area or concentration but are encouraged to take classes in others.

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Admission Requirements 

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.

Admission

An applicant must meet Graduate School requirements plus these departmental requirements to be considered for admission to the program:

  1. Undergraduate major in English or related field, with appropriate background for proposed concentration of study: Plan A, broad background in English and American literature; Plan B, literature, linguistics, and/or composition; Plan C, literature and creative writing; Plan H, background in media studies, film studies, or digital and/or popular culture.
  2. Undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale).
  3. Reason statement.
  4. Three letters of recommendation to the Department’s Director of Graduate Studies from persons familiar with applicant’s academic ability and achievement.
  5. A sample of academic writing.
  6. For Plan C admission, an applicant must also submit samples of original fiction or poetry.

For more information about how to apply to the graduate program in English, as well as admissions FAQs, please see the Students/Graduate section of the English department web site.

Credits and Courses

Students admitted to the master’s program earn the degree by completing a minimum of 30 credits of graduate coursework in English, writing a final project, and passing an oral examination at the conclusion of their coursework.

Although students must enroll initially in one of the four plans of study described below, students who demonstrate a capacity for doctoral work, and wish to earn a PhD at UWM, are advised to proceed as rapidly as possible to the PhD program. Ordinarily students are not allowed to proceed beyond 30 credits without having been admitted to the doctoral program. No more than 27 credits earned at the master’s level may be included in the 54 credits required for the PhD.

Plan A (Literature and Cultural Theory)

A minimum of 30 credits, including:

ENGLISH 703Introduction to Graduate Studies in Literature (must be taken in first semester)1
ENGLISH 720Modern Literary Theory3
Select 9 credits in literature courses (at least 3 credits pre-1800)9
Select 3 credits in 800-level seminar in literature or cultural theory3
Select 6 credits in cultural theory6
Select 8 credits of electives 18
Total Credits30
1

Which may include up to 5 credits of ENGLISH 790.

Additional Requirements

  • A final project, which shall be a paper of at least 30 pages which grows out of and significantly expands some aspect of the student’s literary studies.
  • An oral examination, usually lasting an hour and a half, which covers the final project and a separate 30-book reading list.
  • All credits must be 600-level or above, with no more than 6 credits at the 600 level. (ENGLISH 701 must be counted as an elective.)

Plan B (Rhetoric and Professional Writing)

A minimum of 30 credits, including:

Required courses 1
ENGLISH 712Theories in Public Rhetorics and Community Engagement:3
ENGLISH 713Research Methods in Rhetorics, Literacies, and Community Engagement:3
ENGLISH 750History of Rhetoric and Writing Studies:3
Select 21 credits of electives 221
ENGLISH 427
Writing for Nonprofits
ENGLISH 431G
Topics in Advanced Communications:
ENGLISH 432
The Rhetoric of Argument
ENGLISH 439
Information Design
ENGLISH 443
Grant Writing
ENGLISH 444
Technical Editing
ENGLISH 633G
Seminar in Rhetoric and Professional Writing:
ENGLISH 701
Writing Pedagogies
ENGLISH 711
Topics in Public and Professional Writing:
ENGLISH 749
Advanced Internship in Writing and Community Engagement
ENGLISH 755
Issues in Writing Research:
ENGLISH 790
Master's Project 3
ENGLISH 854
Seminar in College Writing Pedagogy:
ENGLISH 855
Seminar in Public Rhetorics and Community Engagement:
Total Credits30
1

ENGLISH 712, ENGLISH 713, and ENGLISH 750 may be taken twice with different topics with the second iteration counting toward Electives.

2

No more than 6 credits may be from courses below the 700 level. Students may take up to 6 credits of ENGLISH 749 and may take ENGLISH 711, ENGLISH 755, ENGLISH 854, and ENGLISH 855 up to three times with different topics.

3

Electives may include up to 6 credits of ENGLISH 790. Please consult your advisor for guidance on enrolling in ENGLISH 790 and preparing for the MA project and exam.

Additional Requirements

  • A final project, which shall be a research paper appropriate to the student’s professional goals.
  • An oral examination, usually lasting an hour and a half, which covers the final project.

Plan C (Creative Writing)

A minimum of 30 credits, including:

Select 6 credits in 600- or 700-level literature courses (at least 3 credits at the 700 level)6
Select one of the following:6
ENGLISH 715
& ENGLISH 815
Narrative Craft and Theory:
and Seminar in Fiction Writing:
ENGLISH 716
& ENGLISH 816
Poetic Craft and Theory:
and Seminar in Poetry Writing:
Select 6 credits in writing courses at the 600 or 700 level6
Select 12 credits of electives 112
Total Credits30
1

Which may include up to 6 credits of ENGLISH 790.

Additional Requirements

  • No more than 12 credits may be earned in 600-level courses.
  • A final project, which shall be a collection of fiction and/or poetry, a novel, or other substantial work of imaginative writing.
  • An oral examination, usually lasting an hour and a half, which covers the final project and a reading list of at least 30 texts representative of the student’s literary background and interests.

Plan H (Media, Cinema, and Digital Studies)

Core Courses
Take 15 credits across these courses:15
ENGLISH 742
Media Studies
ENGLISH 743
Film Theory and Criticism
ENGLISH 876
Seminar in Media Studies:
ENGLISH 877
Seminar in Film Studies:
ENGLISH 887
Seminar in Digital Studies:
Proseminar (take 2 credits)2
ENGLISH 747
Proseminar in Media, Cinema, and Digital Studies
Electives: 7-12 credits electives at graduate level (can include 700 & 701) *7-12
Master's project: 1-6 credits of English 790 *1-6
Total credits30
*

If students take more elective credits, then they may take fewer credits in the master's project, or vice versa, so long as their total credits add up to 30. Students should consult the Coordinator to decide how many credits of the master's project are recommended.

Additional Requirements

  • Master's project, which shall be an original research paper of at least 30 pages which grows out of and significantly expands some aspect of the student’s research in media, cinema, and digital studies.
  • An oral examination, usually lasting an hour and a half, which covers the final project.

Additional Requirements

Major Professor as Advisor

The student must have a Major Professor to advise and supervise the student’s work as specified in Graduate School regulations. The coordinator of the student’s concentration serves as an initial advisor.

Regulations Concerning Final Projects and Oral Examinations

  1. Students should consult with their advisors before completing 24 credits to determine a final project. Ordinarily, it is a revised and expanded course or seminar paper of at least 30 pages. The project should demonstrate the student’s skills in research, critical analysis, argumentation, and prose style. For students in Plan C (Creative Writing), the project is a substantial portfolio, the exact character of which is determined in consultation with the student’s MA Committee. The project serves both as a concluding effort at the master’s level and also as an indication of a student’s potential for doctoral study.
  2. In consultation with the student, the Director of Graduate Studies appoints an MA Examining Committee. At least two of the three members must be English Graduate Faculty. For students in Plans B and H, the MA Examining Committee administers the final Oral Examination, covering the project. For students in Plans A and C, the MA Examining Committee administers the final Oral Examination and a separate reading list of at least 30 texts, to be selected by the student and approved by the Committee.
  3. The project must be submitted and the oral examination completed within one year after the completion of 24 credits. Students should remember that a maximum of 27 credits at the master’s level is applicable to the PhD 54 credit requirement.
  4. The Examining Committee offers a recommendation regarding the student’s qualifications for further graduate study at the doctoral level. The Committee Chair puts this recommendation in writing and places it in the student’s academic file.
  5. Students who fail the oral examination may be required to revise their final project, retake the examination, or both. The oral examination may be retaken only once. No additional credits may be earned for the revision of the project after a failed examination. For further information regarding the MA project and examination, see the English Graduate Program Handbook.

Time Limit

The student must complete all degree requirements within five years of initial enrollment.

English MA Learning Outcomes

Students graduating from the English Master’s program will be able to: 

  • Demonstrate broad knowledge of the field, including familiarity with major questions, theoretical approaches, intellectual developments, and methods of professional writing that characterize the student’s program of study.  
  • Frame, analyze, and respond to complex issues related to the student’s field, and formulate judgements about those issues in extended and in-depth critical analysis. 
  • Demonstrate effective written communication skills.