In collaboration with several other academic units at UW-Milwaukee, SOIS offers students the opportunity to obtain two Master’s degrees concurrently—one in Library and Information Science (MLIS) and one in a subject area.

Degree Requirements

  • The number of degree credits needed for each of the coordinated programs is usually 12 fewer than the sum of the two programs if they were not taken simultaneously. All degree requirements of each component must be satisfied.
  • The MLIS portion of the coordinated degrees can be completed online.
  • Prerequisite to the award of either degree in this program is the simultaneous award of its counterpart degree.

MLIS Component

The Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) component of each of the coordinated programs includes 30 credits of SOIS courses. These include the MLIS core courses (12 credits). The remaining 18 MLIS credits are selected from the School’s offerings in accordance with the student’s goals in the coordinated degree program.

MLIS/MA English

The MLIS/MA English Coordinated Degree Program prepares students for positions as humanities librarians.


 

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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 the UWM Graduate School requirements plus all admission requirements of both the School of Information Studies and the coordinated degree department. Please review the admission details of each program and contact an advisor with any questions.

Requirements

Students interested in the English MA/MLIS program are expected to follow all the requirements and standards as described in this section of the Catalog with the following exceptions: the 21 credits required for the MA in English in the coordinated degree program are to be taken within the Department. Courses in related areas must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies in English. For more information on this program, see the Library and Information Science page.

Credits and Courses

Basic Required MLIS Courses

Core Courses12
INFOST 501
Foundations of Library and Information Science
INFOST 511
Organization of Information
INFOST 571
Information Access and Retrieval
INFOST 799
Research Methods in Information Studies
Other MLIS courses18
Total Credits30

Important

You must refer to the catalog pages of both individual master's programs to ensure that you meet all requirements for both degrees.

English Courses 

Students in the MA/MLIS program may subtract 9 elective credits from their chosen concentration below.

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 five plans of study described below, students who demonstrate a capacity for doctoral work, and wish to earn a Ph.D. 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 Ph.D.

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 Composition)

A minimum of 30 credits, including:

ENGLISH 701Writing Pedagogies3
ENGLISH 750History of Rhetoric and Writing Studies:3
or ENGLISH 751 History of Rhetoric II:
or ENGLISH 753 Contemporary Rhetorical Theory
ENGLISH 755Issues in Writing Research:3
ENGLISH 812Seminar in Theories of Composition and Rhetoric:3
or ENGLISH 854 Seminar in College Writing Pedagogy:
Select 18 credits of electives 118
Total Credits30
1

Which may include up to 6 credits of ENGLISH 790.

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 and a reading list of at least 30 texts not listed in the project bibliography or works cited list.
  • One course is strongly recommended in each of the following areas: Computers and Pedagogy (English at the 700 level); Research Methods

Note: Students who plan to apply to the Ph.D. program are advised to select 6 credits in literature or language courses as part of their electives.

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 G (Professional Writing)

A minimum of 30 credits, selected in consultation with the student’s advisor, including:

Core
ENGLISH 705Public Rhetorics and Community Engagement Colloquium3
ENGLISH 712Theories in Public Rhetorics and Community Engagement:3
800-Level Seminar in Professional Writing 1
ENGLISH 855Seminar in Public Rhetorics and Community Engagement: (recommended)3
700-Level Professional Writing Practice or Pedagogy 2
Select 12 credits of the following which are especially recommended: 312
ENGLISH 431
Topics in Advanced Communications: (Subtitle)
ENGLISH 433
Creative Nonfiction for Publication
ENGLISH 434
Editing and Publishing
ENGLISH 439
Information Design
ENGLISH 443
Grant Writing
ENGLISH 444
Technical Editing
ENGLISH 701
Writing Pedagogies
ENGLISH 706
Seminar in Professional Writing Theory and Pedagogy
ENGLISH 707
Writing for Business Management
ENGLISH 708
Advanced Professional Writing
ENGLISH 709
Rhetoric, Writing, and Information Technology
ENGLISH 710
Advanced Project Management for Professional Writers
ENGLISH 711
Topics in Public and Professional Writing: (Subtitle)
Internship or Elective
Select an Internship or 700-level elective in Professional Writing that could lead to a final project 43
Additional Requirements
Select 6 credits in consultation with the student’s advisor6
Total Credits30
1

Or a related topic area approved by the advisor.

2

Or at the 400 level with the approval of a Plan G faculty advisor.

3

Students can take no more than 6 credits in any combination of 400-level U/G courses and interdisciplinary courses.

4

Students should consult with their advisor about which option would best suit their background and career goals. In general, students with little workplace experience will take the internship and those with substantial workplace experience will take a 700-level elective.

Note: Students who elect to complete a workplace project should expect to prepare a 30-page report justifying the project development and decisions in relationship to the relevant scholarly literature and/or in terms of empirical methods or studies conducted by the student.

Plan H (Media, Cinema, and Digital Studies)

ENGLISH 742Media Studies3
Select 9 credits in 700-level seminars in digital studies (theory, criticism, or writing) film and/or media9
Select two of the following:6
ENGLISH 705
Public Rhetorics and Community Engagement Colloquium
ENGLISH 709
Rhetoric, Writing, and Information Technology
ENGLISH 711
Topics in Public and Professional Writing: (Subtitle)
ENGLISH 714
Usability Studies
ENGLISH 715
Narrative Craft and Theory: (Subtitle)
ENGLISH 720
Modern Literary Theory
ENGLISH 737
Literature and Aesthetics
ENGLISH/HIST/MALLT 740
Approaches to the Modern I
ENGLISH/HIST/MALLT 741
Approaches to the Modern II
ENGLISH 743
Film Theory and Criticism (Subtitle)
ENGLISH 753
Contemporary Rhetorical Theory
ENGLISH 775
Modern English Literature: (Subtitle)
FILMSTD 669
Screening Sexuality: (Subtitle)
FILMSTD 700
Teaching Film Studies: (Subtitle)
Select 12 credits of electives in courses numbered 700 and above 112
Total Credits30
1

Which may include up to 6 credits of ENGLISH 790.

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.

Final Project

A research paper or other project appropriate to the student’s professional goals.

Oral Examination

Usually lasting an hour and a half, the oral exam covers the final project and a reading list of at least 30 texts not listed in the project bibliography or works cited list.

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. The MA Examining Committee administers the final Oral Examination, covering the project 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.