Master's Programs
Graduate Academic Information
Master's Degree Programs
M.A. in English (M.A.) Requirements
The Required Courses that all M.A. students must take are ENGL 6150: Literary Criticism; ENGL 6300: Introduction to Graduate Studies; ENGL 6400: The Nature of Poetry; and ENGL 6900: Capstone. English 6900 should be taken during the last semester of a student’s program of study. The additional English department courses required to fulfill the thirty-three (33) hours are chosen in consultation with the Graduate Director.
Master of Arts in English with an Emphasis on Teaching of English (M.A. in English with an emphasis in teaching)
The Master of Arts in English with an Emphasis on Teaching is designed to meet the needs of English teachers, most especially those teaching in secondary schools, but also those teaching English in community colleges or language arts in elementary schools. (Note: the degree does not in itself provide teacher certification, though it may be possible to earn certification by combining the degree with additional course work.). On admission, students should consult with the advisor at the earliest opportunity concerning their program of study.
Required courses in the program are
- English 6910: Research and Scholarship in English Education
- English 6800: Advanced Methods of Teaching Literature
- Two courses in English pedagogy, including the pedagogy of writing (see below for choices)
- One course in the study of multicultural literature
- One course in children's and adolescent literature
- English 6900: Capstone
- At least two graduate courses in language/composition such as:
- English 5740: Grammar and the Teaching of Writing
- English 6690: Methods of Teaching College Writing
- English 6790: Composition Theory
- English 6810: Advanced Methods of Teaching Language and Composition
- English 6820: Third Coast Writing Project Invitational Institute
- Additional graduate level courses to complete thirty-three hours. Students should take English 6910 and/or at least one of the pedagogy classes in the first year of the degree.
For more detailed information and for an application form, write to the department's graduate director or see the department website: www.wmich.edu/english.
M.F.A. in Creative Writing (M.F.A.) Requirements
The M.F.A. is a forty-eight (48) hour terminal degree. Required courses in the program are:
1. Twelve (12) hours of creative writing workshops (ENGL 5660 or 6660) in the area of specialization and three (3) to six (6) hours of workshops in a genre or genres outside the area of specialization.
2. One section of English 6110: Literary Forms, in the student’s area of specialization.
3. One section of English 6110: Literary Forms in another genre or English 6400, 6420, or 6440.
4. Six (6) to eight (8) hours in literature from among 5000 and 6000-level courses.
5. Three (3) to Six (6) hours of ENGL 6990: M.F.A. Project
6. Any additional electives to bring the total hours to 48.
7. A public performance of material selected from the student’s M.F.A. Project.
8. The submission of an approved M.F.A. Project.
M.A. Transfer Credits
Incoming Master’s Degree students are allowed to transfer six (6) semester hours of credit earned from another accredited graduate program into their Department of English Permanent Program, as long as the credits were paid for as graduate credits, were awarded a B (3.0) or higher, and were earned within six (6) years prior to the student’s date of admission into the WMU graduate program.
In order to add transfer credits, a student should meet with the Graduate Director and fill out a Transfer of Credit form that will be sent to the Registrar’s Office for approval. If the hours are approved, they are placed on the student’s Permanent Program; the grades are recorded as CR (Credit) and do not factor into the student’s overall GPA.