Master of Arts (M.A.)

English

Academic courses in literature and criticism prepare students for a broad range of career opportunities.

Program Highlights

English Master’s Degree Program Highlights

Take your career and connection to literature to the next level with a Master of Arts in English from McNeese State University. With in-depth course instruction in literary criticism, critical theory, western literature, genre studies and women in literature, our master’s degree in English builds on undergraduate foundations to prepare you for a doctoral degree, teaching at the high school or college level, or a number of other advanced language and communication-based careers.

Course structures that fit the framework of your life

Courses are offered on campus in the evenings to accommodate working professionals, and our coursework is crafted to enable you to venture into specific areas of interest. Our special-topics courses include the study of play-to-film adaptations, contemporary drama, graphic novels, directed research in science fiction and other genres. As a student in the English master’s degree program, you may also receive a graduate assistantship and have the opportunity to teach entry-level English classes at McNeese.

At a Glance

Degree Type: Master of Arts (M.A.)

Program Length: 2 years (30 credit hours thesis option; 36 credit hours non-thesis option)

Availability: in person

Program Overview
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Program overview

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English graduate students receive individualized attention throughout their courses of study and have the chance to work one-on-one with professors in independent study classes. Other benefits include:

Hands-on Experience in the Classroom:

English graduate students have the chance to apply for a graduate assistantship with the Department of English and Foreign Languages. Graduate assistants are trained in educational pedagogy, classroom management and other instructional skills and gain hands-on experience teaching undergraduates in English 101 and English 102 classrooms. As a part of their assistantship, students receive partial tuition waivers as well as a monthly stipend.

Research and Professional Development:

McNeese graduate students are encouraged to engage with and pursue professional research opportunities while working towards their degree. In the past, graduate students have presented their research at conferences including the Popular Culture Association, the South Central Modern Language Association (SCMLA), the Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature and the Sigma Tau Delta National Convention.

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Careers and Opportunities

What Can You Do with an English Degree?

A master’s degree in English provides a broad range of employment opportunities in a variety of fields, including professional and technical writing, public relations, media, business, industry and education. Many graduates go on to pursue doctorates from some of the most respected doctoral programs in the country.

Graduate Schools or Programs

  • University of North Carolina
  • University of Wisconsin
  • Ohio University
  • University of Leicester

Potential Job Titles or Employers

  • Academia
  • Advertising
  • Editing
  • Human Resources
  • Professional Writing
  • Public Relations

Take their word for it

My Story, #MyMcNeese

Perhaps the most significant reason for my success in the English department was the support and mentorship that I received from numerous professors. These professors gave me career advice, helped strengthen my writing and encouraged me to submit my strongest papers to conferences. A year after graduation, I was offered a position as a full time lecturer in English at Pennsylvania State University and I now teach freshman composition and business writing at their primary campus and regularly present papers at professional conferences.

– Andrew Maust, (MA English, 2016)


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English

Programs Related to the Master’s in English

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

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Program Contact

Dr. Wendy Whelan Stewart- English M.A. Program Advisor
wwhelanstewart@mcneese.edu

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