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The literature track offers a range of critical perspectives on literary and cultural studies with an emphasis on British and American literature and theory. You’ll develop writing and research skills through an in-depth study of particular literary and cultural fields. Course offerings and research programs reflect a broad range of faculty interests, including film and visual culture, women's studies, transatlantic literature and culture, and green studies. Specific genres our faculty specialize in include the novel, the short story, lyric poetry, the epic, travel writing, and contemporary drama. Specific regional, national, and international literatures include African, African Caribbean, Irish, Native American, and U.S. Southern.
Course Requirements (32 Hours)
- Three major area courses (one pre-1800 literature, one post-1800 literature, one literary theory) (9)
- One comparative literature, genre, or author-based course (3)
- One technical and professional communication, rhetoric and composition, linguistics, or creative writing course (3)
- One technology and culture, globalism, sustainability, or diversity course (3)
- Two courses in a coordinated minor, chosen from courses in English or another discipline relevant to the student's professional and academic goals (6)
- Two elective courses in English (6)
- ENGL 7940: Teaching College English (2)
In addition to completing the required course work, students must successfully complete a portfolio and pass an oral examination based on the portfolio. They also must demonstrate reading knowledge of one foreign language.
Typically, students who concentrate in literature wish to follow the master’s program with further graduate/professional study, careers in education, or careers in administrative/professional roles. If these three broad categories do not articulate your ambitions, please speak with your portfolio director about crafting an ePortfolio tailored to your goals.
Your ePortfolio should include a selection of materials from your coursework and teaching chosen in consultation with your advisor. It may include evidence of co-curricular or volunteer work when relevant. The artifacts in your portfolio should be framed by brief, summative writing that explains artifacts and draws connections between them. The e-portfolio should demonstrate the ways that you have integrated your learning from different parts of your degree into a unified understanding.
Your ePortfolio should include:
- A CV or resume, organized in a way that reflects your intended audience and purpose
- A reflective essay that synthesizes your work done in the master’s program and explains its relation to future plans and goals
- A curated combination of revised and new work, contextualized by brief explanatory writing
- Visual elements that reflect and reinforce your professional identity