MA Requirements

Advisement Checklist

MA in Rhetoric and Composition form (PDF)

Independent Study (ENGL 8100) form(PDF)

Coursework Requirements–Thesis Track

Time Limit
All requirements for a master’s degree must be completed within seven years.

Coursework
Candidates for the M.A. with an emphasis in rhetoric and composition must satisfactorily complete 30 hours of graduate coursework (10 courses), plus 6 hours of thesis research credit, and a substantial (40–60 pages excluding notes and reference material) academic paper or a digital media project approved by a thesis committee consisting of a director and two other faculty members.

The following courses are required:

  1. Nine Hours of the following courses:
    • ENGL 8170 History & Theory of Rhetoric & Composition I
    • ENGL 8171 History & Theory of Rhetoric & Composition II
    • ENGL 8180 Contemporary Issues in Writing Studies
  1. Three Hours in research methods. Choose one course from the following:
    • ENGL 8122 User Experience Research
    • ENGL 6521, Archival Research Methods
    • ENGL 8175 Topics in Rhetoric and Composition (only when the course is tagged as having a research methods focus)
  1. Twelve additional hours of rhetoric and composition courses and strongly related courses;
  2. Six hours of electives (may be taken in any related fields of study in English or in other departments, with approval of advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies);
  3. Six hours of ENGL 8999 Thesis Research.

Thesis
Thesis research may involve digital and workplace projects as well as textual studies, and the thesis can be a substantial (40–60 pages) academic paper or a digital project with approval of the director. The proposal for thesis research must be submitted and approved by the student’s committee the semester prior to writing the thesis.

Graduate Research Skill Requirement
Candidates for the M.A. with an emphasis in rhetoric, composition, and technical and professional writing are expected to fulfill the graduate research requirement or to have received a grade of B or higher in any two of the following courses:

  • ENGL 8121 Rhetoric of Digital Media
  • ENGL 8122 User Experience Research
  • ENGL 8123 Digital Media Production

Coursework Requirements–Independent Study Track

Time Limit
All requirements for a master’s degree must be completed within seven years.

Coursework
Candidates for the M.A. with an emphasis in rhetoric and composition (Independent Study Track) must satisfactorily complete 27 hours of graduate coursework beyond the B.A. level (including, if desired, a maximum of six hours of coursework in related fields offered by other departments), plus 3 hours of thesis credit, and an independent study project (20-25 pages excluding notes and reference materials) approved by a committee.

The following courses are required:

  1. Nine (9) Hours of the following courses:
    • ENGL 8170 History & Theory of Rhetoric & Composition I
    • ENGL 8171 History & Theory of Rhetoric & Composition II
    • ENGL 8180 Contemporary Issues in Writing Studies
  1. Nine (9) Hours from the following:
    • ENGL 6510 Grant and Proposal Writing
    • ENGL 6521 Archival Research Methods
    • ENGL 8115 Technical Writing
    • ENGL 8121 Digital Rhetoric
    • ENGL 8122 User Experience Research
    • ENGL 8123 Digital Media Production
    • ENGL 8174 20th and 21st Century Rhetoric
    • ENGL 8005 Practical Grammar
    • ENGL 8080 Modern Grammar
  1. Three (3) hours of Directed Reading in the area of specialization in which Independent Study Project is to be written;
  2. Six (6) hours of electives (may be taken in any related fields of study in English or in other departments, with approval of advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies) and/or internship(s) (register for ENGL 8920 for graduate internships);
  3. Three (3) hours of ENGL 8999 Thesis Research.

Independent Study Project
This project may involve digital and workplace projects as well as textual studies, and can be either a substantial (20-25 pages) academic paper or equivalent digital project. In any event, the Independent Study Project must originate as a text/assignment within one of the courses taken by the student toward completion of the degree, and the Project Advisor will be the professor who taught the course in which the text/assignment originated. As per College of Arts and Sciences requirements, the Independent Study Project must also be read by two other faculty members in the department, at least one of whom, in addition to the Project Advisor, must approve the project by the appropriate College deadline for graduation. Readers of the Project are to be selected by the student in consultation with his/her Advisor.

Graduate Research Skill Requirement
Candidates for the M.A. with an emphasis in rhetoric, composition, and technical and professional writing are expected to fulfill the graduate research requirement or to have received a grade of B or higher in any two of the following courses:

  • ENGL 8121 Rhetoric of Digital Media
  • ENGL 8122 User Experience Research
  • ENGL 8123 Digital Media Production

Registration and Advisement

The Office of the Registrar will notify students by mail of the date and time of their registration. The Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of English will act as adviser to all M.A. students until a faculty member is designated or until they have chosen a thesis director. Students are responsible for making appointments with the Director of Graduate Studies for advisement and for being familiar with the requirements for their degree as set forth in this booklet and in the Graduate Bulletin, College of Arts and Sciences.

Graduation

See the College of Arts and Sciences Graduate Services Website for details, requirements, and current deadlines.