English Language and Literature Master’s program at Western Illinois University

Acquiring the M.A. degree is arguably the most intellectually transformative experience you will ever have. You will learn not only new materials and perspectives, but importantly produce new knowledges yourself. You should strive to transform yourself as a reader and a writer.

The English offers the Master of Arts in English. Our program emphasizes literature, writing studies, and cultural studies.

A rich, diverse department culture of conferences, colloquiums, roundtables, and talks.

Our graduate students find sucess in many fields including:.

Scholarly accomplishment leading to admission in top doctoral programs around the nation.

Learn what recent English graduate students are doing now.

Ability to conduct sustained inquiry into a single academic subject .

Earnest desire to engage in the academic community .

The personal statement describes your reasons for seeking an MA in English. Ideally, it will provide a brief intellectual history, your academic interests, and your anticipated field of study. Perhaps you are looking to improve your writing and communication skills so you can better perform at your current job. You might see the MA as a step toward a doctorate. Maybe you are a high school teacher seeking credentials for promotion or retention. Or you might only have general ideas your future goals. No matter what category you fit into, there is no need to hide the truth. Speak honestly and frankly your reasons for wanting to study in English and your reasons for considering the program at Western.

Further reading: Graduate School Statement, from the UC-Berkeley Career Center.

The scholarly writing sample is very important. It provides the most direct evidence of your ability to perform the work of English studies. To that end, your sample should be your best work. Ideally, you will submit an academic essay such as a literary analysis, a theoretical argument, or work in cultural studies.

We suggest writing samples no longer than 15 double-spaced pages. You may submit several shorter texts in lieu of one large document.

Letters which do not address this potential will not strengthen your application and may in fact weaken it.

Make sure to ask prospective references if they can write strong, positive letters. If any prospective recommender seems tentative, best to find another. Provide your recommenders with the background they need to write a good letter. For example, remind them what courses you took and when, provide a copy of your resume and or statement of purpose if possible, and share the criteria we've provided you.

PLEASE NOTE: Confidential letters of recommendation must be sent directly to the School of Graduate Studies by their recommenders.

The Master of Arts degree in English requires individual focus. The departmental Plan of Study will supplement other forms required by the School of Graduate Studies. A sample Plan of Study can be found in the Appendix in the Graduate Student Handbook.

ENG 500 Theory and the Practice of English Studies (3).

Up to six hours may be taken from ENG 620, 622, and graduate courses in other departments.

The Exit Options represent the final and arguably most important part of your degree. They comprise the final 6 s.h. you will take as a student in the program, and they demand all the skills you have learned in your coursework. The exit option can take three forms: Applied Research Project Comprehensive Exam Thesis.

This document will define your topic, timeline, expectations, and . Samples can be found in the Appendix in the Graduate Student Handbook.

The Applied Research Project is often tied to a professional situation. The applied research project includes a research-based content part with a paper of 25-30 pages, with a reading list of at least 20 secondary sources and it may also include an annotated bibliography.

The thesis is a sustained work of scholarly research and argument on a specific topic. Typically, thesis projects are between 40-60 pages, often divided into two or three chapters. Especially for those considering further graduate work, the thesis grounds your scholarly identity in a document that can serve as a writing sample, mainly for academic jobs.

The Graduate Program in English awards several sources of financial aid. All students who program can be considered for these awards. Assistantships include a stipend and tuition waiver. Active training, mentoring, and other support is provided for all assistants. All students who program are considered candidates for assistantships unless they decline consideration. Assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis. Openings occur only in Fall.

All graduate students are encouraged to apply for the Syndy M. Conger Award, which recognizes the best academic writing in our Master of Arts program. Syndy and James Conger hope this award will inspire recipients to value the many uses of language and to help them invest in their future with a major book purchase, an application fee or a research trip.

Criteri The award is given to the best formal academic paper written by a WIU graduate student for a course in the English Department.

Selection Process: Award recipient is selected through the English Graduate Committee.

The essay must have been written for a course taken in the Spring, Summer or Fall of the previous calendar year.

John Mahoney Research Fellowship in English was established in April 2000. Included within these broad parameters might be travel to academic conferences, workshops, or institutes in English or other field related to the recipient program of study travel costs associated with research other. John Mahoney passed away February 4, 2018.

Criteri The recipient must be a student who has completed at least one semester of work in the English. The recipient must have a 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA.

Thanks to the generosity of Ron and Leslie Walker, the Western Illinois University Foundation has established two graduate fellowships. The fellowships will serve to recognize outstanding academic achievement in the field of English studies and the potential for continued professional accomplishment in the future.

Criteri Students are eligible for these fellowships if they have completed no fewer than 12 and no than 18 semester hours in English at the graduate level by the end of the spring term. It is further required that the student who receives a fellowship will continue in the graduate program in the subsequent fall term. One award is intended for a student working in literary studies and one for a student working in the writing or composition studies area of the graduate program.

School of Graduate Studies Forms(Starting Out, Continuing Studies, and Finishing Up).