Loyola Marymount University Bulletin 2012-2013 > Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts > English > English Graduate Program

English Graduate Program

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English

Mission Statement

The Department of English at Loyola Marymount University offers a Master of Arts degree in English with a Literature Emphasis, a Master of Arts degree in English with a Creative Writing Emphasis, and a Master of Arts degree in English with a Rhetoric and Composition Emphasis. We are committed to the interdependence between literature and writing. We believe that the act of engaging the literary and rhetorical fields involves the production of literary, critical, or theoretical texts, and that broad-based reading in the tradition of literature provides the necessary foundation for more focused study and analysis. Therefore, we offer Literature Emphasis, Creative Writing Emphasis, and Rhetoric and Composition Emphasis students an introduction to graduate scholarship within a range of possible critical, rhetorical, and creative modes, while offering the intellectual background and literary study which makes their course of study both theoretically and historically self-conscious.

All emphases within the M.A. program address the needs of a diverse student population; those going on to doctoral programs in literature, literary theory, rhetoric, or creative writing; those pursuing literary or commercial writing careers; those teaching in high schools and community colleges.

Admission Requirements

The applicant for the degree of Master of Arts in English should have completed with a 3.0 ("B") average a minimum of seven upper division undergraduate English courses. For applicants to the Literature Emphasis, at least six of these courses should be in literature, including one in Shakespeare. For applicants to the Creative Writing Emphasis, at least two of these courses should be in creative writing and at least four in literature, including one in Shakespeare. Applicants to the Rhetoric/Composition Emphasis should have undergraduate preparation in literature and theory, and/or creative, and/or professional writing courses. Any undergraduate preparation in Rhetoric or Composition, linguistics or peer tutoring/writing lab experience is welcomed though not required.
Any deficiency in grades or course work in undergraduate preparation will require that prerequisite courses at the undergraduate level be taken before work on the ten courses for the Master’s degree may be begun. No course at the 600 level may be taken before the prerequisites are completed. A 600-level course taken before the completion of the prerequisite may be counted toward neither the prerequisites nor the requirements for the Master’s degree.
Applicants must submit an application, $50 application fee, and two letters of recommendation. Recommendations should be obtained from individuals who are in a position to comment on the applicant’s academic and personal suitability for pursuing graduate work in English.
Applicants should write an ambition statement (1½–2 pages) in which they indicate which emphasis (Literature, Creative Writing, Rhetoric/Composition) they wish to enter. Applicants should also discuss relevant prior experiences (i.e., academic, research work, creative writing, or other life experiences) and their career goals. This statement should be included with the basic application.
A 10–15 page writing sample is required of all applicants. Applicants to the Literature or Rhetoric/Composition Emphasis should submit a sample of their critical writing; applicants to the Creative Writing Emphasis should submit both a 10-15 page critical writing samples AND a sample of their best creative writing. The two combined samples may not exceed 30 pages total. Both writing samples should be combined into one document for upload to the application website.
The General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a prerequisite requirement for all applicants. A score of 160 (600 on the previous GRE scale) or higher on the Verbal component of the test is highly recommended.
The deadline for the receipt of all materials is March 15.

Teaching Fellowships

Students applying for Teaching Fellowships are asked to include, along with their application materials, the following: a resume or c.v.; a letter of application for the Teaching Fellowship; and two letters of recommendation which specifically address their potential abilities as teachers of College Writing. These letters are in addition to letters submitted for admission to the M.A. program.

Rains Research Assistantships

Rains Research Assistantships are available to qualified graduate students by invitation of individual faculty members. These assistantships are paid at $12 per hour for a maximum of 120 hours per academic year. Teaching Fellows are not eligible for Rains Research Assistantships due to federal government financial aid restrictions.

Graduate Assistantships

A Graduate Assistantship and an internship with the William H. Hannon Library's Special Collections are also available. Students who qualify would work an average of 20 hours per week during the regular semesters. The rate of pay is about $18.00 per hour.

Degree Requirements

Work for the degree of Master of Arts in English includes a minimum of 10 courses (30 semester hours) plus the Comprehensive Examination (0 semester hours). Courses selected must be approved by the Director of the Graduate English program. For the completion of the Master of Arts in English, all students are required to take Critical Methodology (in the first semester), Contemporary Critical Theory (in the first year) and a Major Writer Seminar. In addition, we strongly suggest that students take courses in as many of the following areas as possible: 1) Old English, Middle English, or Renaissance literature; 2) Restoration or 18th Century literature; 3) 19th Century or modern English literature; 4) American literature; and 5) a literary genre. Creative Writing students must take a Creative Thesis course after completing the prerequisite Creative Writing Seminars. All students must take at least four courses at the 600 level. Courses in the 500 group which receive a grade of "B-" or less will not count toward the degree.

LITERATURE EMPHASIS (Ten Courses)

Critical Methodology (1)

Contemporary Critical Theory (1)

Major Writer (1)

Literature and Theory Electives (5-7)

Creative Writing Seminar (0-2)

CREATIVE WRITING EMPHASIS (Ten Courses)

Critical Methodology (1)

Contemporary Critical Theory (1)

Major Writer (1)

Creative Writing Seminar (3-4)

Literature and Theory Electives (2-3)

Creative Thesis (1)

(At least 2-3 of the elective courses should be in literature or cross-listed as literature.)

RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION EMPHASIS (Ten Courses)

Critical Methodology (1)

Contemporary Critical Theory (1)

Major Writer (1)

Literature and Theory Electives (3)

Rhetoric and Composition Theory and Practice (3)

Linguistics or Reading Theory (1)

(At least 2 of the elective courses should be literature or cross-listed as literature.)

ENGL 691 Comprehensive Examination (0 sem. hrs.)

The Comprehensive Examination will be based on a reading list including major works in English and American literature, literary theory, and/or rhetorical theory.

The Comprehensive Examination will consist of a three-hour written examination, followed within two weeks by an oral examination.

Students are urged to familiarize themselves with the details of procedures that are described in the Graduate Handbook available from the Department website.

Foreign Language Requirement

Applicants for the degree of Master of Arts in English who wish a recommendation for doctoral work are encouraged to pass an examination designed to test their ability to translate materials pertaining to their field in either French, German, Spanish, or Latin.

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