Graduate | Department of English

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MA Degree

The Master of Arts in English offers excellent preparation for community college and secondary school teaching, for continued study in PhD programs, and for successful careers in humanities-supported fields ranging from business, to law, to arts administration. Students choose from three flexible plans of study–Thesis, Teaching Composition, and Careers in the Humanities–to develop their particular interests and professional goals.

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PhD Degree

Students seeking the Doctor of Philosophy in English may choose from twelve areas of specialization in British and American Literature, Literary Theory, and Rhetoric and Composition. Teaching assistantships and internships, job placement workshops, and intensive study with our distinguished faculty support our doctoral students as they prepare for careers in the academy and in humanities-supported professions.

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MFA Degree

The Master of Fine Arts in creative writing is a two-year residency program with an emphasis on providing students with studio time in which to study the writing of poetry or fiction. The program’s flexibility permits students to develop their particular talents through small classes in writing, literature, and the arts. As a community of writers, students read and comment on each other’s work under the guidance of resident and visiting faculty, who also meet with students in one-on-one tutorials.

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Recent Graduate News

2023 Roskelly Award for Pedagogical Innovation Winners!

Congratulations to PhD students Kathy Goodkin and Catherine Bowlin, recipients of the 2023 Roskelly Award for Pedagogical Innovation! The College Writing Program […]

Posted on February 14, 2023

PhD Alum Kelly Richardson Honored with Winthrop’s Top Teaching Award

Congratulations to Kelly Richardson for being honored with Winthrop University’s top teaching award! Read more about Kelly and her accomplishments […]

Posted on December 2, 2022

PhD student Mohammad Ataullah Nuri wins the 2021-2022 English Department Graduate Essay Award!

Congratulations to PhD student Mohammad Ataullah Nuri for winning the 2021-2022 English Department Graduate Essay Award!   His essay, “A […]

Posted on May 4, 2022

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In terms of the program here, I’ve been constantly surprised about how much I enjoy it. The superb faculty and the community of fellow graduate students makes this program stand out, in my opinion. I can’t think of anywhere else where I’d want to be studying.

-Current Student