English, M.A.

About
Admission
Program Requirements
Contacts
Courses

About the Program

The English program enjoys a high reputation for teaching and research in both traditional and innovative areas of literary history and literary criticism. The graduate program prides itself on providing students with the advantages of studying at a Research I institution in a diversity-filled urban environment.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 3 years

Campus Location: Main and Center City. Every summer, the department offers the Rome Seminar in Art and Culture.

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: In order to be certified as full-time, a student must engage in at least 9 credits of coursework each term or the equivalent in supervised teaching, dissertation research, or writing. In special circumstances, the department permits part-time enrollment, but such students are not exempt from the guidelines concerning reasonable academic progress toward the degree.

Interdisciplinary Study: Students are encouraged to engage in serious interdisciplinary projects and to work closely with a faculty member engaged in research and publications projects that take them regularly into the areas of History, Philosophy, Psychology, the arts, and non-print media.

Affiliation(s): Affiliations include the Association of Departments of English (ADE) and the Modern Language Association (MLA).

Study Abroad: The Rome Seminar in Art and Culture is offered in the Summer term at Temple University's Rome campus, the Villa Caproni. This 6-credit graduate seminar is designed to bring together the disciplines of aesthetics and cultural studies. In its interdisciplinary thrust, the seminar is intended to serve as a foundation for advanced study in the human sciences and to reflect the most current trends of thought in post-modern culture. Applications are welcome from advanced undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students in fields such as art, film studies, literature, philosophy, and social theory. The seminar entails an intensive program of classwork, field trips, and guest lectures. The city of Rome is used extensively as a resource. Accommodations are available in a Temple student Residenza or through student-arranged living accommodations in advance. All classes are taught in English.

Areas of Specialization: The literature faculty is unusually productive in both emerging and traditional areas of literary scholarship. The M.A. program provides options for intensive study in critical theory, cultural theory, film theory, interdisciplinary methods, minority literature, and women’s studies. Traditional areas of study include Renaissance, eighteenth-century, nineteenth-century, modern, and contemporary literature, as well as rhetoric and composition.

Job Prospects: Graduates find jobs in the Philadelphia area and in all parts of the United States as teachers, editors, journalists, and in all professions that value writing and critical thinking.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Non-matriculated students are restricted from taking English courses.

Financing Opportunities: Assistantship monies are typically reserved for doctoral students.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: February 15

To be considered for a fellowship and/or teaching assistantship, applicants should submit a complete application by December 15. Applications are accepted until February 15, although funding consideration is uncertain for later applications.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program to begin the application process and receive your TUid number.

Next, visit http://cla.temple.edu/interfolio/english-ma to create or log in to your Interfolio account. Complete the supplemental program application and upload scanned copies of all supporting documents to your account, with these exceptions:

Scores for the GRE and TOEFL, if applicable, must be reported directly by ETS to institution code 2906.
Official electronic transcripts must be sent to eng1grad@temple.edu or the originals mailed to:

Sharon Logan, Graduate Coordinator
Temple University College of Liberal Arts
Dept. of English
1114 W. Polett Walk, 1027 Anderson Hall (022-29)
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6090

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 3

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from college/university faculty members familiar with the applicant's academic abilities.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: An applicant should hold an undergraduate degree in English or have completed equivalent coursework in English and American literature.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree is required in a Humanities discipline. A wide range of literature courses should have been taken.

Statement of Goals: In approximately 600 to 1,000 words, include your research goals, your particular interest in the Temple English graduate program, and your future goals.

Standardized Test Scores:
GRE: Required. Scores on the verbal section are most important on the general test.

GRE Subject Exam in Literature: Required. Subject test scores are highly considered. A low score does not exclude an applicant from consideration, if other application materials are strong.

TOEFL: 105 iBT or 620 PBT minimum

Resume: Current resume required.

Writing Sample: The writing sample should be a work of literary criticism, not creative writing, approximately 12 to 15 pages in length. It should represent the best of its author's critical and writing abilities.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 30

Required Courses:

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
Coursework, including at least one advanced-level (8000 to 9000-level) seminar		27
ENG 9996	Master's Essay	3
Total Credit Hours		30

Language Examination: Students must demonstrate a reading knowledge of one foreign language.

Culminating Events:
Qualifying Paper:
While enrolled in ENG 9996, students must write one qualifying paper that demonstrates the student's ability to write perceptively, lucidly, and at length (4,000-6,000 words) on a literary subject. Typically a substantial revision of a paper submitted for a previous course, the qualifying paper is to be submitted in the last term of coursework. A sponsor on the Graduate Faculty must approve it for submission to the Graduate Director. Then, two members of the English Graduate Faculty other than the paper's sponsor review it. The readers may accept the essay, ask for revisions, or fail it. The paper must receive a passing grade from at least one of the non-sponsoring readers. An essay that has been failed by two readers is not accepted as an M.A. qualifying paper. With the permission of the Graduate Director, the student may revise the essay. An essay that has been revised at a reader's request must be resubmitted to the same reader to certify that the objections have been met.

Courses

ENG 5011. Early British Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Topical readings that emphasize pre-Renaissance literature and criticism. Readings may include material from other periods as well. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5012. Early American Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Topical readings that emphasize American literature and criticism prior to 1800. Readings may include material from other periods as well. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5014. 16th and 17th Century British Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Topical readings that emphasize Renaissance and/or Restoration literature and criticism. Readings may include material from other periods as well. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5016. 18th Century British Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

This course surveys major literary figures and representative literary forms of the 18th Century. We will consider literature's relation to political, social, and cultural developments.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5018. 19th Century British Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Topical readings that emphasize Romantic and/or Victorian literature and criticism. Readings may include material from other periods as well. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5021. 19th Century American Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Topical readings that emphasize nineteenth-century American literature and criticism. Readings may include material from other periods as well. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5022. 20th and 21st Century British Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Topical readings that emphasize British literature and criticism since about 1900. Readings may include material from other periods as well. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5024. 20th and 21st Century American Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Topical readings that emphasize American literature and criticism since about 1900. Readings may include material from other periods as well. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5026. Anglophone Literatures. 3 Credit Hours.

Topical readings that emphasize writing in English from African, Australia, the Caribbean, India, and other places besides Britain and America. Readings may include material from any time period. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5028. Literatures in Translation. 3 Credit Hours.

Introductory readings that emphasize world literature and criticism from any time period. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5031. Translation Study. 3 Credit Hours.

An introduction to the theory and practice of translation.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5032. Book History. 3 Credit Hours.

An introduction to the theory and practice of book history.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5100. Topics - Literary Genres. 3 Credit Hours.

An introduction to the characteristics and problems of genre. Readings may emphasize poetry, non-fiction prose, the novel, drama, biography, autobiography, or other topics related to genre. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5200. Topics - Literature and Culture. 3 Credit Hours.

Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5300. Topics - Cinema and Media Arts. 3 Credit Hours.

An introduction to cinema and media history and theory. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5301. Methods in Cinema and Media Studies. 3 Credit Hours.

An introduction to ways of reading, writing on, and teaching film. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5401. Introduction to Digital Text Methods. 3 Credit Hours.

This course introduces students to the technical and theoretical aspects of working with digital texts. Classes will consider the conceptual differences between digital and print forms of textuality, the relationship between methods of quantitative computational analysis and the discipline's historic focus on qualitative analysis, the logic of specific analytical tools, the history of computer-assisted textual analysis, and other theoretical problems inherent in thinking about digital texts. Typical topics may also include current text encoding methods, such as TEI; current textual data formatting for digital editions using XML; textual transformations, using XSLT or other programming languages; and specific computational methods of textual analysis, such as topic modeling, network analysis, and stylometry.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ENG 5500. Topics - Critical Theory. 3 Credit Hours.

Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5501. History of Critical Theory. 3 Credit Hours.

An introduction to critical schools from classical antiquity to the present.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5502. Current Directions in Critical Theory. 3 Credit Hours.

An introduction to recent and/or contemporary critical theory.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5600. Special Topics in Creative Writing. 3 Credit Hours.

A required course for MFA creative writing students. Special Topics in Creative Writing has both critical and creative writing components. The topic varies from year to year.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5601. Poetry Workshop. 3 Credit Hours.

Open only to students in the Creative Writing MFA program. Intensive discussion of student poetry and the work of established poets whose concerns are related to those of the students. Frequent individual conferences.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5602. Fiction Workshop. 3 Credit Hours.

Open only to students in the Creative Writing MFA program. Intensive discussion of student fiction and he work of established fiction writers whose concerns are related to those of the students. Frequent individual conferences.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5603. Craft in Creative Writing. 3 Credit Hours.

Focuses on craft elements of fiction or poetry. Content varies according to instructor and genre. Required course for M.F.A. candidates.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5701. Composition Research Methods. 3 Credit Hours.

An overview of current work in rhetoric and composition, and concentrated study in such areas as history of rhetoric, analyzing student texts, and evaluation.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5702. Historical Studies in Language and Rhetoric. 3 Credit Hours.

An introduction to historical study in language and/or rhetoric from classical antiquity to the present.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5710. Topics - Literacy and Language. 3 Credit Hours.

Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 5720. Topics - Rhetoric and Composition. 3 Credit Hours.

Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8101. Advanced Study - Early English Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in pre-Renaissance literature and criticism. Readings may include material from other periods as well. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8102. Advanced Study - Early American Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in American literature and criticism prior to 1800. Readings may include material from other periods as well. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8104. Advanced Study - 16th and 17th Century British Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in Renaissance and/or Restoration literature and criticism. Readings may include material from other periods as well. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8106. Advanced Study - 18th Century British Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in Restoration and/or eighteenth-century British literature and criticism. Readings may include material from other periods as well. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8108. Advanced Study - 19th Century British Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in Romantic and/or Victorian literature and criticism. Readings may include material from other periods as well. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8109. Advanced Study - 19th Century American Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in nineteenth-century American literature and criticism. Readings may include material from other periods as well. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8202. Advanced Study - 20th and 21st Century British Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in British literature and criticism since about 1900. Readings may include material from other periods as well. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8204. Advanced Study - 20th and 21st Century American Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in American literature and criticism since about 1900. Readings may include material from other periods as well. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8205. Advanced Study - Anglophone Literature. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in writing in English from African, Australia, the Caribbean, India, and other places besides Britain and America. Readings may include material from any time period. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8301. Advanced Study in Translation. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in the theory and practice of translation.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8302. Advanced Study in Book History. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in the theory and practice of book history.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8304. Advanced Study in Genre. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in genre. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8402. Advanced Study in Cinema and Media. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in cinema and media history, criticism, and theory. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8501. Advanced Study in Critical Theory. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in critical theory. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8704. Advanced Study in Literacy and Language. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in literacy and language. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8706. Advanced Study in Rhetoric and Composition. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in rhetoric and composition. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8900. Advanced Study in Literature and Culture. 3 Credit Hours.

Advanced study of topics in literary and cultural studies. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 8904. TU/Penn Exchange Poetics. 3 Credit Hours.

One student a year is permitted to register for one course in poetics at the University of Pennsylvania. Any student admitted to the graduate program in English can apply to participate in the exchange program.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ENG 8985. Teaching in Higher Education: Writing. 3 Credit Hours.

An introduction to the theory and practice of writing instruction.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ENG 9001. Introduction to Graduate Study. 3 Credit Hours.

An introduction to the methods and aims of literary research and varieties of critical theory. Required of doctoral students.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

ENG 9082. Independent Study. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.

Independent study. By arrangement.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 9083. Master's Manuscript Tutorial. 3 Credit Hours.

For Creative Writing majors. A tutorial in which the creative manuscript required for graduation is developed. Related readings. Weekly conferences. Two semesters are required.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Majors: English.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 9089. Rome Seminar in Art and Culture. 6 Credit Hours.

For advanced undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students in fields such as literature, film studies, philosophy, art, and social theory. Graduate credit available. Summer session I.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 9100. Seminar in Literary and Cultural Studies. 3 Credit Hours.

Intensive reading and study of literary and cultural studies in a small class setting. Content varies. May be repeated for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 9200. Seminar in Cinema and Media Studies. 3 Credit Hours.

A seminar devoted to an exploration of a topic in media studies, such as a film or television genre, a national cinema, the work of a particular director or a critical and theoretical issue of current debate.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 9300. Seminar in Critical Theory. 3 Credit Hours.

Intensive reading and study of critical theory in a small class setting. Content varies. Can be taken for more than one credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 9400. Seminar in Rhetoric and Composition. 3 Credit Hours.

Intensive reading and study of rhetorical and/or composition in a small class setting. Content varies. Can be taken more than once for credit.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 9994. Preliminary Examination Preparation. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.

Advanced seminar for doctoral candidates.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 9995. Master's Project. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.

Creative thesis for M.F.A. candidates. Required for graduation.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 9996. Master's Essay. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.

For doctoral candidates who select the M.A. option.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 9998. Pre-Dissertation Research. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.

Registration required each semester after Preliminary Examinations while researching the dissertation proposal.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

ENG 9999. Dissertation Research. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.

Dissertation research seminar for doctoral candidates.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Dissertation Writing Student.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.