The Department of English offers three Master’s Degrees, with concentrations in Literature, a Special Field of interest, and the English Language. It also offers an M.F.A. in Creative Writing.

Because the M.A. is conceived as a pathway to the doctoral program, the English department does not typically offer a terminal Master’s Degree. It does offer a dual M.A. with Information and Library Science (ILS), and a B.A./M.A. for IU undergraduate majors that requires five years of study (4+1). In rare circumstances, application for a terminal Masters’ degree may be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. Applicants to any of these programs should indicate their choice in their personal statement.

With this Master’s degree, you focus on a particular concentration—a genre, a period, or a specialty.

This degree requires a minimum of 30 credit hours, including one 700-level seminar. You select at least three courses in a single area of concentration, such as a genre (the novel, poetry, drama), a period (such as the Middle Ages or 19th Century), or a specialty (such as postcolonial studies, American literature and culture, feminist theory, or composition, rhetoric and literacy).

Up to eight credit hours in graduate courses outside the department may be counted toward the degree, with the prior approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.

Reading proficiency in one foreign language is required, with language competency verified by the relevant foreign language department or program at IUB.

A thesis is optional, and there is no final examination.

Students wishing to enter the doctoral program on completion of this M.A. must apply for admission.

This degree is part of a three-year program. One tangible outcome is the writing of a thesis—you focus on creating a book-length manuscript.

This degree requires a minimum of 60 credit hours, including 16 hours of writing workshops in the genre of your choice. You select from the writing courses ENG-W611-W612 Writing Fiction, or ENG-W613-W614 Writing Poetry.

The coursework also requires at least 16 hours from among the department's literature and language courses, with at least eight hours at the 600 level or above.

You take either ENG-W664 Topics in Current Literature: the study of recent poetry and prose or ENG-W680 Theory and Craft of Writing: the study of elements of poetic prosody and/or the major fictive techniques.

Those teaching in W103 Introductory Creative Writing are required to take W554 in their first semester of teaching. This is a practicum on the theory and practice of teaching the writing of poetry and fiction at the college level, with attention to matters of curricular design and classroom technique.

A thesis in the form of a book-length manuscript is required. You can take up to 12 credit hours in W699 to work on your thesis. There is no final examination.

The remaining credit hours are elective. At least 48 hours of the degree requirements must be completed in residence. For further information, consult the Program in Creative Writing.

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