Department Chair: PROFESSOR BARBARA BENEDICT
Graduate Adviser: PROFESSOR MILLA RIGGIO

The graduate program in English literature offers students an opportunity to study English and American literature and literary theory at an advanced level. The program is designed to provide students with an understanding of literary texts, contexts, and methods of interpretation. Our students are diverse: many are teachers working toward the degree of Master of Arts in English, and others choose the M.A. as a transition toward enrolling in a Ph.D. program. Some have already earned advanced degrees while others are pursuing degrees in other fields. This program is open to anyone who is interested in deepening an understanding of the field of English literature and is qualified for advanced work.

The requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in English is the successful completion of 10 credits: these consist of eight courses and a two-credit thesis.

Only one of the eight courses is required: "ENGL 892: Contexts and Methods for the Study of Literature." This seminar introduces students to a variety of critical approaches to literary/textual interpretation. Because it presents basic tools for the advanced study of English, we recommend that entering students enroll in this course during their first year of graduate study.

The remaining seven courses may be drawn from any of our offerings during the fall or spring semesters, or summer term (when available). Degree candidates must take at least one course in each of the following three areas: author-centered study, literary history, and critical theory. Every course is designated as belonging to one of these categories in its listing in the Schedule of Classes.

Courses designated as author-centered study intensively examine the opus of one or more writers to explore the characteristics and changes of the author's sensibility. Examples of author-centered courses include Shakespeare, Dickens and Eliot, and Jane Austen.

Courses designated as literary history analyze literature in its social and historical contexts. Examples of courses designated as literary history that are frequently offered include Harlem in the 1920s; Literature and Politics in Ireland, 1890-1930; and Romantic and Rational Impulses from Voltaire to WWI.

Courses designated as critical theory present one or more theoretical approaches to the understanding of literature. Examples of such courses are Psychoanalysis and Literature, Narrative and Critical Theory, and Popular Culture.

The two-credit thesis completes the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. In the first semester, students are required to enroll in the Thesis Colloquium with other students who are writing theses (ENGL 954, offered annually in the fall semester). This colloquium provides guidance and information about research, audience, and writing strategies: it does not bear credit or require additional tuition. With the direction of a thesis adviser, whom they choose with the help of the graduate adviser, students normally complete the thesis in one year.

Students seeking matriculated admission to their first graduate course in English must submit their academic credentials, the two required writing samples, and the remaining application materials to the Office of Graduate Studies for review. Ordinarily, students are admitted only if they attained a cumulative average of "B" or above in an undergraduate English major or in eight English courses (24 semester hours), not including freshman English, speech, or journalism.

Ordinarily, a student must complete two English courses at Trinity (with a grade of "High Pass" or better) before being admitted to candidacy for the Master's degree in English.

With the permission of the graduate adviser, students may take up to two courses in fields other than English at the graduate level, e.g. American studies, history, linguistics, philosophy, religion, or a foreign language or literature.

Students who wish to arrange special programs or meet professional requirements may take up to two advanced undergraduate courses (300- and 400-level) with special assignments for graduate credit. To take such a course, the student must have the permission of both the instructor and the graduate adviser.

The English Department sometimes offers teaching assistantships to a few graduate students, typically those who have taught expository writing or the subject matter of 100- or 200-level courses. For more information, the student should contact the director of the Writing Center and the department chairperson well before the term starts.

Candidates for the Master's degree in other fields who have had five courses of undergraduate English may petition the graduate adviser for admission to English courses.

A sampling of course topics in the English Program includes:

Jane Austen
18th-Century Literature
Harlem in the 1920s
Dickens and Eliot
Literature and Politics in Ireland:  1890-1930
Narrative and Critical Theory
Popular Culture
Psychoanalysis and Literature
Romantic and Rational Impulses From Voltaire to WWII
Shakespeare
Southern Literature and Culture
Independent Reading
Thesis

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