Graduate Program - Program Description
Program Description
The Master of Arts in English is normally a 30-credit degree (ten courses), which may include six credits of thesis work. Students whose undergraduate major was not in English may be asked to complete 39 credits.
Other requirements include:
- At least 15 credits of graduate literature courses
- If student chooses an optional concentration, requirements must be met, as detailed below
- A 30-credit degree may include up to six credits transferred from other institutions, up to six credits in other departments, and up to six credits at the 400 level, if pre-approved by the student’s advisory committee
- Successful completion of a comprehensive written examination, usually in the final year of study
- Thesis students (Creative Writing concentrations and optional for others) must defend their thesis in a one-hour defense
- All teaching assistants must complete ENG 693: Teaching College Composition, normally in the first semester of their appointment
- All work for the degree must be completed within six years of matriculation.
The department offers four optional concentration areas:
Concentration in Composition & Pedagogy
9-12 credits in courses exploring current theories about writing, the teaching of writing, and the contexts of writing – including linguistics, critical theory, and discourse analysis.
The concentration in Composition & Pedagogy allows students to develop an interest in the theory and practice of teaching composition. The student may choose from among available courses in composition theory, pedagogy, linguistics, literacy, and rhetoric.
Candidates for this degree also may take related courses from faculty in Communication (Nathan Stormer) and Education.
Requirements:
- ENG 693: Teaching College Composition
- ENG 579: Theories of Composition
- ENG 606/COM 606: Rhetorical Theory
- An additional 3-6 credits of composition-related study or thesis credits, as approved in advance by the student’s advisory committee.
Composition faculty in English are:
Concentration in Creative Writing
9-12 credits in workshops and thesis credits in poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction.
The concentration in Creative Writing allows the student to focus on the writing of fiction, poetry and/or creative non-fiction and to prepare a creative thesis, in addition to receiving graduate-level training in literature and literary criticism. Graduate creative writing courses combine workshop situations with one-on-one instruction and enable students to work closely with practicing professionals.
The New Writing Series offers a lively schedule of readings throughout the year. Students in the concentration may give public readings on campus and contribute editorial assistance to the graduate literary magazine, The Stolen Island Review.
Requirements:
- Six credit hours in either poetry or fiction (ENG 507: Fiction Workshop or ENG 508: Poetry Workshop).
- Three credit hours of ENG 699: Graduate Thesis
- All creative writing students produce and defend a thesis consisting of a substantial body of work (e.g. a novel, a collection of short stories, a collection of poetry), prefaced by a discussion of the creative process that gave rise to the work in the context of literary traditions and movements.
Graduate creative writing courses are taught by:
- poet Jennifer Moxley (The Line, Imagination Verses, The Sense Record, and Often Capital)
- fiction writer David Kress (Counting Zero; Martians)
- fiction writer Greg Howard
Concentration in Gender & Literature
9-12 credits in courses exploring the interrelationships of gender, language and literature.
The concentration in Gender & Literature allows students to pursue focused study of the workings of gender in language and literature. Coursework may include studies of women writers, of feminist criticism, gender criticism, or queer theory, of femininities and/or masculinities in particular literary periods or schools, as well as of theoretical questions such as the gendered nature of language.
N.B. English M.A. students may also opt for the interdisciplinary concentration in women’s studies offered by the University’s Women in the Curriculum / Women’s Studies program. WST Graduate courses
Requirements:
- Six credit hours of ENG 549: Studies in Gender and Literature
- An additional three credits of gender-related coursework, which may, with approval from the student’s advisor, include one course outside the department such as WST 510: Advanced Studies in Feminist Theory
Faculty with interest in gender and literature include:
- Carla Billitteri (Feminist Theory, women experimental writers both American and European)
- Laura Cowan (Rebecca West)
- Steve Evans (Gertrude Stein, women experimental writers)
- Benjamin Friedlander (Emily Dickinson)
- Naomi Jacobs (nineteenth century women writers, feminist theory, gender and utopia)
- Margo Lukens (Native American and African American women writers)
- Jennifer Moxley (feminist poetics, gay and lesbian literature)
- Deborah Rogers (early women novelists, Ann Radcliffe)
Concentration in Poetry & Poetics
12 credits in poetry and poetics, emphasizing theoretical approaches within an overall context of historical survey.
The concentration in Poetry & Poetics allows students to pursue a focused study of poetry and poetics, emphasizing theoretical approaches within an overall context of historical survey.
Poetry and poetics students benefit from the presence in the department of the New Writing Series as well as events sponsored by the National Poetry Foundation, and may have the opportunity to contribute editorial assistance to NPF publications.
Requirements:
- Six credit hours of ENG 580: Topics in Poetry and Poetics
- Six to nine credit hours in literature courses focused on poetry and/or theory, which may include three credit hours of creative writing.
Poetry and Poetics faculty include:
- Carla Billitteri (American poetry, hermeneutics, critical theory)
- Laura Cowan (Modernism)
- Tony Brinkley (Romanticism, Critical Theory)
- Steve Evans (Poetry and Poetics, Critical Theory)
- Jennifer Moxley (American poetry, Symbolist movement, translation)
- Benjamin Friedlander (Poetry and Poetics, American Literature)
- Ken Norris (Canadian Poetry).
Applicants Seeking Degrees Off-Campus
Students with limited access to the Orono campus can make progress toward a degree by combining summer classes, distance classes, transfer credits and thesis credits.
For more information on University admissions requirements, please refer to the Graduate School web page
Write to:
The Graduate School
University of Maine
5755 Stodder Hall, Room 42
Orono, ME 04469-5755
Telephone: 207 581-3219
FAX: 207 581-3232
Email: graduate@maine.edu
For more information about the Masters program in English contact our Graduate Secretary
E-mail: englishgradstudies@umit.maine.edu
Phone: (207) 581-3835
Write to:
Graduate Program Information
University of Maine
English Department
5725 Neville Hall
Room 304
Orono, ME 04469-5725