Admissions

Students applying to the M.A. English program should familiarize themselves with all admission requirements, application materials, and procedures. Generally, students should hold a minimum GPA of 2.8 and should have majored in English or a related discipline as undergraduates. The GRE examinations are not required for admission to the graduate English program. Read More.

Academic Programs

Our graduate programs provide flexible, year-round instruction that accommodates busy professionals. Our M.A. program in English offers three tracks: Literature; Creative Writing; and Writing, Teaching, and Criticism. Students may select the track that best suits their needs. Our Graduate Publishing Certificate Program prepares students for diverse careers in publishing and new media with a combination of in-person, hybrid, and online courses that can be completed in under 12 months. Read More.

Course Offerings

Our course offerings are extensive and flexible, with classes in English, American, and comparative literatures; literary and cultural criticism and theory; rhetoric and composition theory and practice; linguistics; and the writing of poetry, fiction, non-fiction prose, and the novel. Classes meet in the late afternoon and evenings, and enrollment averages 16-18 students per class. Students should select courses in consultation with the graduate advisor. For more information on our course offerings, please view the following resources:

• Graduate Catalog Course Descriptions
• Graduate Course Descriptions for Spring 2016
• Graduate Seminar Descriptions for Summer 2015
• Graduate Seminar Descriptions for Spring 2015

Student Funding

English graduate students have the opportunity to apply for two primary sources of funding:

• Graduate Assistantships
  This funding provides a stipend and tuition remission as well as valuable academic and professional experience. GAs may work with faculty on research projects, assist with College Literature and the Poetry Center, tutor at the Writing Center, or teach via Writing Zones
• Travel Funding
  This funding is available to students seeking to attend and/or present at professional conferences. Students can apply for this support via the English Department, the Graduate Student Association, and the Graduate Dean's Research Support Fund. The Dean's Fund also supports expenses related to student research, thesis work, and creative activities.

Graduate Community

English graduate students at WCU have several opportunities to expand their learning experience beyond the classroom and collaborate with others who share their interests:

• Graduate Student Association (GSA)
  WCU's GSA represents the interests and welfare of all graduate students at the university. The GSA sponsors career workshops, organizes social events, and offers leadership and funding opportunities, including support for conference travel, as described above.
• Rhetoric Society of America (RSA)
  WCU's chapter of the RSA is a graduate student-led body whose aim is to increase understanding of the practices and history of rhetoric, and to prepare students for Ph.D.-level study.
• Upcoming Author Events
  The English Department's Creative Writing program sponsors an exciting slate of author events that provide our graduate students with the chance to meet and interact with prominent figures in the field of creative writing.

Faculty

The English Department faculty is large and diverse. It includes nationally and internationally recognized scholars and critics who publish widely in the fields of literary and cultural studies, composition and rhetoric, creative writing, film theory and criticism, journalism, and linguistics. Our professors are also innovative and engaged teachers who bring their scholarly expertise and student-centered pedagogy directly into the classroom. Read More.