A Master's in English Empowers
Clear and effective communication skills are essential in every industry. West Chester University's Master of Arts in English teaches those skills and more in a flexible format designed for busy professionals. WCU's M.A. in English offers three unique tracks, each emphasizing critical thinking, cultural awareness, and writing expertise through part-time or full-time study. You'll gain skills that are highly sought-after by employers in industries like business, law, education, research, journalism, communications, government, and health care.
At WCU, we understand the importance of personalized attention, especially in a writing-intensive program. That's why you'll be paired with a faculty mentor who will be invested in your personal and professional success. WCU also offers opportunities for professional development, involvement with academic and peer reviewed journals, and certificates in digital publishing and secondary education.
Whether you want to pursue a career in research or the communication field, want to study law or plan to earn your Ph.D., our master's degree in English gives you the tools you need to excel.
Tracks in Our English Master's Degree Program
West Chester University's master of English offers three engaging tracks to align with your interests and career goals. Regardless of your track, you'll enjoy a highly supportive environment that nurtures scholarly development, heightens cultural literacy, hones communication skills, fosters problem-solving abilities, and cultivates intellectual and personal growth.
Literature: Thesis and Non-Thesis Options
The Literature track gives you advanced training in critical interpretation and theory. It allows you to build on your undergraduate degree, enhance your teaching capabilities, or prepare for Ph.D. programs.
Writing, Teaching, and Criticism: Thesis and Non-Thesis Options
This track option combines theory in rhetoric and composition, pedagogy, and literacy studies. This track is a great fit for any student interested in the intersection of language, teaching, and literature. You'll have the opportunity to work with the nationally recognized Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project.
Creative Writing: Creative Thesis Required
This track helps you expand your writing capabilities through interactive workshops and individualized feedback. You'll also have the opportunity to engage with WCU's Aralia Press. To meet the thesis requirement of this track, you'll build a portfolio of original fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry.
Benefits of Earning Your English Master's at WCU
Highly Regarded Faculty
Our internationally recognized faculty brings diverse scholarly expertise and interests into every class, informing discussions and guiding conversations. Many have received prestigious grants and fellowships from leading agencies and institutions, including the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress, and the Fulbright Scholar Program.
Each professor you'll encounter in WCU's Master of Arts in English is committed to innovative, student-centered teaching and one-on-one mentorship.
Unparalleled Writing Opportunities
Our master of English program provides myriad opportunities for exploring—and refining—your craft. Faculty-directed options include:
- Poetry Center
- College Literature journal
- Research on Diversity in Youth Literature journal
- West Chester Writing Project
- WCU Writing Center
- West Chester Center for Book History
The English department also enjoys historically close ties with WCU's Women's and Gender Studies Program, Youth Empowerment & Urban Studies Program, and the Frederick Douglass Institute.
Extensive Career Advising
Your professional goals are front and center from day one, with attentive faculty advisors and mentors guiding your overall academic experience.
Our faculty will work with you one-on-one and are committed to providing resources like alumni panels and networking opportunities throughout your time at WCU.
Cross-Functional Development Through Graduate Assistantships
WCU has diverse—and funded—graduate assistantships that provide experience in marketing, content development, publishing, and education. Your advisor will work with you to find the right opportunity for you to incorporate new skills into your program. Two recent examples include a student who designed and produced a series of pedagogical videos and another who developed targeted writing support for candidates pursuing our Public Administration degree.
What Can You Do With a Master of English Degree?
When you earn your master's degree in English from WCU, a variety of career paths are available to you, thanks to the key skills you'll hone along the way:
- Journalism, creative writing, and copywriting: Many of our graduates take positions where writing and editing play central roles, like journalism, content creator/manager, copywriter, editor, and other communication positions across industries. WCU counts a New York Times bestselling author, a two-time Bram Stoker award-winning author, a literary agent, and a managing editor of Lehigh University Press among our alumni.
- Business communications and technical writing: Regardless of the track you choose in our master's program, you'll develop professional and technical writing skills. From product descriptions to trade articles, technical writers take on a wide variety of projects. Management roles such as communications director, editor-in-chief, and publisher require a master's degree across industries.
- Education and tutoring: If you're a teacher or have been considering a career in teaching, earning a master's degree in English opens up the opportunity to teach in a specific subject area and qualifies your level-2 teaching certification. With your master's degree, you may also be eligible to teach at the community college and even university levels.
- Other fields and career paths: Your master of English qualifies you for other careers, too. Possible paths include human resources, marketing, public relations, customer service, law, and film and television.
What Courses in English Will You Study?
WCU has offered its Master of Arts in English program for more than six decades, providing a diverse, evolving, and culturally significant curriculum that prepares students for a meaningful career in a complex world.
M.A. in English - Literature Track
Thesis Option
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses for All English MA Students | ||
| ENG 500 | The Discipline of English Studies | 3 |
| ENG 501 | Critical Theory | 3 |
| Required Courses for Literature Track, Thesis Option | ||
| Select one course in literature before 1660 | 3 | |
| Select one course in literature between 1660 and 1900 | 3 | |
| Select one course in literature between 1900 and the present | 3 | |
| ENG 550 | History, Form, & Ideology | 3 |
| ENG 560 | Locating Literature | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Students are to select two electives from among courses in the following categories: General Topics and Theory, English Literature, American Literature, Comparative Literature, Composition and Rhetoric, and Research and Special Topics. For course categories, see the Graduate Catalog or Handbook for English Graduate Students. | 9 | |
| Students are to select one free elective chosen from among all ENG categories, including those listed in the paragraph above and in the categories of Language, Teaching Skills, Creative Writing, and PWP courses (The Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project). | 3 | |
| Required Capstone Experience | ||
| ENG 614 | Capstone Writing and Research Seminar | 3 |
| ENG 620 | M.A. Essay | 3 |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| American literature requirement: At least one course must be taken in American literature. | ||
| Non-canonical requirement: At least one course must be taken in a topic addressing writing, literature, and/or pedagogy relating to under-represented groups | ||
| ENG 500 and ENG 501 are to be taken before the completion of 12 semester hours of graduate course work in English. ENG 614 is to be taken before ENG 620. | ||
| Total Credits Required | 36 | |
Non-Thesis Option
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses for all English MA Students | ||
| ENG 500 | The Discipline of English Studies | 3 |
| ENG 501 | Critical Theory | 3 |
| Required Courses for Literature Track, Non-Thesis Option | ||
| Select at least one course in literature before 1660 | 3 | |
| Select at least one course in literature between 1660 and 1900 | 3 | |
| Select at least one course in literature between 1900 and the present | 3 | |
| ENG 550 | History, Form, & Ideology | 3 |
| ENG 560 | Locating Literature | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Students are to select three electives from among courses in the following categories: General Topics and Theory, English Literature, American Literature, Comparative Literature, Composition and Rhetoric, and Research and Special Topics. For course categories, see the Graduate Catalog or Handbook for English Graduate Students. | 9 | |
| Students are to select one free elective chosen from among all ENG categories, including those listed in the paragraph above and in the categories of Language, Teaching Skills, Creative Writing, and PWP courses (The Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project). | 3 | |
| Required Capstone Experience | ||
| ENG 614 | Capstone Writing and Research Seminar | 3 |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| American literature requirement: At least one course must be taken in American literature. | 3 | |
| Non-canonical requirement: At least one course must be taken in topics addressing writing, literature, and/or pedagogy relating to under-represented groups | 3 | |
| ENG 500 and ENG 501 are to be taken before the completion of 12 semester hours of graduate course work in English. | ||
| Total Credits Required | 36 | |
M.A. in English - Writing, Teaching, and Criticism Track
Thesis Option
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses for all English MA Students | ||
| ENG 500 | The Discipline of English Studies | 3 |
| ENG 501 | Critical Theory | 3 |
| Required Courses for WTC Track, Thesis Option | ||
| Composition and Rhetoric | ||
| ENG 506 | Critical Pedagogies & Literacies | 3 |
| PWP 502 | Teacher as Writer | 3 |
| ENG 550 | History, Form, & Ideology | 3 |
| or ENG 560 | Locating Literature | |
| Select two additional courses from two of following areas: | 6 | |
Composition and Rhetoric | ||
Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project (PWP) | ||
Literature | ||
| Electives | ||
| Students are to select three electives from among courses in the following categories: General Topics and Theory, English Literature, American Literature, Comparative Literature, Composition and Rhetoric, Research and Special Topics, and PWP. One of the three electives may be selected from among all ENG categories—including those listed above and in the categories of Language, Teaching Skills, and Creative Writing–or from a different discipline, in cases where it would enhance the student’s program of study. | 9 | |
| Required Capstone Experience | ||
| ENG 616 | Research Methods for Writing, Teaching and Criticism | 3 |
| ENG 620 | M.A. Essay | 3 |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Non-canonical requirement: At least one course must be taken in a topic that addresses the writing, literature, and/or pedagogy relating to under-represented groups. | ||
| PWP courses: No more than 12 credits (including the required six credits of PWP courses described above) may be taken in courses taught by PAWLP master-teachers. | ||
| ENG 506, PWP 502, ENG 500, and ENG 501 are to be taken before the completion of 18 semester hours of graduate credit. | ||
| Total Credits Required | 36 | |
Non-Thesis Option
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses for all English MA Students | ||
| ENG 500 | The Discipline of English Studies | 3 |
| ENG 501 | Critical Theory | 3 |
| Required Courses for WTC Track, Non-Thesis Option | ||
| Composition and Rhetoric | ||
| ENG 506 | Critical Pedagogies & Literacies | 3 |
| PWP 502 | Teacher as Writer | 3 |
| ENG 550 | History, Form, & Ideology | 3 |
| or ENG 560 | Locating Literature | |
| Select two additional courses from two of following areas: | 6 | |
Composition and Rhetoric | ||
Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project (PAWLP) | ||
Literature | ||
| Electives | ||
| Students are to select three electives from among courses in the following categories: General Topics and Theory, English Literature, American Literature, Comparative Literature, Composition and Rhetoric, Research and Special Topics, and PWP. One of the three electives may be selected from among all ENG categories—including those listed above and in the categories of Language, Teaching Skills, and Creative Writing—or from a different discipline, in cases where it would enhance the student’s program of study. | 9 | |
| Required Capstone Experience | ||
| ENG 614 | Capstone Writing and Research Seminar | 3 |
| ENG 616 | Research Methods for Writing, Teaching and Criticism | 3 |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Non-canonical requirement: At least one course must be taken in a topic that addresses the writing, literature, and/or pedagogy relating to under-represented groups. | ||
| PWP courses: No more than 12 credits (including the required six credits of PWP courses described above) may be taken in courses taught by PAWLP master-teachers. | ||
| ENG 506, PWP 502, ENG 500 and ENG 501 are to be taken before the completion of 18 semester hours of graduate credit. | ||
| Total Credits Required | 36 | |
M.A. in English - Creative Writing Track
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses for all English MA Students | ||
| ENG 500 | The Discipline of English Studies | 3 |
| ENG 501 | Critical Theory | 3 |
| Required Courses for Creative Writing Track | ||
| Four Writing Workshops | 12 | |
Students are to select four poetry and/or fiction workshops from among courses listed in the Creative Writing category. For course categories, see the Graduate Catalog or Handbook for English Graduate Students. | ||
| Electives | ||
| Students are to select four electives from among courses in the following categories: General Topics and Theory, English Literature, American Literature, Comparative Literature, Composition and Rhetoric, Research and Special Topics, and the Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project. | 12 | |
| Required Capstone Experience | ||
| ENG 614 | Capstone Writing and Research Seminar | 3 |
| ENG 620 | M.A. Essay ((thesis) [pre-requisite–ENG 614] This course, to be taken under the supervision of a member of the creative writing faculty, is to result in the production of a creative thesis project. The project is to include a portfolio of original fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry and a section considering the student’s literary influences and connections with contemporary literary traditions.) | 3 |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| ENG 501 and ENG 500 are to be taken before the completion of 12 semester hours of graduate credit. | ||
| Non-canonical requirement: At least one of the four electives must be taken in a topic addressing writing, literature, and/or pedagogy relating to under-represented groups. | ||
| Total Credits Required | 36 | |
Get Started on YourMaster's in English
Whether you want to teach, write a screenplay, or embark on a career in communications, earning your Master of Arts in English from WCU is where your journey begins.
Apply NowPrograms Related to WCU's Master's in English Program
