English MA

Note: Admissions to Option B have been suspended.

Admission Requirements

The MA program, with the exception of the Creative Writing option, requires an Honours degree or its equivalent in English with a minimum of a B+ (3.30 GPA) average.
The Creative Writing option requires a major in English Literature or its equivalent with a minimum of a B+ (3.30 GPA) average.
Portfolio submission, as outlined on the English Department website.
Proficiency in English. Applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate that their knowledge of English is sufficient to pursue graduate studies in their chosen field. Please refer to the English language proficiency page for further information on requirements and exemptions.

Additional Admission Requirements

Applicants who lack one or two courses (12 credits or less) towards equivalency of an Honours degree, but who are otherwise well qualified, may be admitted with the provision that they take additional undergraduate courses as part of their master's program. Applicants requiring three or more courses (more than 12 credits) to complete the Honours equivalent will be required to take a qualifying program of prescribed undergraduate courses, and reapply to the master's program after successful completion of this course work.

Applicants should feel free to consult with all members of the English Department about the program. Specific matters should be addressed to the Graduate Program Director or to the Graduate Program Assistant.

Degree Requirements

Fully-qualified candidates are required to complete a minimum of 45 credits.

Please see the English Courses page for course descriptions.

English MA (45 credits)

45	credits chosen from: English Literature MA with Thesis (Option A) English Literature MA with Thesis (Option B) Creative Writing MA with Thesis (Option C)

English Literature MA with Thesis (Option A)

credits of 600-level Courses with a minimum of 6 credits of courses designated by the Graduate Committee as fulfilling the "Period" requirement and a minimum of 3 credits of courses designated as fulfilling the "Theory" requirement.

credits:

• ENGL 693 Bibliography (6.00)

• ENGL 694 Research Thesis (18.00)

English Literature MA with Thesis (Option B) (45 credits)

Note:

Admission to this option has been suspended

credits, with a minimum of 6 credits of courses designated by the Graduate Committee as fulfilling the "Period" requirement and a minimum of 3 credits of courses designated as fulfilling the "Theory" requirement.

credits:

• ENGL 690 Thesis (24.00)

Creative Writing with Thesis (Option C)

credits of 600-level Courses chosen from the regular academic course offerings

credits of Creative Writing Courses:

• ENGL 670 Seminar in Creative Writing: Prose Fiction, Poetry and Drama (3.00)

• ENGL 671 Seminar in Creative Writing: Prose Fiction, Poetry and Drama (3.00)

• ENGL 672 Seminar in Creative Writing: Prose Fiction, Poetry and Drama (6.00)

• ENGL 673 Seminar in Creative Writing: Prose Fiction, Poetry and Drama (3.00)

• ENGL 674 Seminar in Creative Writing: Prose Fiction, Poetry and Drama (3.00)

Note: ENGL 670 and ENGL 671 are Creative Writing courses. Only six credits of creative writing workshops (from ENGL 672 , ENGL 673 , ENGL 674 ) may be elected in any year.

credits:

• ENGL 692 Creative Writing Thesis (21.00)

Additional Degree Requirements

English Literature MA with Thesis (Option A)

This option gives the student the opportunity to study English literature in a range of periods and subjects. Emphasis rests on the preparation of a thesis. In preparation for the thesis, a fully qualified candidate takes a minimum of twenty-one 600-level course credits. In these courses the student is trained in academic research methods, gains knowledge to interpret literary texts and assess scholarship in particular fields, and applies these skills in graduate research papers. A fully qualified candidate is required to take a minimum of six credits from any courses designated by the Graduate Committee as fulfilling the "Period" requirement, and a minimum of three credits from any courses designated as fulfilling the "Theory" requirement. This option requires the preparation of an annotated bibliography of approximately three thousand words (ENGL 693) preliminary to a research thesis of approximately ten thousand words (ENGL 694). The bibliography requires the approval of the Graduate Committee before a student is permitted to proceed with the research thesis. Both are supervised by a member of the department. The research thesis is assessed by the supervisor and one other member of the department.

English Literature MA with Thesis (Option B)

This option involves course work and intensive research on an original topic, approved by the Graduate Committee. In this option, a fully qualified candidate is required to take a minimum of 21 credits at the 600-level including a minimum of six credits from any courses designated by the Graduate Committee as fulfilling the "Period" requirement, and a minimum of three credits from any courses designated as fulfilling the "Theory" requirement. A candidate electing the thesis option must satisfy the Graduate Committee of the viability of the topic and secure a member of the department to supervise the thesis. The English Department cannot guarantee the availability of a supervisor on every possible topic. The candidate's thesis is orally defended. For specific information concerning thesis proposals a student should consult the departmental guidelines. University regulations regarding the thesis may be found in the thesis section of this calendar. For purposes of registration, this work is designated as ENGL 690 - Thesis.

Creative Writing MA with Thesis (Option C)

To elect this option a candidate must have applied specifically for the Creative Writing option. A fully qualified candidate takes a minimum of 12 600-level credits from the regular academic course offerings, and 12 course credits in creative writing drawn from courses numbered ENGL 670-674 (ENGL 670 and ENGL 671 are Creative Writing courses). Only six credits of creative writing workshop (from ENGL 672, 673 or 674) may be elected in any year. The Graduate Committee must approve a proposal for a creative writing thesis of book length. For purposes of registration, this work is designated as ENGL 692 - Creative Writing Thesis.

Creative Writing Option students may NOT substitute creative writing courses for any of the required 12 course credits of academic credits.

Note: In addition to the regulations governing the examination of master’s theses outlined in this calendar, the Department of English has specific procedures for thesis examinations. Students should consult the Graduate Program Director for details.

Academic Regulations

Academic Standing. Please refer to the Academic Standing section of the Calendar for a detailed review of the Academic Regulations.
Residence. All options have a minimum residence requirement of three terms of full-time study or the equivalent in part-time study.
Time Limit. Please refer to the Academic Regulations page for further details regarding the Time Limits.
Graduation Requirement. In order to graduate, students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.70.