The M.A. in English requires 30 semester hours of course work without a thesis or, optionally, 24 hours plus a thesis. The program gives students the opportunity to broaden their academic background and to develop expertise in specialized areas.
Our program is by and large a literature program preparing students for teaching at the community college level or for entering doctoral programs in English, although our graduates do go into many other fields.
A limited graduate enrollment assures a student-professor ratio conducive to a mutual exchange of ideas outside as well as within the classroom. Each student is assigned an adviser who makes every effort to draw the student into the scholarly community. This has proven to be one of the program's greatest asset.
Graduate students in English are offered the opportunity to work as editorial assistants for Arkansas Review, with the possibility of moving up to editorial positions. Tasks fulfilled by editorial assistants include typing and proofreading of copy, managing business correspondence, meeting weekly with the general editor, assigning book reviews, screening manuscripts, preparing mailings, delivering copies to the post office and local bookstores, working with authors, and attending regional and statewide conferences and festivals to promote the journal. The experience gained as an editorial assistant can prepare a student for work at other scholarly journals or in the commercial magazine and other publishing areas.
Curriculum
Curriculum and degree requirements can be found in the most current Graduate Bulletin.