program description: british literature

The emphasis in British Literature seeks to prepare students both to teach in the field and to pursue graduate study at the doctoral level, as well as to achieve personal satisfaction through the critical appreciation of British literature.  Courses in the area of specialization offer students an opportunity to broaden their understanding and appreciation of literature in English, from its first inception to the present day, as expressed by the peoples of Great Britain and Ireland, as well as the Anglophone cultures of Africa, India, Canada, and elsewhere.

By the end of their graduate course work, students completing a British literature emphasis should:

· understand British and Anglophone literary traditions and the traits and cultural contexts of their various periods.

· become aware, through literary and other forms of research, of the critical conversations surrounding works of British and Anglophone literature and to evaluate the quality of critical sources.

. write in a scholarly manner about British and Anglophone literature, synthesizing existing critical material and original insights or findings about the texts.

Requirements . . . 30 hrs

Core curriculum...9 hours

ENG 808: Studies in Modern Composition Theory
ENG 809: Seminar in Scholarship and Writing  OR  ENG 812: Seminar in Research Methods in Rhetoric and Composition Studies(ENG 809 recommended for literature students)
ENG 833: Modern Literary Criticism

**Core Courses must be taken during the first or second semester of enrollment.

Area of emphasis...9-15 hours, selected from:

*ENG 730: Topics in a Genre
*ENG 750: Topics in Literature
ENG 825: Old English Language and Literature
*ENG 830: Seminar in LIterature
ENG 870: Seminar in Medieval Literature
ENG 873: Seminar in Renaissance Literature
ENG 876: Seminar in Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Literature
ENG 878: Seminar in Nineteenth-Century British Literature
ENG 880: Seminar in Twentieth-Century British Literature

*depending on topic

3 hours (minimum) of a non-British literature course
3 hours (minimum) of a course in Language Studies/ESL.

Students have a choice of thesis or non-thesis option:

For the non-thesis option, students must complete an additional 6-12 hours of electives in English to meet the requirement of 30 total hours for a Master of Arts in English; students also are required to write a mentored scholarly paper.

For the thesis option, students complete six hours of thesis credit, ENG 898: Thesis I and ENG 899: Thesis II, plus any necessary electives to meet the requirement of 30 total hours for a Master of Arts in English. Consult the Program Coordinator for information regarding registering for ENG 898/899. Thesis guidelines and requirements are available to currently enrolled students on the program Blackboard site.

 All students are required to pass the Comprehensive Examination. Comprehensive exam information, including reading list guidelines, is available to currently enrolled students on the program Blackboard site.