MA in English
One of the Best Online Master's Programs in English
The graduate program in English Education is designed primarily for teachers in high schools and middle schools, prospective postsecondary instructors, students who want to pursue doctoral work and persons who simply love literature.
The Master of Arts in English is a 30-hour degree comprising advanced coursework in research methods and content areas. Complete the M.A. in English program in as few as two years and is available fully online.
Murray State has been ranked as one of the nation’s best colleges for online master’s programs in English by OnlineMastersDegrees.org (OMD). Murray State’s English programs earned top honors
for overall quality, affordability and commitment to student success.
The Master of Arts in English degree program was ranked in the Top 15 Best Online English Education Master's Degrees by UniversityHQ.
Three Routes to the Degree
Traditional
The traditional, self-contained program is for students who already hold a bachelor's degree.
4+1 BA+MA Accelerated
The accelerated 4+1 route allows undergraduate English students to complete the BA in English (Area) with the MA in as few as five years.
MA+DA Accelerated
The accelerated MA+DA allows students to complete the MA and the Doctor of Arts in English Pedagogy (Literature specialization) in 72 hours.
Cost-competitive tuition
On-campus and online tuition is a great investment in your future. Our current tuition rates are available now.
Requirements for Admission
-
Applicants must comply with the Murray State University requirements.
- Non-native English speakers must have a TOEFL score of 20 for each section of the iBT, an IELTS score of 6.5 with no band lower than 6.0 or a previous degree earned from an accredited U.S. institution or successful completion of Level 6 of the Murray State ESL program.
Additional requirements for unconditional and conditional admission are:
- Unconditional
- Undergraduate major or minor in English
- Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Conditional
- Departmental judgment of probable success based on Graduate Record Examination scores, letters of recommendation or other evidence such as a planned program of prerequisite courses.
MA Core and Other Degree Requirements
The core of the MA in English comprises 15 hours of coursework and provides a solid foundation in research methods and broad preparation in English and American literatures.
Total Course Requirements (30 hours):
- ENG 600 Research and Bibliography (3 hours)
- American literature courses (6 hours)
- British literature courses (6 hours)
- ENG electives (15 hours)
Comprehensive Examination Information
Near the end of your degree program, you must pass an oral comprehensive examination over the texts in the Common Reading List.
Application
Students applying for the Accelerated MA to DA must also complete a DA application at the same time. Please refer to the DA program webpage for details and for the Application Guidesheet.
Contact
Dr. Kevin Binfield
Director of Graduate Studies in English
7C Faculty Hall, Murray, KY 42071