Master of Arts
To earn this degree, you must complete at least 36 credits (courses are generally 3 credits each). You must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 or better in courses taken to fulfill degree requirements; no course with a grade below B will count toward the degree.
You may, with your advisor’s approval, apply courses that satisfy core requirements to your concentration requirements. If you do, you must still complete enough approved elective courses to meet the required minimum of 36 credits.
Admission Requirements
To be regularly admitted to the master's program in English, you must have completed an undergraduate major or minor in English with a cumulative GPA or at least 3.0 (4.0 = A) and 3.0 in all English courses. Letters of recommendation from three academic or professional referees must support your application, and you must submit a written explanation of your reason for seeking the degree. The letters of reference must be accompanied by our recommendation form. You must also earn a satisfactory score on the general aptitude section of the Graduate Record Examination. If you do not meet these requirements, you may be admitted conditionally. Conditions might require you to complete prerequisite courses without credit toward the graduate degree, or to maintain a given GPA over your first 6-12 credits in the program. Please contact the our department to optain an application packet.
Teaching Assistantships
Students in the M.A. program may qualify for appointment as teaching assistants. Such appointments (with the title graduate teaching assistant) carry a stipend as well as partial remission of fees. TAs typically teach one or two sections of freshman or developmental composition. Those intersted should contact the Director of Writing to see if there are any available spots.
Program Requirements
Core (12 credits)
- ENG B501 - Professional Scholarship in Literature Cr. 3.
- ENG C517 - Professional Scholarship in Writing Studies Cr. 3.
- ENG L505 - Professional Scholarship in Linguistics Cr. 3.
- ENG B605 - Modern Approaches to Literature Cr. 3.
Concentration (12 credits)
- Four Courses from one of the following:
- British Literature Before 1700
- British Literature After 1700
- American Literature
- Language and Linguistics
- Writing Studies
Electives (12 credits)
- Enough courses applicable to the degree to bring the program to a total of at least 36 credit hours
Minimum (30 credits)
Note 1: At least 6 hours of the concentration or electives must be 700 level seminars
Note 2: It is recommended that a student who plans to pursue a doctorate in literary study demonstrate reading proficiency in an approved foreign language under the auspices of the Department of International Language and Culture Studies by passing (1) a 300-level literature course in a foreign language with a grade of A or B, or (2) a written examination that demonstrates a student's proficiency in reading and translating a foreign language.
Master of Arts for Teachers
To earn this degree, you must complete at least 36 credits (courses are generally 3 credits each). You must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 or better in courses taken to fulfill degree requirements; no course with a grade below B will count toward the degree.
At least eight of your courses (normally 24 credits) must be graduate-level courses administered by the Department of English and Linguistics. These must include (1) a course in the English language or linguistics, (2) a course in rhetorical or composition theory, and (3) a course in ethnic or minority literature. At least five more courses must be elected from among the graduate offerings of the Department of English and Linguistics. Up to 12 of the 36 required credits may be elected from courses approved by the director of graduate studies, but administered by a department other than English and Linguistics. For example, if you are working toward certification, you may be able to count some of your education courses as electives for the M.A.T.
You may elect to write a master’s thesis (3–6 credits). If you do not write a thesis, you must complete a 700-level seminar. The M.A.T. program does not require you to demonstrate foreign language proficiency or to sit for a comprehensive examination.
To receive the M.A.T., in addition to completing these requirements, you must hold at least provisional public-school certification in English. You must complete all degree requirements within five years of your admission to the program.
Teaching Assistantships
Students in the M.A.T. program may qualify for appointment as teaching assistants. Such appointments (with the title graduate teaching assistant) carry a stipend as well as partial remission of fees. TAs typically teach one or two sections of freshman or developmental composition.
Program Requirements
Core (9 credits)
- A course in the English language or linguistics
- A course in rhetorical or composition theory
- A course in ethnic or minority literature
Electives administered by the Department of English and Linguistics (15–27 credits)
Approved electives from appropriate departments (0–12 credits)
Minimum (30 credits)
Applications
To be formally admitted to the Masters of Arts in English or the Masters of Arts for Teachers in English must apply to the program. The following materials must be submitted for application consideration:
- The Application for Admission, Fellowship, Assistantship (pages 5-7 of the application booklet)
- Three reference letters from people familiar with your academic abiity (on the forms included as pages 9-13 of the booklet), mailed directly to the Director of Graduate Studies by the referees
- The IPFW Graduate Application Data Sheet (enclosed separately)
- On a separate sheet of paper, a 300-500 word Statement of Purpose regarding your academic interests, goals, and reasons for applying to graduate school
- The $55.00 application fee, sent directly to the Bursar at IPFW, who will notify us of its receipt
- Complete official transcripts (one copy for each institution) of all your previous college and university work, undergraduate and graduate
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, sent directly from ETS
Deadlines
- Fall admission: June 30 (for domestic students); April 1 (for international students)
- Spring admission: November 15 (for domestic students); September 15 (for international students)
Please send all materials, except the application fee, to:
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of English and Linguistics
Indiana University-Purdue University
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499
Application packets are available upon request. Those interested in obtaining an application packet should contact Teri Luce, the Graduate Studies Secretary, at 260-481-6752 or email at lucet@ipfw.edu.
Teaching Assistantships
Students in the M.A. programs may qualify for appointment as teaching assistants. Such appointments (with the title graduate teaching assistant) carry a stipend as well as partial remission of fees. TAs typically teach one or two sections of freshman or developmental composition.
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