Master of Arts in English

The Master of Arts in English offers two concentrations: literature and creative writing. The literature concentration emphasizes research and the application of various critical approaches to problems in literature and composition. The creative writing concentration emphasizes professional writing and the analysis of literary works from the point of view of the practitioner. Both concentrations provide graduate students with course work in practical criticism, electives in literature and linguistics, and opportunities for the study of composition theory and the practice of teaching writing to beginning students. The program is designed to meet the needs of part-time and full-time students. Core courses and graduate seminars are offered in the evenings. Students are advised to take their core-course requirements during their first two semesters of graduate study. A departmental Committee on Graduate Studies, chaired by the Director of Graduate Studies, governs the Master of Arts program in English. The Committee on Graduate Studies administers admission of new students, appointment of graduate assistants, selection of Andrews Award winners, student petitions, and policy issues concerning the Master of Arts curriculum. Prospective and current students should consult the Handbook for Graduate Studies in English at: http://www.csuohio.edu/class/english/grhandbook/

Degree Requirements (33 credits minimum)

Literature Concentration:

1. Core courses (8 credits): ENG 510 and ENG 511.
2. Graduate seminars (8 credits): ENG 695 (taken twice, with change of topic).
3. Electives (12 credits): courses numbered ENG 506 and higher; at least one additional graduate seminar is recommended.
4. Thesis (5 credits): ENG 699. To earn these credits, the student must prepare an acceptable master’s thesis of 30 to 50 pages, written under the direction of two English graduate faculty members.
5. A successful master’s examination based on the student’s thesis topic.

Creative Writing Concentration:

1. Core courses (8 credits): ENG 510 and ENG 512.
2. Graduate seminars (8 credits): ENG 695 (taken twice, with change of topic); creative writing students may substitute ENG 535 or another modern or contemporary literature course for one of the 695 seminars.
3. Electives (12 credits): courses numbered ENG 506 and higher; at least one creative writing course (ENG 580 or ENG 602) is recommended.
4. Thesis (5 credits): ENG 699. To earn these credits, the student must be accepted into the creative writing program and must prepare a successful master’s creative writing project under the direction of two English graduate faculty members, viz., a collection of short stories, essays, or poems, or a play or part of a novel, judged to be of high quality, with an analytical section of 15-20 pages, placing the work in appropriate literary and theoretical context.
5. A successful master’s examination based on the student’s creative writing project.

Composition course requirements for teaching assistants: Graduate students who are beginning as teaching assistants must take ENG 506 (4 credits) and ENG 507 (1 credit). Graduate students who completed ENG 308 Composition Theory as undergraduates are required to attend ENG 506 sessions in fall semester but should not register for credit for this course. Graduate students who completed 4 credits of ENG 309 Writing Center Practicum as undergraduates are required to attend ENG 507 workshops in fall semester but should not register for credit for this course.

For more information on the Master of Arts in English click here.

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is offered as part of the NorthEast Ohio Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, a four-university consortium incorporating the faculty and resources of Cleveland State University, Kent State University, Youngstown State University, and the University of Akron. The degree program offers five different concentrations: fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, poetry, and literary translation. Curriculum focuses on the techniques of professional writing and the analysis of literary works from the point of view of the practitioner while electives enable the study of whatever subject area will further the student’s writing interests. A required internship offers practical workplace experience from a wide range of fields, including teaching, editing, grant writing, arts marketing, and arts administration.

The program is designed to meet the needs of both part-time and full-time students. Workshops and craft and theory courses are routinely offered in the evenings. Students can register freely across institutional boundaries for graduate courses offered at any of the participating universities and taught either by regular faculty or by visiting resident writers.

A NEOMFA Executive Committee, made up of representatives from each Consortium university, governs the Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing, oversees the subcommittee on the admission of students, appoints NEOMFA graduate assistants, and makes policy decisions for the Master of Fine Arts program. It also hears student petitions that specifically address NEOMFA arrangements or policy.

Degree Requirements (48 credits minimum)
Writing Workshops (15 credits)

ENG 602* Students will take 12 hours in their areas of emphasis (fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, poetry, or literary translation) and at least 3 hours in a second area.
Craft and Theory Courses (6 credits)

ENG 512* Students will take at least 3 hours of craft and theory in their areas of concentration; a second craft and theory course must be taken in another area.
Literature Courses (9 credits)

These courses, which focus on the reading of texts, will normally be taken in the Departments of English. Literature courses in languages other than English or in translation may be taken through the language departments.
Electives (9 credits)

Students will take nine hours in an advisor-approved area such as literature, foreign languages and translation, theater, arts administration, fine arts professional writing, or education. These credits may range widely in support of the student’s writing interests and projects.
Internship (3 credits

Students will take an internship in a workplace related to their interests and areas of specialization.
Thesis (6 credits)

ENG 699* Normally, students will enroll in three hours of thesis in each of the last two semesters of study. The thesis is to be a manuscript of high artistic quality in the area of specialization. Thesis committees will consist of one thesis advisor and two other program faculty members from at least two consortial universities.

*Indicates Cleveland State University numbering system only. Equivalent courses at other Consortium universities will appear with different numbers.

NEOMFA Courses

The menu of Consortium courses is comprised of the collective graduate offerings of participating departments at all four NEOMFA universities. For an overview, consult the course-offering page on the NEOMFA Web site at www.ysu.edu/neomfa , where specific MFA courses are designated and available literature courses, as well as many electives, are listed for upcoming semesters.

For more information on the NEOMFA click here.

Click here to view graduate courses.