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The Department offers graduate studies leading to the Master of Arts in English with concentrations in American Literature, British Literature, and Professional Writing, all of which prepare students for careers in teaching, writing, and a wide variety of professional fields or further graduate study leading to the doctorate. Students must complete 33 hours of graduate coursework, three of which may be thesis work. Late afternoon and evening courses are available, and the program can be completed either on-campus in New Orleans or entirely online.

Concentrations

The Master of Arts program features advanced study in British and American literature, as well as professional writing and editing.  The program requires students to complete one of three areas of concentration.

American Literature
This concentration enriches the student’s understanding of a national literature and can serve as a stepping stone for a Ph.D. in literary studies.

British Literature
Like the American Literature concentration, British Literature gives students an understanding of the national literature and preparation for a doctorate.

Professional Writing
The Professional Writing concentration accommodates those who plan to pursue careers outside education in professional or creative writing.

Degree Requirements | Course Descriptions | (PDF)

Students

Many M.A. students work off-campus and pursue degrees part-time by taking courses in the late afternoon and evening. Online courses are also available; students in the online program are given priority enrollment for online courses. Most students hold undergraduate degrees in English, but students with degrees in other fields may be admitted upon condition that they take additional coursework to provide sufficient background.

Careers

The Master of Arts program is sufficiently flexible to accommodate a range of academic interests and to help prepare students for several different career paths. Our graduates have gone on to choose one of four options: to pursue the doctoral degree; to teach in secondary schools, junior colleges, colleges, and universities; to undertake further professional training, such as in law or library science; or to work as professional or technical writers.