English Language and Literature
(ENGL)
Abstract
The Department of English offers graduate study leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees; particular strengths of the department include early British literature, especially that of the Renaissance; American literature; literature of the African Diaspora; digital humanities; feminist theory and gender studies; and composition and rhetoric. The Department also offers a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing (See listing for Creative Writing). Most students enrolled in graduate programs in English Language and Literature seek employment in higher education, but many also seek non-academic employment in publishing, business and technical writing, administration, and personnel management. To assist with placement, the department has a Placement Director and the university has a Career Development Center.
Admissions Information
In addition to fulfilling Graduate School requirements, applicants to the M.A. degree program should present a 3.5 GPA in English and 24 hours of upper-level English courses. Applicants to the Ph.D. degree program should present a 3.7 GPA and an M.A. degree, normally in English Language and Literature. All M.A. and Ph.D applicants should submit a single critical writing sample of 12-20 pages as indicated on the application guidelines. Applications for all degree programs must be received by December 8; for best consideration, all materials (including letters of recommendation) should be received as soon as possible following submission of the official application. The Admissions Committee will begin reviewing applications during the first week of January. Admission is for the Fall semester only.
Application Deadlines
Fall
Spring
Domestic Applicants:
U.S. Citizens and Permanent ResidentsDomestic Applicant Deadlines
December 8 .
Applications must be received by December 8 .
This program does not accept applications for this semester.
International Applicants:
Applicants from Outside the U.S. or U.S. Citizens / Permanent Residents with Non-U.S. Credentials
IMPORTANT: International Applicants and U.S. Applicants with Non-U.S. Credentials must follow the domestic deadlines above if they are earlier than the deadlines listed below.
Applicants seeking admission under F (Student) or J (Exchange Visitor) visas
February 1
If Domestic Deadline is after Feb. 1June 1
If Domestic Deadline is after Jun. 1Applicants seeking admission under A, E, G, H, I, and L visas and immigrants
May 1
If Domestic Deadline is after May 1
October 1
If Domestic Deadline is after Jun. 1
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents with foreign credentials
May 15
If Domestic Deadline is after May 15
October 31
If Domestic Deadline is after Oct.31Application Requirements
- GRE General required
- 3 Letters of Recommendation from current or former teachers
- Unofficial list of relevant coursework
- Official transcripts from all schools attended
- A single critical writing sample (12-20 pages)
Degree Requirements
Master of Arts (M.A.)
The M.A. degree program requires 30 credit hours of graduate work
distributed to assure coverage of major historical fields. The student either may take 24
hours of coursework and write a thesis for the other six hours, or may take 30 hours of
coursework and do a writing project. The department also offers a
special M.A. with a Concentration in Composition and Rhetoric; this degree program requires 30
credit hours of graduate work, provides thesis and non-thesis options, and balances
courses in literature with courses in the theory of composition and rhetoric.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
The Ph.D. degree program requires a total of 48 credit hours of graduate work (normally 18 hours beyond the M.A.). PhD students must also 1) pass a qualifying examination in their areas of specialization; 2) demonstrate, through examination or coursework, evidence of reading competence in a foreign language related to their areas of specialization; and 3) complete a dissertation. Applicants to the Ph.D. program normally must have an M.A. Applicants who wish to pursue a Ph.D. but who do not have an M.A. must apply to the M.A. program; the departmental Admissions Committee, however, may recommend that some applicants be admitted directly into the Ph.D program.
Facilities and Special Resources
Resources for research in the College Park and Washington, D.C. area are unsurpassed. The university's libraries hold over 2,000,000 volumes. In addition to the outstanding holdings of the Library of Congress, the area also offers the specialized resources of the Folger Shakespeare Library, Dumbarton Oaks, the National Archives, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Center for the Study of the Visual Arts.
UMCP is a member of the Consortium of Institutions in the Washington area, which permits graduate students at College Park to enroll in courses at other universities for graduate credit at UMCP. Graduate students in English also may take courses for graduate credit at the Folger Institute of Renaissance and Eighteenth-Century Studies, which runs a series of seminars by distinguished scholars each year.
Financial Assistance
The English Department, in conjunction with the College of Arts and Humanities, awards a small number of fellowships to exceptional candidates. The English Department also awards teaching assistantships, the primary form of financial aid. Currently, about 12 teaching assistantships are available each year to incoming students.
Contact Information
Additional information on admission, degree requirements, and financial aid can be obtained from:
Manju Suri, Academic Coordinator
3119 Susquehanna Hall,
University of Maryland
College Park
MD
20742
Telephone: (301) 405-3798
engl-grad@deans.umd.edu
http://www.english.umd.edu