English with a Concentration in English Studies (MA)
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the graduate program in English, prospective candidates must first meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below:
- Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or a recognized international equivalent in English or a minimum of 12 upper‐level undergraduate hours in English or related field.
- Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 60 semester credit hours.
- GRE General Test. GRE test scores are valid for 5 years. A waiver of the GRE requirement will be granted to applicants who show proof of completing a graduate degree (master’s or doctoral).
- Writing sample, a written academic paper suitable for an upper-division course
Application for admission must be submitted prior to the published deadline. The application is available at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply.
After being admitted to the MA program, students must consult with the graduate advisor of the program they wish to pursue in order to formulate and sign a degree plan. This certifies that the student is enrolling in courses appropriate to that program.
Academic Standing
Students seeking any graduate degree in English must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in the graduate hours taken from the program in English at UTRGV. If a student’s GPA falls below 3.0 in a given semester, the student will be placed on probation. If an overall 3.0 GPA is not recuperated during the following semester, the student will be placed on suspension.
Program Requirements
Required Courses - 18 Hours
Students must take one introduction/research methods course from any of the three disciplines within the first 9 hours of graduate study. The introduction/research methods course options are ENGL 6300, ENGL 6320, ENGL 6321, or ENLG 6361.
Students must take one theory course from any of the three disciplines within the first 18 hours of graduate study. The theory course options are ENGL 6300, ENGL 6301, ENGL 6315, ENGL 6322, ENGL 6360, ENGL 6362, or ENGL 6363.
Choose two from Literature and Cultural Studies Graduate Courses:
Choose two from Rhetoric, Composition and Literary Graduate Courses:
| ENGL 6320 | Introduction to Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy | 3 |
| ENGL 6321 | Research Methods in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy | 3 |
| ENGL 6322 | Theory in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy | 3 |
| ENGL 6323 | History of Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy Studies | 3 |
| ENGL 6324 | Pedagogy in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy | 3 |
| ENGL 6325 | Studies in Composition Techniques | 3 |
| ENGL 6326 | Professional Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 6327 | Writing Academic Discourse | 3 |
| ENGL 6328 | Special Topics in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy Studies | 3 |
Choose two from Linguistics Graduate Courses:
| ENGL 6360 | Introduction to Descriptive Linguistics for Teachers | 3 |
| ENGL 6361 | Problems in Linguistics | 3 |
| ENGL 6362 | Modern English Syntax | 3 |
| ENGL 6363 | Studies in English Phonology | 3 |
| ENGL 6364 | Problems in Grammar, Dialect, and Language Performance | 3 |
| ENGL 6365 | History of the English Language | 3 |
| ENGL 6366 | Special Topics in Linguistics | 3 |
| ENGL 6370 | Introduction to English as a Second Language | 3 |
| ENGL 6371 | Problems in English as a Second Language | 3 |
| ENGL 6372 | Practicum in English as a Second Language | 3 |
| ENGL 6373 | ESL Testing | 3 |
| ENGL 6374 | Studies in Second Language Acquisition | 3 |
| ENGL 6375 | Studies in Language and Culture | 3 |
| ENGL 6376 | Varieties of Present Day English | 3 |
| ENGL 6377 | Special Topics in Applied Linguistics | 3 |
Thesis Option
Concentration Courses - 12 Hours
Choose four from the English graduate courses with advisor approval.
Thesis – 6 Hours
Non-thesis Option
Concentration Courses - 18 Hours
Choose from among the English graduate courses with advisor approval
Capstone Requirement
| Written Comprehensive Exam | |
Total Credit Hours: 36