English, Specialization in Literary and Textual Studies, M.A. (Face-to-Face Program)

E-mail: gradenglish@bgsu.edu

Our flexible, student-centered two-year program* provides a foundation in research methods and literary theory. Coursework in Literary and Textual Studies (English) offers students an opportunity to engage with a variety of texts across historical periods as well as some of the most recent developments in literary studies and cultural criticism. Our faculty is made up of scholars whose research and teaching interests focus on a range of approaches to textual analysis such as critical race theory, deconstruction, feminism and gender studies, new historicism, postcolonial studies, psychoanalysis, and queer theory. We offer seminars in British, American, and Anglophone literatures. Furthermore, the program presents students with numerous opportunities to develop their own research projects, including the MA Thesis, based on their unique interests.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the MA degree, students in the English with a specialization in Literary and Textual Studies (Plan I Thesis or Plan II Portfolio) program are expected to be able to:

• Develop creative and critical thinking skills through intensive writing, reading, and critical/creative engagement with texts
• Develop proper analytical skills in oral and written articulation and awareness of context
• Effectively use writing to explore subject matter and to communicate in class as well as for publication and presentation at conferences
• Develop understanding of subject matter and writing in relationship to larger historical and/or cultural/multicultural contexts
• Make connections between theory and practice
• Develop a sophisticated grasp of the concept of culture as a device to organize further study of the many discrete aspects of our historical, social, intellectual and artistic heritage
• Connections with intra-and extra-departmental programs

Admission Requirements

Application deadline is January 15 for Fall Semester. Since application reviews may begin immediately after the deadline, we recommend submitting your application and providing all required documents before the deadline.
Additional documents required:

Before submitting the documents listed below, please carefully read the Literary and Textual Studies MA program’s admissions page. It provides important and detailed information about required application materials.

• Submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). GRE will be waived for applicants with an undergraduate GPA>=3.2 or an earned Master’s degree. Enter your GPA and GPA Scale with your academic institution under the Academic History tab.
• A Statement of Purpose that explains your academic preparation for the program, your purpose for enrolling in it, and your academic and/or professional goals relevant to the program (roughly 2 double-spaced pages).
• Three Letters of Recommendation, generally from professors from your undergraduate institution who can attest to your academic ability, your critical thinking skills, your academic writing abilities, your responsibility as a student, and your potential for success in graduate study.
• A Critical Writing Sample made up of literary or theoretical analysis that demonstrates your preparation for graduate-level academic writing (10-15 pages, double-spaced).

Application Requirements

Admissions Categories and Grade Point Average Requirements

International Application Information

Degree Requirements