COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Arts in English at Northwest Missouri State University requires completion of 32-33 credit hours, including ENGL 10610 Introduction to Graduate Study in English (3 credit hours), 6 credit hours of approved electives, and 23-24 credit hours of English electives. ENGL 10580 Methods in Secondary School English cannot be applied toward the M.A. degree. Outstanding students may pursue an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Program, allowing them to concurrently work toward a Bachelor’s degree in English or Writing and the M.A. in English within five years. In this program, students complete 12 credit hours of graduate coursework during their junior and senior years that count toward both degrees, and then finish the remaining 18 graduate credit hours in the fifth year. Admission to the accelerated program requires students to be pursuing a B.A. or B.S. in English or Writing, have completed at least 60 graded credit hours, submit transcripts, a writing sample, and a recommendation letter, and maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.0 and a major GPA of at least 3.3, though conditional admission is possible with strong supporting materials. Graduate courses can be taken after the sophomore year, with limits on credit hours per trimester, and advising is provided jointly by undergraduate advisors and the English graduate coordinator to ensure timely completion of both degrees. During the fifth year, the English graduate coordinator serves as the primary advisor, guiding students through fulfillment of all M.A. degree requirements. Students are awarded the Bachelor’s degree as soon as undergraduate requirements are met and are then admitted as candidates for the M.A., receiving the master’s degree upon completion of the remaining graduate requirements. For financial aid and scholarships, students are considered undergraduates until the Bachelor’s degree is conferred and graduate students afterward, becoming eligible for graduate assistantships only after receiving the B.A. or B.S. This program provides a structured, accelerated pathway for motivated students to gain advanced knowledge and professional skills in English while efficiently completing two degrees.