COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Arts (M.A.) in English Studies at University of New Hampshire requires a total of 36 credit hours at the 800 or 900 level and is designed to provide advanced training in literature, critical theory, and related fields of English studies. The program includes a combination of required coursework, seminar experiences, electives, and a culminating research component that ensures both depth and specialization. Students must complete at least two seminar courses along with either a third literature seminar or ENGL 998 Master’s Paper, which serves as the capstone research project option. A central requirement is that students complete at least six literature-focused courses within the English department, distinct from courses in composition, linguistics, teaching methods, or critical theory. If a student chooses the Master’s Paper option, this requirement is slightly reduced to five literature courses, allowing flexibility while maintaining a strong literary foundation.The core of the program begins with ENGL 925 Graduate Study of Literature, which provides advanced training in literary analysis and critical approaches. Students then select two seminars from specialized literature areas, such as 20th-century American literature, 20th-century British literature, and post-colonial literatures in English, which encourage deep engagement with major literary traditions and global perspectives. In addition, students complete five elective courses drawn from areas such as composition studies, rhetoric, English teaching, and special topics in literature and writing. These electives allow students to broaden their academic focus or develop interdisciplinary strengths in writing, pedagogy, or language history.The program also requires proficiency in a foreign language, demonstrated either through a departmental reading examination or completion of a fourth-semester college language course with a grade of B or higher; native speakers of languages other than English may be exempt. The degree concludes with ENGL 998 Master’s Paper, a 4-credit independent research project that demonstrates mastery of literary analysis and scholarly writing. Overall, the program emphasizes advanced literary study, critical inquiry, and research development within a flexible but structured academic framework.