ENGLISH
The MA in English and Certificate in Teaching English in Two-Year Colleges programs are designed for
- students seeking a masters-level foundation for further graduate work in English and related fields,
- returning students desiring an M.A. degree in a liberal arts field,
- aspiring and practicing teachers of English at the secondary and community college levels,
- business professionals for whom research, writing, critical thinking, and broad knowledge in the humanities are essential components of their work.
Campus(es) on Which Classes are Offered
Lincoln Park Campus
Days/Times Offered
Monday through Thursdays, 6:00-9:15 p.m.
Number of Courses/Credits to Complete Degree
Completion of 48 hours of graduate credit in English.
For full admission, students must have a bachelor's degree in English or the equivalent, or a bachelor's degree in another major with clear evidence of the ability to succeed in an advanced program in British and American language and literature. Students should have at least a 3.0 GPA in their undergraduate major. Scores in the general Graduate Record Examination are not required, though they may be submitted to strengthen an application. Students applying for graduate assistantships must submit GRE scores.
In addition to the application for admission and undergraduate transcripts, students should submit a personal statement of approximately 500 words, describing their interests in British and American literature, and their plans for the future, including their immediate goals in applying to DePaul's M.A. in English. Students who have not done a B.A. in English are also encouraged to describe the strengths and weaknesses in their preparation for graduate work in English. Applicants should also include a representative sample of academic research writing that indicates their ability to do well in advanced study in British or American Literature.
How to Apply
Apply online at depaul.edu/apply.
Submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, $40 application fee (if not paid online), personal statement, writing sample and (international applicants only) TOEFL score to:
Office of Graduate Admission
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
DePaul University
990 W. Fullerton, Suite 1600
Chicago, IL 60614 -2458
We accept applications all year round; however, we suggest that students submit their applications at least eight weeks prior to the quarter in which they hope to enroll.
Application Deadlines
Rolling admission policy, deadline for graduate assistantships.
Financial Support
Partial Tuition Waiver Scholarships
Each quarter the M.A. programs in English and Writing and Publishing offer Partial Tuition Scholarships (PTS) to recognize outstanding academic achievement of students in the department's two graduate programs in English. Partial Tuition Scholarships provide a 25% reimbursement for tuition paid for up to two courses per quarter taken toward the M.A. in English or M.A. in Writing and Publishing degree. [NOTE: PTS awards can be applied only to courses needed for the MAE/MAWP degree.]
You are eligible to apply for up to two Partial Tuition Scholarship awards if:
• You have already completed at least two courses in the MAE or MAWP
• You are enrolled in one or more classes for the current term
• You have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.6 or higher
• You are paying your own tuition and fees (without financial assistance from any grant or scholarship agency or employee reimbursement program–student loans are okay.)
A PTS application form will be made available once the deadline for autumn quarter Partial Tuition Scholarships is announced. If you have questions about Partial Tuition Scholarships or the application process, please e-mail Jan Flood, assistant director of graduate programs in English, at jflood@depaul.edu.
Graduate AssistantshipsIn spring the English Department will award a limited number of graduate assistantships for the 2009-2010 academic year. Graduate assistantships carry full tuition for up to eight graduate-level courses taken for credit towards your degree during the 2009-2010 academic year and a stipend of $7,500, payable September through May. The deadline for receipt of all application materials is February 27, 2009.
Graduate assistants are typically assigned to work in DePaul's Writing Centers, to perform editorial or administrative duties in support of the English Department and its publications and its programs, or to assist in faculty research. Assistantships require about 20 hours of work per week at the Lincoln Park or Loop Campus during the fall, winter, and spring quarters. Any student in the M.A. in English or the M.A. in Writing and Publishing may apply for an assistantship.
To be considered for an assistantship, you must submit the following:
1. a completed graduate assistantship application form (Adobe software can be downloaded free by clicking on this Adobe link and following the directions)
2. a personal statement outlining your qualifications and goals for an assistantship
3. two letters of recommendation from people who are familiar with your academic work (additional letters may be submitted as well)
4. official scores of your Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test results, which you must arrange to have sent electronically to DePaul (Institution Code: 1165).
For information about GRE test locations and times, click on this GRE link. Make sure to select a GRE test date that allows your scores to reach us by the deadline.
Note about letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation should be sent directly to you in sealed envelopes with the writer’s signature across the envelope flap. Do not have your recommenders send letters directly to us. You may submit more than the two required letters if you wish. Make sure that you mail all letters together with your other assistantship materials in one envelope. See "Submission of Materials" section below.
Note to students planning to begin graduate study in the 2009 Fall Quarter. Application to the M.A. in English or M.A. in Writing and Publishing program is separate from application for a graduate assistantship. To be eligible for an assistantship for 2009-2010, you must first have been admitted to either the M.A. in English or M.A. in Writing and Publishing program by February 27, 2009. To ensure that you meet this admissions deadline, please make sure that all application materials for the M.A. in English or Writing and Publishing reach the Liberal Arts and Sciences Graduate Office by Friday, January 30, 2008 at the latest. Do not, however, wait to hear a decision about admission to your M.A. program before sending in your application and supporting materials for an assistantship. We will acknowledge receipt of your assistantship materials by e-mail when they arrive.
Note to ALL students applying for graduate assistantships. Because your admissions application to your M.A. program includes official transcripts from colleges and universities you attended, you do not need to send new transcripts. Please have your GRE general test scores sent electronically to DePaul (Institution Code: 1165).
Submission of Materials. Make sure you send all GAship materials (application form, personal statement, letters of recommendation) together in one envelope to the address below. Do not submit a partial packet of materials.
Mail envelope containing all materials to:
Graduate Assistantships
Department of English
DePaul University
802 W. Belden Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614-3214
For further information. If you have additional questions about admission to the MAE or MAWP or about applying for a graduate assistantship, please contact Ms. Jan Flood, Assistant Director of Graduate Programs in English, at 773 325-4635 or at jflood@depaul.edu.
Deadline. All assistantship application materials must reach us no later than February 27, 2009.
Internship/field experience opportunities
Professional Internships
A limited number of internships are available for qualified students who wish to acquire significant on-the-job experience in the fields of publishing, professional writing, and related areas. Students work with book publishers, literary agencies, magazines, museums, and public relations, in theater, TV or elsewhere, and they have also worked as research assistants with professors on book projects. Please contact Professor Ted Anton for more information.
Internships for graduate students are taken in the second year of classes only. A maximum of four quarter hours of ENG 509, Internship, may be applied to the forty-eight quarter hours required for the degree.
Most internships are non-paying, though some offer a stipend, and, generally, they take ten to fifteen hours a week for ten weeks. If students take the internship for credit, they must also write a fifteen-page journal. For DePaul University credit, students must register for the course.
Two-Year College Teaching Internships
Teaching internships are designed to help familiarize talented and mature graduate students with the challenges, responsibilities and rewards of college teaching. As interns, students will attend their course regularly, shadow the faculty member from the planning stages through the completion of the course, and assist in instruction and assessment.
Teaching internships are designed to provide teaching experience to students who plan to apply for adjunct positions or full-time employment after they complete their degrees. Before applying for a teaching internship, students must have completed either ENG 474 "Teaching Literature" or ENG 480 "Teaching Writing" and must be in their second year of study.
A maximum of four quarter hours of ENG 509, Internship, may be applied to the forty-eight quarter hours required for the degree. For more information, please contact Carolyn Goffman.
Career Possibilities
Students who achieve the MA in English can
- pursue doctoral work in the subject,
- enhance a secondary teaching position,
- apply for a community college teaching position,
- position themselves for work inside or outside academics in publishing, or other related fields where rigorous use of language and literature is necessary.
Visit the Department Web site.
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