Master of Arts in English

Wayne State's Master of Arts (M.A.) in English prepares students to pursue a variety of careers, including creative writing, technical and professional writing, teaching English at the secondary, college/university levels or doctoral work.

Students can explore a wide range of topics or focus on a particular area of study with courses in literary and cultural studies, rhetoric and composition, creative writing, film and media studies and technical and professional writing. As there's no one path through the M.A. program, you can design a curriculum to fit your interests. Many students enroll in the M.A. program to strengthen their applications to Ph.D. programs in English studies. Wayne State has a vibrant student community, excellent reading series and scholarship opportunities.

Admissions

See English graduate admissions for more information.

Optional concentrations

Creative writing

The creative writing concentration prepares students for a wide range of professions and can also serve as a stepping stone to a Master of Fine Arts. Although students specialize in poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction, they're encouraged to explore across genres and across the curriculum as they develop their skills. Our faculty are widely accomplished and focused on bringing out the best in your writing.

Technical and professional writing

Technical communication focuses on making information useful and accessible, while professional communication focuses on writing for publication, both print and online. The technical and professional writing concentration prepares students for writing in both academic and professional spaces by developing skills in writing for different audiences and purposes, editing, research and communication in multiple modalities.

Through the completion of this degree, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate broad knowledge of the objects of study and disciplinary constructions of their field in English studies
• Conduct scholarly and creative work in an ethical manner, consistent with professional standards in their field in English studies
• Create scholarly works that demonstrate fluency in the critical analysis of and argumentation about literature, media, culture and/or rhetoric and composition, assessable by a portfolio and reflective statement

This M.A. in English is designed to accommodate students with career interests in publishing, as writers or who want to pursue advanced study in a Ph.D. program. Your portfolio of written work will be presentable for job applications in technical and professional writing positions. Students with a focus in professional and technical writing (a subset of rhetoric and writing studies) interested in pursuing a Ph.D. will find tenured positions in technical communication often available in surplus.