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English, M.A.

The Graduate English Program

The Department of English at North Carolina Central University offers a Master of Arts in English. In providing a comprehensive education in literary study, the program is designed to foster thorough scholarship and to develop the student’s ability to pursue independent research.

Welcome to English, M.A.

The Master of Arts in English has been offered at North Carolina Central University since 1939. The program has a long and established history as a cornerstone of the liberal arts tradition at NCCU. Our graduate program is committed to serving non-traditional students through a welcoming and supportive environment and through the evening scheduling of graduate seminars. Additionally, the program has served as a springboard for graduates of prestigious Ph.D. programs. Many of our graduates have gone on to pursue a doctorate and find our program to be exemplary preparation for a Ph.D. or for teaching at the college or community college level. Graduates of the M.A. program in English pursue law degrees, become professional writers and technical editors, further their studies in English Ph.D. programs, teach at the community college level, develop high school curriculum and publish creative writing.

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Program Overview

A master's degree in English emphasizes the value of expanding one's knowledge of literature and literary periods. The emphasis of the coursework is on developing advanced analytical skills and academic writing conventions. You will get the chance to practice research and revision while growing as an independent scholar.

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Degree Requirements:

A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher
At least 30 semester hours of graduate-level courses including the thesis (3 hours)
The distribution of course requirements is outlined in the Graduate Catalogue and the Graduate Student Handbook.
Successful completion of a reading proficiency examination in a foreign language
Successful completion of a comprehensive written examination
Successful completion of an oral examination associated with the thesis defense or our new non-thesis project

Admission Requirements

To qualify for admission, a student must submit the following items with the completed application form and the application fee:

Two official, original, sealed transcripts of the student’s academic record from all institutions of higher education attended (undergraduate and graduate); transcripts may also be delivered to the University electronically by the Registrar of the institutions you have attended
Two completed Applicant Evaluation/Recommendation Forms from two different individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic work (forms are provided with the application)
Official scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Note: not currently required
The applicant’s statement of purpose (included in the graduate application form)
A writing sample of 7–10 pages demonstrating the applicant’s ability to write a critical literary analysis with appropriate MLA textual citation of sources
A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0

Additional Requirements for International Students

Application Deadline Dates

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents

Fall: July 1
Spring: November 1
Summer: No admission

International Applicants

Fall: April 1
Spring: September 1
Summer: No admission

Contact Us

Please use this form to obtain more information and to express your interest in applying to our English graduate program.

Graduate Contact Form

How to Apply

All individuals who would like to apply to an NC Central graduate program (except the law program) must apply using the correct online graduate admission application.

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