Teaching of Writing and Literature Concentration
Other Concentrations
Catalog Year: 2025-2026
Banner Code: LA-MA-ENGL-TWL
The Master of Arts in English at Mason offers students the opportunity to enhance their skills of reading, writing, research and teaching with courses that encompass the wide range of contemporary English studies. Students can work in and across concentrations in literature, professional writing, rhetoric, cultural studies, film, folklore, linguistics, and the teaching of writing and literature. It offers the MA in field-specific concentrations as well as the opportunity to combine a concentration in one field with a certificate from another one. Many students use the MA for professional enhancement, or as an entry into teaching, professional writing, or doctoral study.
The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on program requirements and courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes. Requirements may be different for earlier catalog years. See the University Catalog archives.
Admissions
Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions. For information specific to the MA in English, see Application Requirements and Deadlines on the departmental website.
Policies
For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.
Satisfactory Progress
Students have six years to complete the MA. Students writing a thesis must have an approved proposal by the end of their fifth year as an MA candidate in English and may not make significant changes to that proposal during their sixth year. By the end of the first semester of their sixth year, thesis students need to demonstrate that they have completed their research and are well advanced in developing their analysis and argument, generally by submitting to their advisors a completed rough draft of the thesis or evidence that they have completed their fieldwork and analysis. A student may be dropped from the program if, in the judgment of the thesis advisor and graduate director, evidence of satisfactory progress on the thesis has not been provided by the end of the first semester of a student’s sixth year.
Degree Requirements
Total credits: 30
Students should be aware of the specific policies associated with this program, located on the Admissions & Policies tab.
Students pursuing this degree must successfully complete 30 credits in one concentration as specified below.
Students in the concentrations of cultural studies, linguistics, literature, and teaching of writing and literature must demonstrate intermediate proficiency in a foreign language in one of the following ways: submitting an undergraduate (or continuing education) transcript that includes courses corresponding to intermediate proficiency; completing a Mason foreign language course numbered 202 or higher; passing a proficiency exam administered by the English department.
Concentration in Cultural Studies (CULT)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ENGH 500 | Research in English Studies | 3 |
| ENGH 676 | Introduction to Cultural Studies | 3 |
| CULT 802 | Histories of Cultural Studies | 3 |
| Two Courses | ||
| Select 6 credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Introduction to Literary Theory | ||
| Seminar in Global Culture | ||
| Seminar in Film and Media Studies | ||
| Feminist Theory and Criticism | ||
| Selected Topics, Movements, or Genres of Literature in English 1 | ||
| Literary Theory and Criticism 1 | ||
| Three to Five Courses of Literature | ||
| Select 9-15 credits from the following: | 9-15 | |
| Graduate Literature Survey | ||
| Topics in Literary and Cultural Studies | ||
| Special Topics in the History and Criticism of Children's Literature | ||
| Graduate Survey in Film and Media Studies | ||
| Topics in Folk Narrative | ||
| Topics in Folklore Studies | ||
| Seminar in British Literature | ||
| Seminar in American Literature | ||
| Seminar in Advanced Research | ||
| Seminar in African-American Literature | ||
| Seminar in Global Culture | ||
| Seminar in Film and Media Studies | ||
| Advanced Topics in Folklore Studies | ||
| Selected Topics, Movements, or Genres of Literature in English | ||
| Literary Theory and Criticism | ||
| Projects in Literary Studies | ||
| Optional Project or Thesis | ||
| Select 3-6 credits of a project or a thesis from the following: | 3-6 | |
Project: 2
|
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| Projects in Literary Studies (3 credits) | ||
Thesis: 3
|
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| Thesis (6 credits) | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
ENGH 685 Selected Topics, Movements, or Genres of Literature in English, and ENGH 705 Literary Theory and Criticism may be repeated once with permission of the director of graduate studies.
- 2
Students who choose a project take 3 fewer credits of literature.
- 3
Students who choose a thesis take 6 fewer credits of literature.
Concentration in Folklore Studies (FLKS)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| FOLK 501 | Advanced Introduction to Folklore and Folklife | 3 |
| FOLK 510 | Folklore and Ethnographic Research Methods | 3 |
| FOLK 601 | Folklore Theory and History | 3 |
| Required Courses | ||
| FOLK 550 | Topics in Public and Applied Folklore | 3 |
| FOLK 560 | Topics in Genre and Theory | 3 |
| FOLK 570 | Topics in Regional Folklore Studies | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Choose 6 credits from the following. These topics courses can be repeated for credit when topic differs from the topic taken to meet the required course requirement above. | 6 | |
| Topics in Public and Applied Folklore | ||
| Topics in Genre and Theory | ||
| Topics in Regional Folklore Studies | ||
Courses outside of FOLK when topic is related and with approval of graduate director. |
||
| Experiential Learning | ||
| FOLK 690 | Field School for Cultural Documentation | 3 |
| or FOLK 699 | Internship | |
| Capstone | ||
| FOLK 790 | Project | 3 |
| or FOLK 799 | Thesis | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Concentration in Linguistics (LING)
The linguistics concentration combines courses in linguistics with courses in some related area of language study, such as teaching English as a second language, bilingual education, foreign language teaching, or computational linguistics. This course of study is designed to prepare students for teaching in one of these fields or for doctoral work, or employment in the tech industry. The certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) can be earned concurrently.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Course (Optional) | ||
| Choose one of the following if desired: | 0-3 | |
| Linguistic Variation | ||
| Introduction to Linguistic Analysis | ||
| Methods Course | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Experimental Methods | ||
| Statistical Methods in Linguistics | ||
| Linguistic Field Methods | ||
| Computational and Quantitative Methods in Lingusitics | ||
| Core Courses | ||
| Choose four of the following courses: | 12 | |
| Phonetics | ||
| Phonology A | ||
| Phonology B | ||
| Morphology | ||
| Syntax A | ||
| Syntax B | ||
| Semantics and Pragmatics 1 | ||
| Breadth Courses | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| First Language Acquisition | ||
| Second Language Acquisition 1 | ||
| Second Language Acquisition 2 | ||
| Psycholinguistics | ||
| Sociolinguistics | ||
| Typology | ||
| Computational Linguistics I | ||
| Computational Linguistics II | ||
| Experiential Learning (Optional) | ||
| Choose one of the following if desired: | 0-3 | |
| Practicum in TESOL | ||
| Laboratory Research Experience | ||
| Electives | ||
| Choose two - four LING courses not used to fulfill another requirement (except for LING 998 and LING 999), or other approved course. This can include a thesis option. 1 | 6-12 | |
Thesis option (minimum of 6 credits) |
||
| Directed Reading and Research | ||
| Thesis | ||
| Total Credits: 30 | ||
- 1
In consultation with an advisor, chosen from courses that reflect one or more areas of language study. Electives can be in such areas as linguistics, the teaching of reading or writing, literary criticism, bilingual education, or a foreign language, and may include 6 credits of thesis.
Concentration in Literature (LIT)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses 1 | ||
| ENGH 500 | Research in English Studies | 3 |
| ENGH 551 | Introduction to Literary Theory | 3 |
| Literature | ||
| Select 18 credits from the following: 2 | 18 | |
| Graduate Literature Survey | ||
| Topics in Literary and Cultural Studies | ||
| Special Topics in the History and Criticism of Children's Literature | ||
| Graduate Survey in Film and Media Studies | ||
| Topics in Folk Narrative | ||
| Topics in Folklore Studies | ||
| Seminar in British Literature | ||
| Seminar in American Literature | ||
| Seminar in Advanced Research | ||
| Seminar in African-American Literature | ||
| Seminar in Global Culture | ||
| Seminar in Film and Media Studies | ||
| Advanced Topics in Folklore Studies | ||
| Selected Topics, Movements, or Genres of Literature in English | ||
| Literary Theory and Criticism | ||
| Projects in Literary Studies | ||
| Two Electives or Thesis | 6 | |
Select 6 credits of Electives 3
|
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| Thesis | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
Must be taken in the first 12 credits of the degree. Another course in literary theory and criticism may substitute for ENGH 551 Introduction to Literary Theory with prior written approval of the graduate director.
- 2
Courses fulfilling this requirement must include at least three 600-level ENGH seminars. Graduate seminars involve focused study of a topic with significant attention to scholarship in the field.
- 3
Electives taught within the English department may be taken without permission of the graduate director. A maximum of six credits of related study outside the department may substitute for the equivalent number of elective credits, with permission of the graduate director.
- 4
Students who choose a thesis take 6 fewer credits of literature or electives.
Concentration in Professional and Technical Writing (PTW)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ENGH 501 | Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing 1 | 3 |
| ENGH 502 | Research Methods in Professional and Technical Writing | 3 |
| ENGH 503 | Theory and Practice of Editing | 3 |
| ENGH 505 | Document Design | 3 |
| Professional Writing | ||
| Select 9 credits from the following: | 9 | |
| Internship | ||
| Research for Narrative Writing | ||
| Web Authoring and Design | ||
| Digital Rhetoric | ||
| Proposal Writing and Development | ||
| Online Writing | ||
| Studies in Rhetoric | ||
| Cultures of Professional Writing | ||
| Technical Communication | ||
| Proseminar in Composition Instruction | ||
| Advanced Proposal Writing | ||
| Special Topics in Writing and Rhetoric | ||
| Northern Virginia Writing Project Teacher/Research Seminar | ||
| Composition Theory | ||
| Theory | ||
| Select 3 credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Digital Rhetoric | ||
| Introduction to Literary Theory | ||
| Studies in Rhetoric | ||
| Feminist Theory and Criticism | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Studies | ||
| Electives in English | ||
| Select 0-3 credits of electives in English | 0-3 | |
| Project or Thesis | ||
| Select 3-6 credits of a project or thesis | 3-6 | |
Project: 2
|
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| Projects in Professional and Technical Writing (3 credits) | ||
Thesis: |
||
| Thesis (6 credits) | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
ENGH 501 Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing should be taken in the first semester of study, if possible.
- 2
Students who choose a project take one additional elective of 3 credits.
Concentration in the Teaching of Writing and Literature (TWL)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Research Courses | ||
| ENGH 500 | Research in English Studies | 3 |
| ENGH 602 | Pedagogical Research | 3 |
| Teaching Writing | ||
| Select 3 credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Proseminar in Composition Instruction | ||
| Northern Virginia Writing Project Inservice Program 1 | ||
| Visiting Writers 2 | ||
| Teaching Literature | ||
| Select 3 credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Proseminar in Teaching the Reading of Literature 3 | ||
| Northern Virginia Writing Project Inservice Program 1 | ||
| Composition Theory | ||
| ENGH 697 | Composition Theory | 3 |
| or ENGH 611 | Studies in Rhetoric | |
| Literature Courses | ||
| Select 6 credits from courses in the Literature Concentration | 6 | |
| Linguistics Course | ||
| Select 3 credits from the following. 4 | 3 | |
| Introduction to Linguistic Analysis | ||
| Field Work in Applied Linguistics | ||
| Applied Linguistics: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) | ||
| English Grammar and Pedagogy | ||
| Psycholinguistics | ||
EDCI 519 |
Methods of Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners | |
| Electives | ||
| 6 credits of electives | 6 | |
| Optional Thesis | ||
| Select 6 credits of thesis in place of elective requirement. | ||
| Thesis (6 credits) | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
Offered only to full-time teachers through school district contracts.
- 2
NVWP Summer Institute, open to full-time teachers on an invitation basis.
- 3
Open to non-TAs in the spring semester.
- 4
Note all courses, with exception of LING 506 Introduction to Linguistic Analysis, have prerequisites.