Graduate

Graduate Studies Overview

The Department of English at Mississippi State is home to a small and vibrant MA program. We offer an MA in English with an option to emphasize in Creative Writing. Students work closely with a distinguished faculty that includes renowned poets and novelists and recognized experts in British and American literature, linguistics, composition and rhetoric, and film studies. With a flexible curriculum, students can pursue their interests while honing their skills in writing, research, and literary interpretation.

Application Requirements

• BA in English or 18 hours in English beyond composition
• 3.0 GPA 
• Statement of Purpose
• Resume/CV
• Transcript
• Writing Sample (10-15 pages)
• Three letters of recommendation 
• International students must submit a TOEFL/IELTS score

Creative Writing Emphasis

Those interested in a creative writing emphasis must submit an additional writing sample:

• 10–12 pages of poetry
• 12–20 pages of fiction
• Up to 30 pages of both

These samples should be sent directly to the Director of Creative Writing, Prof. Becky Hagenston.

Course of Study

Students can complete an MA via two tracks

• Non-thesis option (33 credit hours)
• Thesis option (24 credit hours+3 hours research/thesis)
  • Literature Thesis
  • Creative Writing Emphasis: Creative writing MA students are required to do the thesis track. 

Regardless of track, all students will take a comprehensive MA exam.

Non-thesis Option Courses

• All MA students are required to take EN 8103: Graduate Research in English
• Four additional 8000-level courses are required
  • Recent course topics include: Postcolonial Literature, English Literature from 1660–1832, Southern Studies in Literature, and Civil War Literature 
• Students can then fill out their course of study with additional literature courses, but can also expand to creative writing, linguistics, composition and rhetoric, and film courses offered at the 6000- or 8000-level.
  • Recent courses include: British Literature and Culture in the 18th Century, Methods in TESOL, Teaching College Writing, Critical Theory since 1900, Grant Writing, Craft of Poetry, The Golden Age of Hollywood, and Form and Theory of Fiction

Courses for Thesis Option 

The thesis option requires 24 hours of course work and six hours of thesis research under the direction of a thesis advisor. 

• All MA students are required to take EN 8103: Graduate Research in English
• Three additional 8000-level courses are required
  • Recent course topics include: Postcolonial Literature, English Literature from 1660–1832, Southern Studies in Literature, and Civil War Literature 
• Six hours of Thesis/Research under the direction of a thesis advisor
• Students can then fill out their course of study with additional literature courses, but can also expand to creative writing, linguistics, composition and rhetoric, and film courses offered at the 6000- or 8000-level.
  • Recent courses include: British Literature and Culture in the 18th Century, Methods in TESOL, Teaching College Writing, Critical Theory since 1900, Grant Writing, Craft of Poetry, The Golden Age of Hollywood, and Form and Theory of Fiction

Courses for Creative Writing Emphasis

Those pursuing a Creative Writing Emphasis have a slightly different track.

• All MA students are required to take EN 8103: Graduate Research in English
• Three additional 8000-level courses are required
  • Recent course topics include: Postcolonial Literature, English Literature from 1660–1832, Southern Studies in Literature, and Civil War Literature 
• Creative Writing students must take Craft of Fiction and Craft of Poetry. You will take your focus of study Craft course one additional time (ie, poets will take Craft of Poetry twice)
• Six hours of Thesis/Research under the direction of a thesis advisor
• Students can then fill out their course of study with additional literature courses, but can also expand to creative writing, linguistics, composition and rhetoric, and film courses offered at the 6000- or 8000-level.
  • Recent courses include: British Literature and Culture in the 18th Century, Methods in TESOL, Teaching College Writing, Critical Theory since 1900, Grant Writing, Craft of Poetry, The Golden Age of Hollywood, and Form and Theory of Fiction

Support

All graduate applications will automatically be considered for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA). GTAs have full tuition remission and a stipend for living expenses. For any questions about TAships, please contact the Graduate Coordinator, Dr. Shalyn Claggett.

In addition to Graduate Teaching Assistantships, the department offers several scholarships, including the Dr. Richard Patteson Endowed Scholarship, The William H. Magruder Memorial Scholarship, Howell H. Gwin Scholarship, and the Eugene Butler Scholarship in Creative Writing. For more information on these and other scholarships, please visit our scholarship page. All required material for scholarship applications is due by March 15.

The department is also dedicated to helping MA students find opportunities for professional development and growth. The department frequently provides funding to support graduate students’ travel to present research at academic conferences. GTAs receive extensive training and support in the teaching of writing. Mississippi State is home to The Mississippi Quarterly and The Jabberwock Review, which employ graduate students as editorial assistants.