English
The Department of English offers a Master’s in English Literature, a Post-Master's Certificate, and options to jointly pursue a Master's degree with a certificate in several other disciplines. The curriculum combines the deepest traditions of literature and the most current approaches to and applications of literary study. This range of approaches provides students with expertise in much of the literature written in English, highly refined interpretive skills, and familiarity with the major intellectual currents shaping the discipline of literary study today. All courses are conducted as small seminars, with a maximum enrollment of 15 students. In these seminars, students are asked to consider the primary texts in a variety of contexts, including the historical moment in which they were created, the body of literary criticism that has been generated concerning them, and contemporary theoretical paradigms that might shed light on their deep structures. Upon completion of coursework students have the option of either writing a thesis or taking a field examination. In either case, this final stage of the Master’s degree affords students an opportunity to pursue an area of interest deeply, while receiving extensive guidance from a faculty advisor of their choosing.
MA in English
To earn the Master’s degree, students complete 30 credits, including the thesis or field examination. The only two formal requirements are a course in American literature before 1900 and another in British/Irish literature before 1800. Students must maintain an average grade of “B” or better each semester to remain within the program. Normally, students complete the program within two years, taking two to three courses each semester, but they may take up to six years. If a student does not plan to enroll in any classes for a semester (excluding summer semester), they must apply for a leave of absence. Please see the Leave of Absence policy for more information.
Post-Master's Certificate in English
This program invites applications from those candidates who have already attained a Master’s degree (in English or Education) and who wish to extend or advance their graduate study.
It allows qualified individuals to take five courses (fifteen credit hours) in a curriculum that they design to meet their professional interests and needs.
Interested candidates should supply transcripts of undergraduate and graduate degrees and an application to be considered for admission.
MA in English with Certificate in Strategic Communication
This program combines the traditional, scholarly, literature-focused curriculum of the MA in English with a certificate that engages theoretically based strategic communication designed to influence audience behavior in a variety of contexts.
The Certificate in Strategic Communication will provide you with a unique opportunity to develop expertise in this professional area while completing your English degree. The combined program requires 36 credits (24 credits in English, and 12 credits in Communication) to earn both a Master’s degree and a Certificate in Strategic Communication.
In addition to the traditional English curriculum you will take
- ENG 8000: Literary Theory
and four courses from Villanova’s Communication Program:
- COM 8100: Strategic Communication Theory
- Three electives in Communication
All Communication certificate students will be individually advised by the English Graduate Director.
MA in English with Certificate in Education
This option permits students who are especially interested in secondary school teaching to take coursework from the Villanova Education Department in tandem with their English coursework. Through the certificate courses, you can develop advanced teaching techniques, learn about lesson planning and familiarize yourself with the uses of classroom technology, as well as cultivate more specialized knowledge in a range of areas of pedagogical theory and practice.
The Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Certificate in Education includes three required courses and two electives, one of which can be satisfied by a graduate English course.
This is not a PDE Certification Program and does not lead to PA Teaching Certification.
MA in English with Certificate in Gender and Women’s Studies
The Gender and Women's Studies certificate permits you to pursue specialized graduate coursework in Gender and Women’s studies while also earning your MA in English. This interdisciplinary 15-credit certificate program permits you to take courses focused on topics related to gender and sexuality from a wide range of graduate programs at Villanova, including History, Communication, Theater, Philosophy, Education, Psychology, Political Science and the Law School. Two courses from your English MA can also be counted toward the certificate.
Thesis Option or Oral Field Examination Option
All students must submit a thesis (3 credits) or successfully pass a combined oral/written field examination (3 credits) in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MA degree. The coursework and the thesis or field examination are complementary, the first providing the critical base and a broad range of study in a variety of areas, the second providing focus within a particular area. The thesis offers the opportunity for sustained critical examination of an author, theme, or small selection of texts. The field examination, covering a list of works compiled in consultation with a student’s advisor, allows exploration of a self-defined field. A “field” is often defined by both a literary period and a theme of the student’s choosing (e.g., American environmental literature since 1950, or British war literature of the 19th century), but it may also address either a traditional historical period or a genre. The examination involves a written “comprehensive statement” and an oral examination by a committee based on the reading list and the comprehensive statement.