Master of Arts in Literary Studies

The M.A. in Literary Studies is one of several masters-level programs offered by the English Department at the University of Iowa. The M.F.A. programs offer advanced courses in writing poetry, fiction, and essays; the M.A. in Literary Studies introduces students to the professional study of literature. It is possible to apply directly to the Ph.D. program without entering a Masterís program here or elsewhere; however, many students feel the M.A. is an appropriate step toward the Ph.D. These students may have had an undergraduate major in a different field, or may feel that more preparation is advisable for other reasons; some may intend to complete their studies elsewhere. Students interested in a career in any area of book studies (professional writing, editing, webdesign, or publishing), may wish to take the M.A. as a terminal degree, as might teachers seeking to enhance their credentials or students pursuing intellectual growth unrelated to a specific career.

M.A. and Ph.D. applicants compete in the same admissions process.  Once admitted, M.A. and Ph.D. students mix freely in graduate courses, share the same access to faculty, and meet the same standards of quality in their work.  The Director of Graduate Study acts as advisor for all graduate students.  A Master’s thesis or Master’s portfolio is the culmination of work for the M.A. in literary study.  The Director of the M.A. Program oversees this work.

Degree Requirements

Required Courses:

Each student must take the following courses at the 200 level or above. Applicable transfer courses must be approved by the director of graduate study in English.

One course in criticism and theory

Four courses from the following five areas:

• British or American literature and culture before 1500
• British or American literature and culture 1500-1660
• British or American literature and culture 1660-1800
• British or American literature and culture 1800-1900
• Literature and culture of the 20th century

Elective Courses: Comprising half of the total credit for the degree, these courses may be chosen from graduate offerings both inside and outside the English Department. Students intending to apply to the Ph.D. program are encouraged to begin work toward the foreign language requirement for that degree. Others may wish to explore the many opportunities for interdisciplinary study, for experience in the theory and practice of writing, or for specialization in a field of literary scholarship.

Completion of the M.A. requires either a thesis or a portfolio. Students submit a written description of their choice to the director of the program before the semester in which they plan to graduate.

Portfolio Option:

Near the end of their course work, students who do not choose the thesis option must submit a portfolio of work to the M.A. examination committee, which consists of the director of the M.A. program and two other English faculty members. All three read the full portfolio. To pass, the candidate must win a majority vote of the committee members.

Students take the first step toward preparing to submit a portfolio by meeting with the director of the M.A. program to discuss the portfolio. Soon after this meeting, and no less than three weeks before the exam date, the student presents to the director a draft of the portfolio's introductory statement. The director may suggest changes either before or after approving the statement. Once the director approves the statement, the student must provide the director with three copies of the full portfolio at least two weeks before the date of the Graduate College Examination deadline, see the Graduate College Deadlines -- Academic Calendar.

The work in the portfolio should demonstrate the student's knowledge of literature as a broad historical and theoretical inquiry. Students submit approximately 50 pages (12,500 words) of their best work, along with a self-reflective introductory statement of five to seven pages. The body of the portfolio should contain revised versions of papers originally produced for classes. The introductory statement should explain the contents of the portfolio, contextualize each paper, and give a brief overview of the writing. Students are expected to describe the research methods used in assembling their portfolios and the critical practices that ground their work.

Thesis Option:

Students who choose to write an M.A. thesis must submit a brief prospectus approved by a thesis director before they register for thesis credit and at least one semester before they submit the thesis. The thesis committee consists of the thesis director, the director of the M.A. program, and one other faculty member. The thesis is evaluated by the committee as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

A copy of the thesis must be presented to the Graduate College for approval. For detailed information about Graduate College deadlines and policies, see the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College

Other Requirements:

The degree requires a total of 30 semester hours. Twenty-four (24) of these hours must be earned in residence with a grade-point average not lower that 3.25. Students wishing to transfer to the Ph.D. program at Iowa must complete two semesters or 15 s.h. of course work in literature (whichever comes first) before applying for admission to the doctoral program.