English, MA

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Students admitted to the Master of Arts in English program are required to become familiar with the program’s Student Handbook for the year in which the student begins the program.

Admission Requirements

A bachelor’s degree is required for admission to the program. Complete admission requirements are provided in the Admission section of the Bulletin.

Degree Requirements

Coursework. 40 units of coursework are required.

Research Tool. One foreign language/research tool must be completed.

Concentrations. In careful consultation with an advisor, students may be permitted to tailor a concentration.

University Policies. University policies detailed in the Student Information section of the Bulletin apply.

CONCENTRATIONS

American Studies

Potential course topics and areas for the American Studies concentration include the following.

Puritanism and American Literature and Culture
19th-Century American Literature and Culture
Representations of the Frontier in American Literature and Culture
Jazz Aesthetic in American Literature and Culture
Harlem Renaissance
American Migrations
American Women Writers and Feminism
Multi-culturalism and American Literature
American Popular Culture
American Literature and Film
Autobiography and American Literature and Culture

Students interested in this concentration may wish to consult with Dr. Wendy Martin.

Early Modern Studies

The Early Modern Studies concentration encompasses study in the disciplines of English, History, and Philosophy, while retaining disciplinary focus in one of those fields. Students interested in this concentration should consult with Dr. Lori Anne Ferrell.

For master’s students, this discrete course of study complements coursework in archival and museum studies and/or prepares students for application to doctoral programs in early modern, Renaissance, or Reformation Literature, History, or Philosophy.

For doctoral students, the concentration prepares students for research and teaching at the college or university level.

Coursework

Coursework requirements complement and do not replace departmental requirements in History, English, or Philosophy, and are as follows.

Five courses in the early modern period (for English or History, 1500-1750 | for Philosophy, 1700-1800), of which two courses must be in a discipline other than the one in which the student is receiving the degree.
Course in Paleography
Course in Latin Reading (doctoral students)
One course or workshop based upon bibliographic inquiry into the extensive collections of modern print and manuscripts housed in the Special Collections of the The Claremont Colleges Library

Research Tools

For MA students, the Early Modern Studies concentration requires a second Research Tool. The two Research Tools for the concentration must be completed through language exams in German or French and in Latin. If a Latin Reading course is taken in preparation for the exam, this course may be used for credit toward the degree/concentration.

For PhD students, the Early Modern Studies concentration requires a third Research Tool. The three Research Tools for the concentration must be completed through language exams in German, French, and Latin. If a Latin Reading course is taken in preparation for the exam, this course may be used for credit toward the degree/concentration.