4+1 Accelerated Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English

This 4+1 accelerated Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts program prepares students to gain a deeper understanding of their chosen concentration in English studies—literature, creative writing, or rhetoric/composition—allowing students to add more specialized skills and knowledge to their undergraduate studies. Our Master of Arts in English is a 36 credit-hour graduate program. This accelerated path enables students to complete a BA and a MA in English in less than six years. Our accelerated BA and MA program consists of three years of undergraduate coursework, a fourth year of combined undergraduate and graduate coursework, and fifth year of graduate coursework.

Program Structure

Students accepted into the accelerated program will be able to take up to 16 credit hours of English graduate courses (up to 4 graduate courses) during their senior year. The actual number of graduate credits students take may vary from person to person, and students may take graduate courses during the summer of their senior year, but the total graduate credits for the whole senior year cannot exceed 16 credit hours. These graduate credits will count towards both their BA and MA degrees.

• All courses counting towards their BA must be completed with a grade of C- or higher, and all courses counting towards their MA must be completed with a grade of B- or higher.
• Admitted students must maintain at least a B average in all the graduate courses taken during their senior year to continue in the accelerated program. Otherwise, they will be dismissed from the accelerated program.
• Graduate admission remains conditional until the students have successfully completed their undergraduate degree in their senior year. If students fail to graduate by the end of their senior year, they will be dismissed from the accelerated program and the graduate courses they have taken only count towards their bachelor’s degree.
• Students who graduate on time will continue in the accelerated program, and the graduate courses they have taken in their senior year will count towards their master’s degree.
• In their fifth year, students would complete the remaining credit hours of graduate coursework required for the master’s degree as well as a thesis project (4 credit hours).
• While the 4+1 accelerated program is designed for students to graduate with a BA and MA in five years so that they can save most money and time, students can take as much time as necessary and may begin the graduate program with just one or two graduate classes in their senior year. They may also take one to two years to complete the graduate program, if they wish.

Degree Requirements

Bachelor of Arts Requirements

• Major Requirements (30 cr.)

• Introductory Major Course (3 cr.)
• American Literature (3 cr.)
• British Literature after 1800 (3 cr.)
• British and World Literature after 1800 (3 cr.)
• Concentration (9 cr.)
• English Major Elective (3 cr.)
• Critical Theory (3 cr.)
• Senior Seminar (3 cr.)

Master of Arts Requirements (36 cr.)

• Required Courses (12 cr.)

• Literary Scholarship (4 cr.)
• Literary Theory and Criticism (4 cr.)
• Creative Writing (4 cr.)

• Electives (20 cr.)
• Final Thesis Project (4 cr.)