Graduate English
Specialize
Specialize in the study of literature, creative writing or TESOL.
The entire English faculty works in collaboration to provide our students with a well-rounded education to prepare them for careers, either immediately in the workplace or through further graduate study. We offer close guidance and opportunities for students to gain practical writing and editing experience by working on the Vermillion Literary Project, interning at South Dakota Review, or taking classes in publishing.
Degrees
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Literature
The M.A. program with a specialization in Literature provides students with opportunities to explore a wide range of English literature with a span of periods and genres. We offer classes in British and American literature, from Shakespeare to the postmodern novel. The program emphasis a solid foundation in general literary studies that provide our students with the broad knowledge to be able to work on their own areas of thesis specialization.
Creative Writing
The M.A. program with a specialization in Creative Writing provides students a chance think about writing in an open way, to experiment with subject, form, and sound, to focus on writing first and categorization later. We offer classes in Poetry, Fiction, Non Fiction, Memoir, Hybrid Forms, and Publishing. Our workshops integrate frequent writing projects with substantial reading lists as a way of reimagining the workshop model.
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
The M.A. program with a specialization in TESOL is unique in that students are socialized into the world of English literature while taking a range of applied linguistic courses. Students have opportunities to work closely with our Intensive English Program and Writing Center, providing graduates with valuable and relevant work experience that can be applied to their future professional contexts. With an M.A. in English with a TESOL specialization, graduates are competitive in an expansive job market, both in the United States and abroad.
M.A./J.D.
The M.A./J.D. is available only to candidates who are concurrently enrolled in the School of Law. Ordinarily, students complete the first year of the J.D. before beginning the M.A. in English.
Accelerated Master's Program: B.A. or B.S. with M.A.
Up to 12 graduate credits applied toward the B.A. program may be used to satisfy graduate credit.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Specializations:
Critical
The Ph.D. program with a critical specialization is built around the English Department’s seminar offerings in nineteenth- and twentieth-century British and American literature, taught by faculty members publishing work on naturalism, Virginia Woolf, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and cybernetics and modernism, to name but a few of the topics. Students construct their own plan of study to reflect their interests and to prepare them for writing their dissertation. The selective nature and small size of the Ph.D. program ensure that students receive the mentorship they need. PhD students are also given the opportunity to teach a range of courses in order to help them develop their professional credentials.
Creative
The Ph.D. program with a creative writing specialization is built around the English Department’s seminar offerings in creative writing, including Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, and Publishing, as well as nineteenth- and twentieth-century British and American literature. Students construct their own plan of study to reflect their interests and to prepare them for their dissertation. The selective nature and small size of the Ph.D. program ensure that students receive the mentorship they need. Creative writing PhD students are also given the opportunity to teach a range of courses, including introductory creative writing classes, to help them develop their professional credentials.
Admission Requirements
Application requirements can be found at Graduate School Admission Requirements and include:
- Completed Graduate Application
Apply Online - $35 application fee
- Official transcript(s) verifying receipt of an undergraduate degree and previous graduate credit earned
- Three letters of recommendation
Letter of Recommendation Form - Statement of Purpose
- Applicants with degrees from countries other than the United States: a TOEFL score of at least 105 (Internet-based test), 620 (paper-based test) or 260 (computer test); an IELTS score of at least 7.0; or a PTE score of 70.
Required for M.A. program
- 10-15 page critical writing sample
- Creative writing students must submit an additional 15-20 page creative writing sample
Required for Ph.D. program
- Official copy of GRE scores
- 15-20 page critical writing sample
- Creative writing students must submit an additional 20 page minimum creative writing sample
- Completion of a Master’s degree in English or its equivalent
For more detailed admission requirements, please refer to English in the current graduate catalog.
Application Review Begins for Fall Admission:
Ph.D. Applicants (with Teaching Assistantship): January 15
M.A. Applicants (with Teaching Assistantship): February 1
M.A. Applicants (no Teaching Assistantship/Classes only): 6-8 weeks before classes start
The Classroom & Beyond
Alpha Mu Phi is USD's local Sigma Tau Delta chapter. This organization's central purpose is to confer distinction upon students of the English language and literature in undergraduate, graduate and professional studies.
Our graduates continue their active, engaged literary and educational lives after USD. Graduates go on to academic, alt-ac, and non-academic jobs, as well as further graduate study.
Success Stories
What our students share will give you insight about the Department of English. Find out what they have to say about their experiences.
