The Department of English offers a PhD in English (with specializations in Composition and Rhetoric, English Language and Linguistics, or Literary Studies). Additionally, the English Department offers an MFA in Creative Writing.
This master’s program is offered for work leading to the English PhD (for students in the Literary Studies pathway and English Language and Linguistics pathway1)
Literary Studies Pathway (MA + PhD): Students enrolled in the literary studies PhD specialization become eligible for an MA English degree in the literary studies area when they successfully complete the first-stage doctoral requirements. The literary studies specialization does not offer an MA apart from the doctoral program. The literary studies track offers a rigorous course of study leading to the completion of a doctoral dissertation in any field of English, American, or Anglophone literature and culture, or in any field of literary theory and criticism. The program prepares students for active careers in higher education among other potential fields and combines a sharp focus on conceptual approaches to literary and cultural works with a commitment to broad coverage of the field of Anglophone literature. Graduate seminars taken during the first phases of the doctoral program serve to prepare students to develop research projects for the dissertation. As they progress toward the PhD, students are invited to consider interdisciplinary subspecialties: literary theory and criticism, visual studies, ecocriticism and environmentalism, transnational and global literature, material culture, print culture and book history, digital humanities, disability studies, gender studies, race and ethnic studies, feminist theory, LGBTQ literature and queer theory, postcolonial studies. The program provides opportunities for teaching writing and literature and for administrative experience.
English Language and Linguistics Pathway (MA+ PhD)1: The English language and linguistics area is intended for students with a solid foundation in the English language, applied linguistics, and related fields. Students enrolled in the English language and linguistics PhD specialization become eligible for an MA English degree when they successfully complete the first-stage doctoral requirements. The English language and linguistics specialization does not offer an MA apart from the doctoral program. Through program of course work and seminars, English language and linguistics doctoral students attain advanced knowledge in the core areas of English syntax and phonology and in the applied areas of second language acquisition, discourse analysis, and language variation and change. On reaching the dissertation stage, students pursue individual research in close cooperation with their faculty advisor. In recent years, students have written dissertations on code-switching, critical pedagogy, interactional competence, and conversation analysis, syntactic problems in second language acquisition, classroom discourse, and psycholinguistics. Graduates of the program have taken faculty positions at universities throughout the country.
- 1
The MA pathway, English Language and Linguistics, is effective for students admitted Fall 2025 and after. Students admitted to the terminal MA pathway, Applied English Linguistics, prior to Fall 2025 will adhere to the same curricular requirements with the addition of the final comprehensive exam. The MA pathway in Applied English Linguistics will discontinue with the current cohort and those admitted to the pathway starting Fall 2024.
Admissions
This master’s program is offered for work leading to the PhD (for students in the Literary Studies pathway and English Language and Linguistics pathway).
Students may not apply directly for the master’s, and should instead see the admissions information for English PhD.
Funding
Graduate School Resources
The Bursar’s Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student. Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.
Program Resources
Prospective students should see the program website for funding information.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum degree requirements and policies, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Major Requirements
Mode of Instruction
| Face to Face | Evening/Weekend | Online | Hybrid | Accelerated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | No | No |
Mode of Instruction Definitions
Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.
Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.
Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.
Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information.
Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.
Curricular Requirements
| Minimum Credit Requirement | 30 credits |
| Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | 24 credits |
| Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | 15 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Refer to the Graduate School's Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244. |
| Overall Graduate GPA Requirement | 3.5 GPA required. Refer to the Graduate School: Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203. |
| Other Grade Requirements | Grades of BC or lower cannot be used to meet an English Course Requirement. A student who fails to meet the GPA requirement requirement may be reviewed for Satisfactory progress or placed on Departmental Probation. |
| Assessments and Examinations | Students admitted to the terminal MA pathway Applied English Linguistics, prior to Fall 2025 will be required to complete a final comprehensive exam. |
| Language Requirements | Demonstrate proof of adequate competency in one non-English language by the time of MA degree completion. PhD students will complete an additional language requirement(s), see PhD requirements. |
Required Courses
Students completing the MA pathway should refer to the PhD for more information on requirements.
English Language and Linguistics Pathway (previously Applied English Linguistics)1,2
These requirements must be completed before the beginning of the fifth semester. When the first stage requirements are completed, provided the student meets the program standards for satisfactory progress, they will be entitled to move into the second stage of the PhD program.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ENGL 314 | Structure of English | 3 |
| ENGL 315 | English Phonology | 3 |
| ENGL 514 | English Syntax | 3 |
| ENGL 516 | English Grammar in Use | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Students must complete 18 credits, including 6 credits numbered 700 to 799 and 3 credits numbered 900 to 999. | 18 | |
| English Language Variation in the U.S. | ||
| Second Language Acquisition | ||
| English Words: Grammar, Culture, Mind | ||
| Global Spread of English | ||
| English in Society | ||
| History of the English Language | ||
| Topics in English Language and Linguistics | ||
| Old English | ||
| Advanced English Phonology | ||
| Research Methods in Applied Linguistics | ||
| Topics in Contemporary English Linguistics | ||
| Advanced Second Language Acquisition | ||
| Seminar-Topics in Applied English Linguistics | ||
| Seminar-The English Language | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.
- 2
The MA pathway, English Language and Linguistics, is effective for students admitted Fall 2025 and after. Students admitted to the terminal MA pathway, Applied English Linguistics, prior to Fall 2025 will adhere to the same curricular requirements with the addition of the final comprehensive exam. The MA pathway in Applied English Linguistics will discontinue with the current cohort and those admitted to the pathway starting Fall 2024.
Literary Studies Pathway1
All courses for this pathway must be completed in English (ENGL) graduate level courses as specified below. Students take a total of ten courses in the Department of English. To ensure breadth of knowledge, the course requirements call for intensive study in different chronological and geographical areas.
These requirements must be completed before the beginning of the fifth semester. When the first stage requirements are completed, provided the student meets the program standards for satisfactory progress, they will be entitled to move into the second stage of the PhD program.
Note: A maximum of 9 credits of this MA and/or PhD coursework may come from UW programs or departments outside of English.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Literature | ||
| Students must complete 6 credits of literature in the English Department, including one pre-1800 course and one post-1800 course. | 6 | |
| Pre-1800 Course Options | ||
| Seminar in Early Modern Studies | ||
| Advanced Theatre History 500 BC to 1700 | ||
| Topics in Medieval Literature | ||
| Topics in Early Modern Literature | ||
| Topics in Eighteenth-Century Literature | ||
| Topics in Early American Literature | ||
| Post-1800 Course Options | ||
| Advanced Theatre History 1700 to Present | ||
| Feminist Theory and Criticism | ||
| Topics in Romanticism | ||
| Topics in Victorian Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in Modernism | ||
| Topics in Nineteenth-Century American Literature and Culture | ||
| Topics in American Literature since 1900 | ||
| World and/or Postcolonial Literature in English | ||
| Topics in Contemporary Literature | ||
| Literary Studies | ||
| Students must complete the following course during their first semester. | ||
| ENGL 800 | Critical Methods in Literary Studies | 3 |
| Composition | ||
| Students must complete one of the following courses. | ||
| ENGL 700 | Introduction to Composition Studies | 3 |
| or ENGL/MEDIEVAL 520 | Old English | |
| Race, Ethnicity, and/or Indigeneity | ||
| Students must complete at least 3 credits of a graduate-level course that focuses on topics of race, ethnicity, and/or indigeneity. | 3 | |
| Elective Graduate Coursework | ||
| Students must complete 15 credits of elective graduate coursework. | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.
Elective Graduate Coursework
Graduate Coursework in English reflects the faculty's current areas of research and therefore change importantly from year to year. Please consult the department website for more detailed information.
Graduate School Policies
The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures serve as the official document of record for Graduate School academic and administrative policies and procedures and are updated continuously. Note some policies redirect to entries in the official UW-Madison Policy Library. Programs may set more stringent policies than the Graduate School. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.
Major-Specific Policies
Prior Coursework
Graduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions
With program approval, students may transfer up to 6 credits of graduate coursework from other institutions. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison
Students who completed relevant graduate level coursework during their undergraduate degree at UW-Madison or another institution may request to transfer up to 6 credits of the graduate level coursework towards their MA curriculum. All requests must be reviewed and approved by the program director.
Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers)
Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.
Credits Earned as a University Special Student at UW–Madison
With program approval, students may transfer up to 6 credits of relevant graduate level coursework, numbered 700 or above or designated with the "Grad 50%" attribute, taken as a UW–Madison University Special student. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
*Note: Students may request to transfer up to 6 credits of prior coursework in total.
Probation
Refer to the Graduate School: Probation policy.
Advisor / Committee
Refer to the Graduate School: Advisor and Graduate School: Committees (Doctoral/Master’s/MFA) policies.
Credits Per Term Allowed
Students in the English Department’s PhD programs are expected to enroll full-time. Students with a fellowship, holding a university appointment percentage or holding dissertator status may have different credit-loads which equate to full-time student status. Please see the Graduate School’s policy for full-time enrollment credit requirements.
Time Limits
Refer to the Graduate School: Time Limits policy.
Grievances and Appeals
These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:
- Bias or Hate Reporting
- Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
- Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
- Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
- Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
- Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
- Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
- Office Student Assistance and Support (OSAS) (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
- Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
- Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
- Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)
L&S Policy for Graduate Student Academic Appeals
Graduate students have the right to appeal an academic decision related to an L&S graduate program if the student believes that the decision is inconsistent with published policy.
Academic decisions that may be appealed include:
- Dismissal from the graduate program
- Failure to pass a qualifying or preliminary examination
- Failure to achieve satisfactory academic progress
- Academic disciplinary action related to failure to meet professional conduct standards
Issues such as the following cannot be appealed using this process:
- A faculty member declining to serve as a graduate student’s advisor.
- Decisions regarding the student’s disciplinary knowledge, evaluation of the quality of work, or similar judgements. These are the domain of the department faculty.
- Course grades. These can be appealed instead using the L&S Policy for Grade Appeal.
- Incidents of bias or hate, hostile and intimidating behavior, or discrimination (Title IX, Office of Compliance). Direct these to the linked campus offices appropriate for the incident(s).
Appeal Process for Graduate Students
A graduate student wishing to appeal an academic decision must follow the process in the order listed below. Note time limits within each step.
- The student should first seek informal resolution, if possible, by discussing the concern with their academic advisor, the department’s Director of Graduate Studies, and/or the department chair.
- If the program has an appeal policy listed in their graduate program handbook, the student should follow the policy as written, including adhering to any indicated deadlines. In the absence of a specific departmental process, the chair or designee will be the reviewer and decision maker, and the student should submit a written appeal to the chair within 15 business days of the academic decision. The chair or designee will notify the student in writing of their decision.
- If the departmental process upholds the original decision, the graduate student may next initiate an appeal to L&S. To do so, the student must submit a written appeal to the L&S Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Academic Affairs within 15 business days of notification of the department’s decision.
- To the fullest extent possible, the written appeal should include, in a single document: a clear and concise statement of the academic decision being appealed, any relevant background on what led to the decision, the specific policies involved, the relief sought, any relevant documentation related to the departmental appeal, and the names and titles of any individuals contributing to or involved in the decision.
- The Assistant Dean will work with the Academic Associate Dean of the appropriate division to consider the appeal. They may seek additional information and/or meetings related to the case.
- The Assistant Dean and Academic Associate Dean will provide a written decision within 20 business days.
- If L&S upholds the original decision, the graduate student may appeal to the Graduate School. More information can be found on their website: Grievances and Appeals (see: Graduate School Appeal Process).
Other
n/a
Professional Development
Graduate School Resources
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrates a broad understanding of key traditions, emerging trends, and important problems in the field of study.
- Capacity to identify evidence pertinent to field of study, to analyze evidence using methodologies and practices appropriate to field of study, and to evaluate and synthesize information.
- Communicates research findings in a clear manner that indicates the value of research to the field of study.