Graduate English Studies at Auburn University

The Department of English at Auburn University makes it possible for students to engage in the most essential and valued skills in the liberal arts and humanities traditions. As a unified department of English Studies, it provides the following academic programs:

- Master of Arts in English, with concentrations in creative writing, literature, or rhetoric and composition
- Master of Technical and Professional Communication
- Doctor of Philosophy in English, with concentrations in literature or rhetoric and composition

Whether through analytic, professional, or creative writing students and faculty engage continuously in the skills of careful reading, critical thinking, and communication.

Master of Arts (MA) in English

The MA in English helps students develop their skills and professional experience within a sub-discipline in English Studies. The program emphasizes writing and research skills; it also gives them university-level experience as writing and literature teachers. Its curriculum has 30 hours of coursework including a concentration, foreign language requirement, and portfolio with oral defense.

The department offers concentrations in creative writing, literature, and rhetoric and composition. The literature concentration offers an array of critical perspectives on literary and cultural studies with a focus on American and British literature and theory. The creative writing concentration focuses on fiction and poetry. Students participate in intensive workshops and work toward producing a longer piece of work, usually a collection of short stories or poetry. The rhetoric and composition concentration offers an in-depth study of key theoretical and methodological approaches with a focus on writing pedagogy and rhetorical theory.

Master of Technical and Professional Communication (MTPC)

The English department is dedicated to providing its graduates support as they search for careers in the humanities. A placement adviser assists graduates in recognizing positions that coordinate with their skills and training. Students who complete the doctorate program are qualified to secure tenure-eligible, faculty positions at colleges or universities.

Though the English department's PhD program trains students to be scholars and professors, participants also have the skills to succeed at careers in business, industry, and government. Jobs for English PhDs are positions that utilize advanced writing, communication, and independent research skills. Those seeking jobs for PhDs will have acquired an in-depth knowledge of English studies, as well as a more defined understanding of one of its sub-disciplines. Within this more specific area, the English PhD will have experience in conducting and presenting research programs, a valuable asset for a career in the humanities.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in English

The PhD in English provides rigorous pedagogical and scholarly training for aspiring intellectual leaders and stewards of English Studies. PhD students develop critical analysis of American and English literature--from the traditional canons to African-American, Anglophone, Irish, Southern, and trans-Atlantic literatures and cultures. Similarly, the PhD includes rhetoric and composition specialties in community and public writing, composition pedagogy, methodologies, and rhetorical theory.

The program's curriculum has a minimum of 60 hours beyond the bachelor's degree including 10 hours in the "Research and Dissertation" course. Students may transfer a maximum of 30 hours from a master's degree with approval from the dean of the Graduate School and the advisory committee.

The curriculum also includes proficiency in two foreign languages or advanced proficiency in one. A general examination, dissertation prospectus, dissertation, and final examination/dissertation defense are required as well.

Research opportunities

Research at Auburn University provides a gateway for advancing scholarship, discovering new knowledge, and fueling economic development. It influences and enhances the lives of citizens of the state of Alabama, the country, and the world.

The Department of English embraces these activities through faculty research in an extensive range of topics including the following:

- Cultural studies
- Early women writers
- Feminist criticism
- Gender studies
- Green cultural studies
- Poetry
-Archival studies
-Community and public writing
-Composition pedagogy
-African-American literature
-Twentieth-century British literature

Financial aid

Costs to attend graduate school at Auburn University include tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation and personal expenses. Graduate students in English may qualify for the following financial resources:

- Graduate assistantships with competitive stipends
- Master's and doctoral fellowships
- Employment at the Office of University Writing and Miller Writing Center
- Funding for professional travel and research projects
- Federal loans
- Alternative loans

Auburn University

Established in 1856, Auburn University is a land, sea, and space grant institution and one of the largest universities in the south. It's committed to providing high-quality graduate, professional, and undergraduate education for traditional and non-traditional students. To achieve this goal, it offers nearly 30,000 students 140 majors and 160 graduate programs through 15 schools and colleges.

Auburn University is located in Auburn, Alabama, which is situated in the southeastern region of the United States.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• English Graduate Certificate
  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
  Master of Arts (MA)
  Master of Technical and Professional Communication (MTPC)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 19
• Doctoral Degrees 10
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees 2
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Yes
• Evening/weekend programs available? No
• Distance learning programs available? Not reported
• Terminal master's degree available? No

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees 1 Foreign Language, Thesis optional and written exam
• Doctoral Degrees 2 Foreign Languages, Thesis Required and oral and written exams
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied 57
• Accepted 36
• Acceptance Rate 63
• Enrolled 19
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $50
• Application Fee - International $60
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesGRE General Test, sample of written work
• Doctoral's DegreesGRE General Test, GRE Subject Test, sample of written work
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesNot Reported

• Tuition & Fees *
• Tuition & FeesNot Reported
• *Average dollar amount (tuition & fees) required to complete the degree
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitFAFSA
• Application deadlines for financial awardsMarch 15
• Types of financial support availableFederal Work-Study, Financial Support for Part-time Students

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students59
• Female Percentage66%
• Male Percentage34%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students59
• Part-time Percentage58%
• Full-time Percentage42%
• Race/Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino0%
• Black / African American5%
• White / Caucasian86%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native0%
• Asian3%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander0%
• Two or more races1%
• Unknown or International Student5%

• Faculty Breakdown
• Total Faculty65
• Full-time Percentage94%
• Part-time Percentage6%
• Female Percentage48%
• Male Percentage52%

• Existing Research
• Focus of faculty researchEnglish literature, American literature, linguistics, rhetoric and composition, literary theory
• Externally sponsored research expenditures last yearNot Reported