Graduate Programs and Certificates

The Department of English has a national reputation for graduating top-rated teachers, scholars, and creative writers who go on to successful careers in academia and beyond. Our graduate program is large enough to produce nationally competitive scholars and writers, but small enough to ensure that each student receives individualized mentoring from and enjoys engaged interaction with our award-winning faculty.

Almost half of our recent MA graduates (2015-20) in composition/rhetoric and literature enrolled in a doctoral program, whether our own or elsewhere. MFA graduates sometimes join PhD programs in creative writing or literature, or find other professional positions related to their degree in writing centers or at non-profits, and as teachers and writers. The placement rate for PhD graduates is significantly higher than the national norm, with two-thirds of these recent graduates (2015-20) reporting that they hold full-time academic positions.