Master of Arts in Writing
Core and Degree Requirements
Mission
Students in the M.A. in Writing program at Missouri State study and develop research methods to teach writing and to practice writing in business and industry. Students also improve their professional writing skills and are trained to become effective writing teachers and successful professional writers. Students learn how to collaborate with area schools, businesses, and industries on issues related to written communication and literacy.
Program Description
All students in the M.A. in Writing program must complete 18 hours of core requirements and specialize in one of the following two tracks:
- Rhetoric and Composition
- Technical/Professional Writing
Entrance Requirements
Students who wish to be admitted to the M.A. in Writing program must have completed a bachelor's degree with a minimum GPA of 3.00 and achieved a GRE general verbal score in the fiftieth percentile or higher. Prospective students who lack extensive undergraduate preparation in English or in writing (the course work equivalent of an English minor) must submit a portfolio of writing samples. Please send written samples and/or program inquiries directly to the English graduate studies director.
Core Requirements (18 hours)
All students in the M.A. in Writing program must complete the following core requirements:
| ENG 600: Problems and Methods of Research in English | 3 hrs. |
| ENG 500: Advanced Writing: Nonfiction | 3 hrs. |
| ENG 526: Modern Rhetorical Theory | 3 hrs. |
| ENG 625: Seminar: Composition and Rhetoric | 3 hrs. |
| One graduate-level linguistics course | 3 hrs. |
| One graduate-level literature course | 3 hrs. |
| Total | 18 hrs. |
For course descriptions, see the Course Catalog.
Additional Degree Requirements (minimum of 14 hours)
- Track Options and Requirements: The different tracks described below outline a minimum of 14 additional hours of graduate-level course requirements and electives. Students should choose electives with an awareness that at least half the credit hours applied toward the 32-hour minimum must be in courses numbered 600 or above. The student must choose a program track before submitting an advisor-approved study program.
- Language Proficiency: The language requirements may be met through any of
the following options:
- completing 12 hours of undergraduate course work in a foreign language with at least a "C" average
- passing a reading competency test administered by the Department of Modern and Classical Languages
- completing six additional hours in graduate-level linguistics courses (raising the student's degree minimum to 38 hours)
- demonstrating proficiency in computer languages (12 hours minimum of undergraduate course work with at least a "C" average).
- A student whose native language is not English will be considered to have met the language requirement.
- Research Requirement: Specific research requirements for each graduate track are described below. Unless ENG 699 is specified, students may satisfy the research requirement either by a thesis or by two degree papers deriving from two different 600-level courses. Colloquia: Students are expected to attend and participate in academic and professional activities. These may be scheduled by the department or may include university and community events (scholarly conferences, professional workshops, lectures, and presentations).
- Comprehensive Examination: Before the candidate may take the examination, all "I" and "Z" grades must be removed and the thesis or degree papers accepted. The comprehensive examination for the M.A. in Writing is administered in two parts: written and oral. During the written examination, the student answers two questions in a three-hour session. The student will choose one question from those that cover core requirements and one question from those that cover other courses required in the track. A student must pass both written essays in order to pass the written examination. During the oral examination, the student will respond to questions related to his or her portfolio (see below).
- Writing Portfolio: Each candidate for the M.A. in Writing must submit a portfolio of writing projects (which may include the thesis) developed during his or her course of study. This portfolio will be evaluated and discussed as part of the oral component of the student's comprehensive examination.
