The graduate specialization in Literature & Writing leads to an MA or MS degree in English and is designed for students interested in exploring connections among the fields of literary criticism, composition and rhetoric, and creative writing. Students create a program of study that fits their interests and needs, while benefiting from a broad mix of coursework from the curriculum.

 

The Literature & Writing specialization aims to professionalize its students, teaching them how to approach, construct, and disseminate texts. Mastering the arts of reading and writing within these areas equips students to interpret both literary and cultural texts and to communicate their ideas in a variety of different genres. Literature & Writing welcomes any student with a strong undergraduate education in English, or a related field, and a desire to follow that education further. Our graduates go on to succeed in top PhD or MFA programs, teach at a community college, or advance their careers as secondary educators. (see Literature & Writing Alumni) 

 

Literature & Writing mentors and trains its graduate students through four main activities:

 

(1) Coursework. In both seminars and independent study with faculty, Literature & Writing students consider literary and non-literary texts, learning not only how to interpret such texts but also how to produce them. The program’s course of study thus includes both theory and practice. Students take part in the reading and the writing of literature, criticism, essays, and arguments.

 

While doing most coursework within the Literature & Writing curriculum, students may also pursue their interests by taking some courses in the department’s other master’s programs (American Studies, Folklore, and Technical Writing) as well as doctoral courses in the Theory and Practice of Professional Communication PhD program. Please check with the Director of Graduate Studies in English before taking these classes.

 

(2) Teaching. Students in the Literature & Writing program have the opportunity to apply for Graduate Instructorships, which train them to be effective teachers of their own sections of college composition courses. Graduate Instructorships include both a stipend and—for non-Utah residents—a waiver of the non-resident portion of their tuition. Graduate Instructors participate fully in the culture of a large English department at a four-year university and have the opportunity to take a variety of pedagogy courses that range from a teaching practicum to teaching writing online.

 

(3) Service Opportunities. Whether they work as Graduate Instructors or not, students are encouraged to volunteer for posts on departmental and university committees. Such work gives them an active voice in the day-to-day operation of an academic institution as well as valuable administrative and organizational experience. Students may also apply for internships on literary and scholarly journals, work in computer labs and the Online Writing Center, and volunteer in the Creative Learning Environments Lab.

 

(4) Professional Development Workshops: A series of Graduate Professional Development workshops offers advice and training to help students professionalize themselves in variety of ways: proposing and presenting conference papers, writing for publication, applying for teaching positions, and choosing doctoral programs. The department also has faculty members with non-academic work experience who can advise graduate students on how their knowledge and skills could translate into careers outside academia—in business, industry, and non-profit organizations.