TRACK DESCRIPTION
The Literary, Cultural, and Textual Studies track in the Master of Arts in English program prepares students for both academic and nonacademic careers.
The program encourages student to make connections among texts (critical, theoretical, scholarly, literary, etc.), to engage in research and critical thinking at an advanced level, and to write scholarship of merit and distinction.
CURRICULUM
Each student must complete at least 33 credit hours, including three core courses, one of which is in linguistics. Near the end of the degree program, each candidate will complete a Capstone Course and choose either the thesis option or the nonthesis option, which requires 3 additional credit hours of a 6000-level Literary, Cultural, and Textual Studies course. The program teaches research methods in one or more courses and requires a research study and final report focusing on literary criticism in a student’s particular specialization. |
| Total Credit Hours Required: |
| 33
Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree |
Required Courses—9 Credit Hours
Core—6 Credit Hours
- ENG 5009 Methods of Bibliography and Research (3 credit
hours)
- ENG 6078 Contemporary Movements in Literary, Cultural, and
Textual Theory (3 credit hours)
Capstone—3 Credit Hours
- ENG 6950 Capstone Course (3 credit hours)
Students must
take a Capstone Course after completing at least 18 credit hours in the
program. The Capstone Course is a systematic and comprehensive revision of
previous graduate research, with special attention to the use of theory and to
professionalization and with the goal of publication and/or conference
presentation.
Foreign Language Proficiency
Students must also
prove proficiency in a foreign language at the first-year level prior to
completing the degree program.
Elective Courses—21 Credit Hours
Restricted—15 Credit Hours
Students must choose four of the
following courses.
- ENG 6074 Historical Movements in Literary,
Cultural, and Textual Studies (3 credit hours)
- LIT 6216 Issues in
Literary Study (can be taken four times for credit when course content is
different) (3 credit hours)
- LIT 6936 Studies in Literary, Cultural,
and Textual Theory (can be taken four times for credit when course content is
different) (3 credit hours)
- LIT 6276 Teaching College Literature (3
credit hours)
- LIN 5137 Linguistics (3 credit hours)
- TSL 6250
Applied Linguistics in ESOL (3 credit hours)
Unrestricted—6
Credit Hours
In consultation with the graduate adviser, students will
choose three graduate-level English courses.
Thesis Option—3 Credit
Hours
Students will complete a formal thesis on a topic selected in
consultation with an advisory committee and will meet both departmental and
university requirements for the thesis.
- LIT 6971 Thesis (3 credit
hours)
Nonthesis Option—3 Credit Hours
Students will
complete 3 additional hours of 6000-level Literary, Cultural, and Textual
Studies courses.
- Elective (3 credit hours)
Independent Learning
All courses in the Master's in English, Literary, Cultural, and Textual Studies Track require students to complete substantial independent research projects and, thus provide students the opportunity to engage in independent learning.
Application Requirements
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. All requested materials must be submitted by the established deadline.
In addition to the general UCF graduate application requirements, applicants to
this program must provide:
- One official transcript (in a
sealed envelope) from each college/university attended.
- A bachelor’s
degree in English or its equivalent.
- Official, competitive GRE score
taken within the last five years.
- Two letters of recommendation from
faculty members or others familiar with applicant’s academic potential.
- One year of a foreign language at the university level (may be taken while
in graduate residence).
- A one to two page goal statement addressing the
applicant's reasons for pursuing graduate study in English.
- A
researched literary analysis or equivalent essay of approximately ten pages,
with an explanatory cover memo of no more than one page that explains why
you chose to submit this particular academic essay and how you would revise if
if you had the opportunity. All statements and essays should be revised writing
(i.e., no written under timed conditions). Writing should be "cleaned": typed,
error-free, with no teacher comments. The essay should demonstrate an ability to
follow a scholarly format such as MLA or APA.
- A computer-based score of
233 (or 91 internet-based score) on the Test of English as a Foreign language
(TOEFL) if an applicant is from a country where English is not the official
language, or if an applicant's degree is not from an accredited U.S.
institution, or if an applicant did not earn a degree in a country where English
is the only official language or a university where English is the only official
language of instruction. Although we prefer the TOEFL, we will accept IELTS
scores of 7.0.
A résumé is required for applicants seeking
assistantship positions.
Meeting minimum UCF admission criteria does not
guarantee program admission. Final admission is based on evaluation of the
applicant's abilities, past performance, recommendations, match of this program
and faculty expertise to the applicant's career/academic goals, and the
applicant's potential for completing the degree.
Application Deadlines
| Literary, Cultural, and Textual Studies |
*Fall Priority
|
Fall
|
Spring
|
Summer
|
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|
Domestic Applicants
| Jan 15 | Mar 30 | Nov 1 | - |
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|
International Applicants
| Jan 15 | Jan 15 | Jul 1 | - |
|---|
|
International Transfer Applicants
| Jan 15 | Mar 1 | Sep 1 | - |
|---|
|
*Applicants who plan to enroll full time in a degree program and who wish to be considered for university fellowships or assistantships should apply by the Fall Priority date.
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FINANCIALS
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies
Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The
Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowships
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student’s graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.