Program Requirements

M.A. Program Requirements

The M.A. in English is designed to provide a broadly inclusive course of advanced study in English and American literature together with preparatory training and scholarly background for the Ph.D. Candidates for the M.A. must:

• Take a total of 30 units of graduate coursework (of which 24, or 8 classes, must be in regularly scheduled literature courses unless otherwise approved by the Program Director)
• Pass a final examination based on reading lists approved by the faculty

Ph.D. Program Requirements

Students who have earned the M.A. in English at the University of Arizona

• Must complete at least 15 units of 500- or 600-level course beyond the requirement for the MA, for a total of 45 units.
• At least 33 units (11 courses) of the 45 must be in regularly scheduled in our program literature classes, unless otherwise approved by the Program Director.
• In addition, students must register for 18 hours of dissertation units.
• Prior to beginning the Ph.D. program, students must pass the Qualifying Exam.
• Students are strongly encouraged to satisfy the foreign language requirement in their 3rd year (if they enter with the BA) or their 1st year (if they enter with the MA); dissertation proposals cannot be submitted until the requirement is met. 

Students who earned the M.A. elsewhere

• Must complete a minimum of 30 units (10 classes) of course work at the University of Arizona.
• At least 18 units (6 courses) must be in regularly scheduled literature classes, unless otherwise approved by the Program Director.
• The additional 15 units towards degree requirements is typically transferred from the M.A. 
• Must satisfy the Foreign Language requirement
• Must pass the Comprehensive Examination
• Complete at least 18 units of dissertation credit
• Write a dissertation acceptable to the Department of English.
• Students are strongly encouraged to satisfy the foreign requirement in their 1st year (if they enter with the MA); dissertation proposals cannot be submitted until the requirement is met.

Note: Students who wish to transfer credit from their M.A. Program must submit a Transfer Credit form in GradPath before the end of their first year of study in order to have the courses evaluated for transfer eligibility. The credits must be approved by their major or minor department and the Graduate College. The minimum grade for transferred credits must be an A or B or the equivalent at the institution where the course was taken. Transferred units may not count toward more than one doctorate.

Ph.D. Minor Options

Doctoral students have the option of completing a Ph.D. minor in another field, including the interdisciplinary PhD Minor in Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory. You should work with your faculty advisor to determine minor options.