Additional Requirements
The concentration insures coherence in each student’s graduate program; breadth is insured by a distribution of courses. Much of each student’s program is taken in courses outside the concentration.
Literary Studies. Working from a variety of perspectives, this concentration focuses on the study of literature and of other culturally significant texts and materials, including, for example, film, oral materials, and political documents.
Rhetoric, Composition, and Writing Studies. This concentration emphasizes scholarship on the production of discourse, broadly conceived, and may include a focus on classical, contemporary, or cultural rhetoric; post-secondary writing pedagogy and program administration; community and adult literacy; or other subjects related to the field of writing studies.
Public Humanities. Designed for students who wish to pursue professions that may span beyond traditional academic work, this concentration prepares graduates for careers in civic, nonprofit, and community-based cultural organizations that engage the humanities, contribute to social reform, and promote the public good.
Minimum coursework required: 26 hours. Minimum thesis hours required: 4 hours See program website for course offerings in a given semester. All coursework must be at the 5000-level.
With approval of the graduate advisor, a student may take a maximum of three hours credit outside the department.
A reading list exam and a Plan A thesis with oral defense. Students may write a traditional thesis, or they may assemble a public-facing thesis portfolio. See program website for more details about thesis options. For information on the Plan B, consult with the program director.