Dual Degree: English BA-MA
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from this program will:
- Identify a specific topic, problem, or issue in literary, language, or rhetorical studies.
- Analyze formal/rhetorical components, features, or effects in primary sources or artifacts, such as literary or cultural texts.
- Discuss primary sources or artifacts (such as literary texts) in cultural, critical, or historical contexts.
- Create a student text or artifact built on multi-layered argumentative or evaluative analysis.
- Present a student text or artifact that reflects an understanding of professional rules and conventions appropriate to a specific audience.
Program Description
The English B.A. / M.A. dual-degree program is a pre-professional program that offers students an opportunity to complete an advanced degree in an accelerated fashion. It allows students to shorten their time to degree. This program is ideal for students interested in careers in editing, museum studies, or non-profit work. It is also ideal for students who aim to study law, library science, or literary and cultural studies at the graduate level.
Eligibility
Applicants should meet the following requirements:
- 3.75 GPA within major and a 3.5 cumulative GPA
- Have completed the Introductory Course and at least two of the Literary Surveys
Application Process
Students may apply for the English B.A. / M.A. program after completion of 60 credit hours toward their B.A. program and before the completion of 90 credit hours; deadline: November 1.
With the application, applicants should submit the following materials:
- An academic, research-based writing sample from a UMKC English course
- Two recommendations from English faculty
Program Requirements
After completing at least 90 credit hours in the English B.A. program, students admitted into the B.A. / M.A. may take three courses (9 credit hours) at the graduate level to be applied to both the B.A. and the M.A. degree.
B.A. English Requirements
Students pursuing this dual-degree must satisfy all requirements of the Bachelor of Arts: English. Students pursuing this dual-degree are required to take 36 credit hours within the major as detailed in the table below.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| I. Introductory Course | 3 | |
| Choose one of the following courses: | ||
| Literary Monstrosities | ||
| Popular Literature | ||
| World Literature in English | ||
| Introduction To Fiction | ||
| Introduction To Poetry | ||
| The Craft of Creative Writing | ||
| Women Writing/Women Reading | ||
| Writing Tutor Training Seminar 2 | ||
| Science Fiction | ||
| Asian American Literature | ||
| Myth and Literature | ||
| Foundations Of Ancient World Literature I | ||
| Introduction to Journalism | ||
| II. Literary Surveys | 12 | |
| Choose four of the following courses: | ||
| American Literature I 2 | ||
| British Literature I 2 | ||
| American Literature II 2 | ||
| Shakespeare 2 | ||
| British Literature II 2 | ||
| African American Literature I 2 | ||
| African American Literature II 2 | ||
| Classical Literature In Translation 2 | ||
| III. Rhetoric and Writing | 6 | |
| Choose two of the following courses: | ||
| Writing Tutor Training Seminar | ||
| Writing And The Academy | ||
| Professional and Technical Writing | ||
| Theory And Practice Of Composition | ||
| Language, Literacy, Power | ||
| Rhetorics of New Media | ||
| Rhetorics of Public Memory | ||
| Introduction To Linguistics/Language Science | ||
| Structure Of English | ||
| History Of The English Language | ||
| Women And Rhetoric | ||
| Multimodal Writing and Rhetoric | ||
| Composing Digital Environments | ||
| Technical Communication | ||
| Girls, Literacies, and Print Culture 2 | ||
| Studies in Digital Humanities 1 | ||
| Studies in Rhetoric and Composition 1 | ||
| IV. Electives | 6 | |
Choose two of the following courses: | ||
| American Literature I 2 | ||
| Creative Writing I Fiction | ||
| Creative Writing Poetry | ||
| Literary Nonfiction | ||
| British Literature I 2 | ||
| Bible As Literature | ||
| American Literature II 2 | ||
| Shakespeare | ||
| Arthurian Legends | ||
| Modern Irish Literature | ||
| British Literature II 2 | ||
| African American Literature I 2 | ||
| Race and Literature | ||
| African American Literature II | ||
| Contemporary American Literature | ||
| Introduction to American Studies | ||
| Special Readings 1 | ||
| The Novel Before 1900 | ||
| Studies in Poetry | ||
| The Novel After 1900 | ||
| Introduction to Latinx Literature | ||
| Ancient World in Cinema | ||
| Classical Literature In Translation 2 | ||
| Ancient Greek and Roman Medicine | ||
| Old English | ||
| Histories Of Writing, Reading, And Publishing 1 | ||
| Girls, Literacies, and Print Culture 2 | ||
| Theory and Criticism in English Studies | ||
| External Internship | ||
| Publication Practicum | ||
| Publication Practicum | ||
| Publication Practicum | ||
| Special Readings 1 | ||
| Paleography | ||
| Classical Studies 1 | ||
| Early Modern Studies 1 | ||
| 18th-Century Studies 1 | ||
| Medieval Studies 1 | ||
| 19th-Century Studies 1 | ||
| Studies in Authorship 1 | ||
| Studies in Genre 1 | ||
| 20th- and 21st-Century Studies 1 | ||
| Senior Tutorial | ||
| Concepts of the Hero in Ancient Literature and World Cinema | ||
| Total Credits | 27 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| M.A. Foundation (take all three courses) | 9 | |
| Students must complete at least 90 credit hours before enrolling in graduate courses for the M.A. Any exceptions to this policy must be approved by the English Department's Director of Graduate Studies. | ||
| Graduate Study In English | ||
| Theory and Criticism in English Studies | ||
English Graduate Course Elective | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
- 1
At least one of the three electives must be at the 400-level. One of the three electives must cover periods prior to 1900. No courses in expository writing or journalism may be used to fulfill elective requirements. Elective courses may be offered on a rotation basis. Please consult with your advisor for availability.
M.A. English Requirements
Students pursuing this dual-degree program must satisfy all requirements of the Master of Arts: English, including the foreign language requirement. Of the 31 credit hours required for the M.A. in English, 9 credit hours will be applied from the courses required for the B.A.in English, as listed above.
For detailed course requirements, see the Master of Arts: English Degree Requirements page.
Transition to Graduate Program
At the start of the second-to-last semester in undergraduate studies (typically after completion of 90 credit hours), students who have been accepted into the English B.A. / M.A. program should contact the Faculty Mentor listed at the top of this page to receive advising on the process of transition to graduate study.
Requirements for Graduation
Credit Hour Requirements
The BA and MA program in English requires:
- 120 Undergraduate Credit Hours
- 31 Graduate Credit Hours
- 142 Total Credit Hours (9 Elective Hours of Overlap)