Master of Arts in Literary Studies

The M.A. in Literary Studies is one of several masters-level programs offered by the English Department at the University of Iowa. The M.F.A. programs offer advanced courses in writing poetry, fiction, and essays; the M.A. in Literary Studies introduces students to the professional study of literature. It is possible to apply directly to the Ph.D. program without entering a Masterís program here or elsewhere; however, many students feel the M.A. is an appropriate step toward the Ph.D. These students may have had an undergraduate major in a different field, or may feel that more preparation is advisable for other reasons; some may intend to complete their studies elsewhere. Students interested in a career in any area of book studies (professional writing, editing, webdesign, or publishing), may wish to take the M.A. as a terminal degree, as might teachers seeking to enhance their credentials or students pursuing intellectual growth unrelated to a specific career.

M.A. and Ph.D. applicants compete in the same admissions process.  Once admitted, M.A. and Ph.D. students mix freely in graduate courses, share the same access to faculty, and meet the same standards of quality in their work.  The Director of Graduate Study acts as advisor for all graduate students.  A Master’s thesis or Master’s portfolio is the culmination of work for the M.A. in literary study.  The Director of the M.A. Program oversees this work.

Degree Requirements

Required Courses:

Each student must take the following courses at the 200 level or above. Applicable transfer courses must be approved by the director of graduate study in English.

One course in criticism and theory

Four courses from the following five areas:

• British or American literature and culture before 1500
• British or American literature and culture 1500-1660
• British or American literature and culture 1660-1800
• British or American literature and culture 1800-1900
• Literature and culture of the 20th century

Elective Courses: Comprising half of the total credit for the degree, these courses may be chosen from graduate offerings both inside and outside the English Department. Students intending to apply to the Ph.D. program are encouraged to begin work toward the foreign language requirement for that degree. Others may wish to explore the many opportunities for interdisciplinary study, for experience in the theory and practice of writing, or for specialization in a field of literary scholarship.

Completion of the M.A. requires either a thesis or a portfolio. Students submit a written description of their choice to the director of the program before the semester in which they plan to graduate.

Portfolio Option:

Near the end of their course work, students who do not choose the thesis option must submit a portfolio of work to the M.A. examination committee, which consists of the director of the M.A. program and two other English faculty members. All three read the full portfolio. To pass, the candidate must win a majority vote of the committee members.

Students take the first step toward preparing to submit a portfolio by meeting with the director of the M.A. program early in the semester they plan to graduate to discuss the portfolio. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have met all distribution and eligibility requirements, and cleared all incomplete grades. Students must present the director with a draft of the portfolio's introductory statement by the 1st week of October (fall graduation) or the 1st week of March (spring graduation). The director may suggest changes either before or after approving the statement. Once the director approves the statement, the student must provide the program assistant with three copies of the full portfolio by November 1st (fall) or April 1st (spring)—see the Timeline (below) for each semester for more specific deadlines.

The work in the portfolio should demonstrate the student's knowledge of literature as a broad historical and theoretical inquiry. Students submit approximately 50 pages (12,500 words) of their best work, along with a self-reflective introductory statement of five to seven pages. The body of the portfolio should contain revised versions of papers originally produced for classes. The papers must be revised for a broader audience that is not familiar with the original framework of the class. The introduction should provide an account of your trajectory in the program and the literary-critical or methodological skills you have gained in your time at Iowa. It should explain the contents of the portfolio, contextualize each paper, and give a brief overview of the writing. Students are expected to describe the research methods used in assembling their portfolios and the critical practices that ground their work.

Thesis Option:

Students who choose to write an M.A. thesis must submit a brief prospectus approved by a thesis director before they register for thesis credit and at least one semester before they submit the thesis. The thesis committee consists of the thesis director, the director of the M.A. program, and one other faculty member. The thesis is evaluated by the committee as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

A copy of the thesis must be presented to the Graduate College for approval. For detailed information about Graduate College deadlines and policies, see the Manual of Rules and Regulations of the Graduate College

Timeline - Portfolio Option

Spring Graduation:

1. Submit written description of thesis or portfolio choice, prior to the start of the spring semester.
   
2. Meet with the M.A. Director before or by February 15th.
   
3. Submit Application for Degree to The Office of the Registrar by the end of February (check Graduate College Deadlines for exact date).
   
4. Complete the M.A. checklist and submit it to the Graduate Program Assistant by March 1st.
   
5. Submit your portfolio introduction to the M.A. Director by the first week of March.
   
6. Submit your full portfolio to your M.A. Committee by April 1st.
   

Fall Graduation:

1. Submit written description of thesis or portfolio choice, prior to the start of the fall semester.
   
2. Meet with the M.A. Director before or by September 15th.
   
3. Submit Application for Degree to The Office of the Registrar by the middle of October (check Graduate College Deadlines for exact date).
   
4. Complete the M.A. checklist and submit it to the Graduate Program Assistant by October 1st.
   
5. Submit your portfolio introduction to the M.A. Director by the first week of October.
   
6. Submit your completed portfolio to your M.A. Committee by November 1st.

Timeline - Thesis Option

Spring Graduation:

1. Submit brief prospectus during fall semester, must be approved by M. A. Thesis Director prior to registration of spring semester.
   
2. Register for M.A. Thesis in Literary Studies (008:585: Director’s Instructor Code), semester hours may vary, see program assistant for assistance.
   
3. Submit Application for Degree to The Office of the Registrar by the end of February (check Graduate College Deadlines for exact date).
   
4. First Deposit finished and submitted to the Graduate College by the first of April (check Graduate College Deadlines for exact date).
   
5. Submit a copy of your thesis to each committee member (thesis director, the director of the M.A. program, and one other faculty member) by the first week of April.
   
6. Final deposit must be completed by the first week of May (check Graduate College Deadlines for exact date).

Fall Graduation:

1. Submit brief prospectus during spring semester, must be approved by M. A. Thesis Director prior to registration of fall semester.
   
2. Register for M.A. Thesis in Literary Studies (008:585: Director’s Instructor Code), semester hours may vary, see program assistant for assistance.
   
3. Submit Application for Degree to The Office of the Registrar by the middle of October (check Graduate College Deadlines for exact date).
   
4. First Deposit finished and submitted to the Graduate College by the first of November (check Graduate College Deadlines for exact date).
   
5. Submit a copy of your thesis to each committee member (thesis director, the director of the M.A. program, and one other faculty member) by the first week of November.
   
6. Final deposit must be completed by the first week of December (check Graduate College Deadlines for exact date).

Other Requirements:

The degree requires a total of 30 semester hours. Twenty-four (24) of these hours must be earned in residence with a grade-point average not lower that 3.25. Students wishing to transfer to the Ph.D. program at Iowa must complete two semesters or 15 s.h. of course work in literature (whichever comes first) before applying for admission to the doctoral program.