The Department of English offers three graduate programs: the Master of Arts in Literary Studies, the Master of Fine Arts in Nonfiction Writing, and the Doctor of Philosophy in English.

The MA in Literary Studies program introduces students to the professional study of literature. It is appropriate for students who would like graduate training in English and who may have an undergraduate major in a different field or who may intend to earn a PhD at another institution. Students interested in careers in any area of book studies (professional writing, editing, web design, or publishing) may wish to earn the M.A. as a terminal degree, as may teachers seeking to enhance their credentials or students pursuing intellectual growth unrelated to a specific career.

The MFA program features advanced courses in creative nonfiction writing. Iowa's Nonfiction Writing Program is one of the few in the nation that offers a full range of graduate courses in literary nonfiction. For information on the MFA program in fiction and poetry, please visit the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

The English PhD program prepares students to serve as faculty members at colleges and universities. MA and PhD students in English mix freely in graduate courses, share the same access to faculty, and meet the same standards of quality in their work.

For more information about graduate programs and policies, see the UI Graduate College.

The UI Online Grad Guide to graduate and professional student life is available here.