Graduate English
Ron Rash talking with MA student Brian Graves
Graduate Study in English
WCU's MA in English Studies prepares you for meaningful careers, provides opportunity you to customize your degree to suit your professional and personal goals, and offers close mentorship throughout your time here. Graduates of our MA program are novelists and editors, technical writers and grant writers, researchers and teachers in higher education, and non-profit administrators and advocates in their communities.
Classes are offered at both the main campus in Cullowhee and in Asheville at WCU's Biltmore Park facility. The English Studies Department offers the following graduate degrees:
- Master of Arts in English with concentrations in Creative Writing, Professional Writing and Rhetoric, Literature, and Cherokee Studies (M.A.)
- Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.)
- Certificate in Technical and Professional Writing
- Online Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Funding Opportunities
Graduate Assistantships
All full-time students in the MA are eligible for Graduate Assistantships (GAs). The English Studies Department offers first- and second-year assistantships. First-year assistantships include working as a tutor in the university’s writing center, the Writing and Learning Commons (WaLC); first-year GA’s also participate in our teaching apprenticeship program, which pairs them with an experience Instructor to observe teach. Both experiences prepare GAs for the second-year assistantship, which involves teaching their own sections of English 101: Writing & Rhetoric, and ENGL 202: Writing & Critical Inquiry (one course each semester).
Other assistantship opportunities are sometimes available, such as professional writing work in other units across campus or serving as editor of Yonder, our graduate student literary magazine.
Graduate Scholarships
All full-time students in the MA are also eligible for scholarships. We offer Graduate Excellence awards ($5,000 per year for two years) and one year In- and out-of-state tuition remission awards. All you have to do is to click “full-time” when you apply.
Interested students should contact the Graduate Program Director and apply at gradapply.wcu.edu.
Apply to the MA in English
You can build and submit your application at gradapply.wcu.edu. Below are the requirements for admission.
- Undergraduate Transcripts: An average grade of B or higher in upper-level undergraduate courses in the major
- Writing Sample: This should be 8-12 double-spaced pages in length and demonstrate the your ability to engage in analytical thinking, professional-level writing, and to engage research. This type of essay is typically profuced in senior-level English courses, but other writing samples may be considered. Reach out to the Graduate Program Director (Jonathan Bradshaw, jlbradshaw@wcu.edu) for questions about preparing your writing sample.
- Two Letters of Recommendation: These letters should address issues such as professionalism, analytical and creative thinking, ability in writing, etc—that is, your potential for success in graduate study. Letters are preferably from former professors, though letters from colleagues and others with related professional experience are accepted.
- GRE scores are not required
- For the MAEd, a personal interview may be requested
- For the MAEd, applicants must hold or be eligible for the North Carolina "A" license in this field
The Graduate School at WCU accepts student applications throughout the year. Learn more about Graduate School Admission requirements on the Graduate School’s site.
