English, MA (Boston)

The Master of Arts degree launches students into the study of literature, writing, and rhetoric at the graduate level. The program offers one and a half to two years of intensive study in the major fields of British and American literature, covering the debates and approaches that animate the discipline of English. Our MA graduates are fully prepared to proceed to study at the doctoral level, and their training in critical thinking, language skills, and cultural history has also proven to be fruitful preparation for a range of careers outside of academia.

The master's program offers an optional cooperative education experience to eligible students. Co-op is central to both the Northeastern University experience and the College of Social Sciences and Humanities experiential liberal arts framework. Northeastern’s signature co-op ecosystem provides qualified master's students with six-month work experiences in businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies in Boston and across the United States. Graduate students take their work from campus learning spaces, apply their knowledge outside of the classroom, and then bring knowledge and skills gained in community learning spaces back to our campus learning spaces during the co-curricular experiential integration course.

Academic Standing/Progress

To be considered in good academic standing, MA students must be making progress toward their degree requirements, including maintaining a 3.000 minimum cumulative grade-point average.

General Regulations

Program requirements are described in the CSSH Graduate Programs General Regulations and the Graduate Program in English MA Guide. Both documents are updated annually. 

Beginning with students admitted in the fall of 2026, all students pursuing on-ground master's degree programs must complete a university-level experiential learning requirement. This requirement may be fulfilled through the curriculum, co-op, or other work- or industry-integrated learning experiences.

Milestones

Annual progress review
Reading proficiency in a language other than English

Core Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Proseminar
ENGL 5103	Proseminar	4
Theories and Methods
Complete 4 semester hours from the following:		4
ENGL 7351	Topics in Literary Study
ENGL 7358	Topics in Cultural and Interdisciplinary Studies
ENGL 7370	Introduction to Digital Humanities
ENGL 7380	Topics in Digital Humanities
WMNS 6100	Theorizing Gender and Sexuality
WMNS 7976	Directed Study (GCWS Consortium, selected topics only)
Writing and Rhetoric
Complete 4 semester hours from the following (if completing 12 semester hours of literary period requirements); or complete 8 semester hours from the following (if completing 8 semester hours of literary period requirements):		4-8
ENGL 7360	Topics in Rhetoric
ENGL 7392	Writing and the Teaching of Writing
ENGL 7395	Topics in Writing
Literary Periods
Complete 8 semester hours from two of the following literary periods (if completing 8 semester hours of writing and rhetoric requirements); or complete 12 semester hours from three of the following literary periods (if completing 4 semester hours of writing and rhetoric requirements):		8-12
Literature Pre-1700
ENGL 7281	Topics in Medieval Literature
ENGL 7282	Topics in Renaissance Literature
Literature 1700–1900
ENGL 7284	Topics in 18th-Century Literature
Literature Post-1900
ENGL 7351	Topics in Literary Study

Electives

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete 8 semester hours of ENGL courses, or non-ENGL courses with prior approval.		8
ENGL 5000-ENGL 7980
ENGL 7990	Thesis (minimum 3.500 GPA required)

Optional Co-op Experience

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
INSH 6964 and EESH 6000	Co-op Work Experience and Professional Development for Co-op

Program Credit/GPA Requirements

32 total semester hours required
Minimum 3.000 GPA required