Live the life of the mind, book by book

The MA in English Literature and Publishing program provides an intensive knowledge of British and American English literature, as well as a robust set of skills in scholarship and criticism, allowing you to innovate in your chosen field. The program features rigorous training in

• The history and structure of the English language
• Literary criticism and theory
• Analytical writing and research
• Pedagogy
• Literary periods

Earn additional graduate certificates in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), Teaching English in Two-Year Colleges and Digital Humanities.

Our flexible program can be completed in two years. You may also take longer or advance more quickly depending on credit load. Classes are offered weekday evenings on the Lincoln Park Campus.

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Gain real-world experience

You’ll have access to significant on-the-job experience in a variety of fields, including research, education, law and corporate communications, as well as writing, editing and publishing. English Literature and Publishing MA students have interned for book publishers, literary agencies, magazines, museums, public relations firms, theatres and television companies; they have also worked with poets, novelists, nonfiction writers and professors on various book projects.

Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, though we encourage you to submit your materials 4-6 weeks prior to the quarter in which you wish to enroll. To be considered for a graduate assistantship, apply by January 15.

Admission Requirements

Submit an online application, official transcripts, a personal statement, and a sample of academic or professional writing.

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Required Courses

You’ll take two professional development courses, five English literature courses, and five electives, and you have the option of a thesis.

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93%

of College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences graduates were employed, continuing their education or pursuing other goals within six months of graduation.

The MA in English Literature and Publishing offers teaching internships and multiple career panels for graduate students

Study with faculty with original initiatives

You’ll study with faculty who combine literature and computing, like John Shanahan. His city-wide “Reading Chicago Reading” digital humanities project examines the circulation and outreach of the Chicago Public Library’s “One Book, One Chicago” program. In collaboration with colleagues in DePaul’s library and CDM, he aims to create a toolset for libraries to understand reading behavior at a large scale. He has been awarded two national research grants for his work.

“I gained a strong background in literature, theory and digital humanities. I also took courses in the College of Communication, which assisted my research on fan studies. This has allowed me to position myself as a scholar in my current field. Professors were very supportive of my future research and connected me with influential scholars in my field who I now work with.”

Lauren (MA ’19)

Assistant Instructor, University of Texas at Austin 

Alumni Network

Alumni of the MA in English Literature and Publishing have gone on to positions in teaching, writing, nonprofits and academia. And with a network of 8,900 fellow College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences master’s-level graduates in Chicago and beyond, you have a variety of opportunities to grow your professional and academic connections.

Scholarships & Aid

Graduate school is an investment in your future. Learn more about the financial aid and scholarship opportunities available to you.

Degree Requirements

Degree Requirements

Course Requirements?

48 hours of graduate credit in English

Two Professional Development Courses in English, Publishing, Teaching:  8 hours

Course	Title	Quarter Hours
Any two courses from the following:		8
ENG 472	LITERARY THEORY (If desired)
ENG 473	TEACHING CREATIVE WRITING
ENG 474	TEACHING LITERATURE
ENG 477	TOPICS IN PUBLISHING
ENG 478	TOPICS IN TEACHING
ENG 480	INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING
ENG 484	WRITING WORKSHOP TOPICS
ENG 487	TRAVEL WRITING
ENG 488	WRITING THE PERSONAL ESSAY
ENG 489	SCREENWRITING
ENG 490	WRITING FOR MAGAZINES
ENG 491	SCIENCE WRITING
ENG 492	WRITING FICTION
ENG 493	WRITING POETRY
ENG 496	TOPICS IN EDITING
ENG 497	WRITING THE LITERATURE OF FACT

Five Courses in English Literature:  20 hours

At least one pre-1800 course:

• Medieval Literature
• Renaissance Literature
• Restoration/Eighteenth-Century British and/or Early American Literature

At least one pre-1900 course:

• Any of the above
• Nineteenth-Century British (Romantic and Victorian)
• Nineteenth-Century American Literature

Five Electives:  20 hours

Students may choose from

• English and American period courses
• Studies in Literature 
• Language and Style
• Creative Writing courses in Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction (including Memoir, Personal Essay, Science and Nature Writing, and Travel Writing)
• Independent Study (maximum of four hours)
• Internship (maximum of four hours) 
• Thesis Research (maximum of four hours; available for students exercising the thesis option)

Good Standing

To achieve good standing in the program, students must:

1. Complete at least three courses within twelve months of their admission to the program, and
2. Maintain an overall grade-point average of at least 3.0. Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on probation and given two quarters to raise their average to the minimum 3.0 level. Students on probation are required to consult with the program director before registering for classes. Failure to meet these requirements constitutes grounds for dismissal.

Thesis Option

A thesis option is available to students who have a promising idea for an appropriate project. Proposals must earn the approval of an English Department graduate faculty member, who will serve as project director, and of the Program Director. Credit is earned through ENG 501.  Please see the Program Director for more information on this option.

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Admission Requirements

????For admission, students must have a bachelor's degree in English or the equivalent or a bachelor's degree in another major with clear evidence of the ability to succeed in an advanced program in British and American language and literature. Students without a bachelor's degree in English may be required to complete up to three upper-level courses in British or American literature with B+ grades or better before being admitted to the program. Students should have at least a 3.0 GPA in their undergraduate major. Scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are not required, but they may be submitted in order to strengthen an application.

To apply, please submit the following:

• A completed application.
• Official transcripts detailing course work from all colleges and universities you have attended. If you send transcripts directly to DePaul, they must be in a sealed envelope with the official registrar's stamp across the envelope flap.
• A personal statement of approximately 500 words, describing your relevant preparation and interest in literature, your immediate goals in applying to DePaul's MA in English ??Literature and Publishing program, and your plans for the future. (Students who have not completed a BA in English are encouraged to describe the strengths and weaknesses in their preparation for graduate work in English ?Literature and Publishing?????.)
• A representative sample of academic or professional writing that strongly indicates your ability to do well with advanced literary history and criticism.
• An application fee of $40. 
• Students applying for graduate assistantships should visit the department page for additional requirements.
• International students should also see the International Admission page for more information. We follow the LAS Graduate College's requirements for English proficiency. Visit this page to see the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores you must meet for admission to our graduate program. 

APPLICATION INFORMATION

We accept applications all year round, and students may begin their studies in any academic term. We strongly suggest that students submit their applications four to six weeks prior to the quarter in which they wish to begin their studies. Those students who wish to apply for graduate assistantships should submit their application materials no later than January 15 prior to the academic year for which they wish to receive an assistantship.

ALL application materials should be sent to the following address:

Office of Graduate Admission
College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
2400 N. Sheffield Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614
 

Application materials can also be emailed to the Office of Graduate Admission at GradDePaul@depaul.edu.  Colleges and universities that provide official electronic transcripts services should send transcripts to Gradtranscripts@depaul.edu.  Please make sure your name is on all documents. Letters of recommendation must be emailed directly from the recommender as an attached pdf document on letterhead with the recommender's signature.?

Learn more about Graduate Admission.