English Master’s Exam and Thesis

Each student completing the Master's in English at Southern completes one of two capstones for the degree: the Masters Comprehensive Exam, or the Masters Thesis.

Exam

The Graduate Written Comprehensive Exam is the standard capstone project for the Master's Degree in English (M.A. or M.S.). All matriculated students are automatically placed on the exam track, unless they apply separately to write a thesis.

Students taking the exam take 30 credits of coursework, typically completing their coursework during the exam semester. (The exam itself does not count for course credit.)

Students wishing to postpone their exam to the semester immediately following the expiration of their 30-credit degree program must contact the Graduate Coordinator by the exam registration deadline of the semester prior to their last semester of degree credits to discuss their options. 

Eligibility and Registration

To take the comprehensive exam, you must be a matriculated student who has completed or is in the process of completing 27 credits with a 3.0 average. 

To register for the exam, complete the Comprehensive Exam Registration Form and return a scanned or hard copy to the Graduate Coordinator.  

Overview of the Exam

The comprehensive exam consists of two components: a timed exam in November or April (administered via Blackboard), and a pre-exam bibliographic essay due one month prior. 

The exam is based on a list of eight to ten primary texts covering representative periods, authors, and genres of English literary studies, including one collection of lyric poetry and one work of literary theory. A different exam list is issued each academic year, thematically based to help you draw connections and demonstrate what you've learned across works and periods.

For complete information on the contents of the exam, its structure, evaluation, and a sample question, contact the Graduate Coordinator. 

Dates and Deadlines:

Watch your email for announcements concerning dates and deadlines for registration for and completion of the master's exam.

Thesis

English MA / MS Thesis

M.A. or M.S. students who wish to write a thesis complete 24 semester hours of coursework and register for 6 thesis credit hours (ENG 590). Students may apply to begin a thesis after they have finished a minimum of 15 credits.

The production of the Master's thesis typically takes from nine months to a year and consists of (1) an application and initial project proposal for permission to write a thesis, approved by the department Graduate Committee; (2) an official thesis proposal, which must be approved by the thesis advisor and second reader and submitted to the English Department for acceptance during ENG 590; and (3) multiple drafts of the thesis itself, which the student revises after consulting with the advisor and second reader.

Thesis Guide 

For instructions on writing the masters thesis, including information on the application and proposal process, deadlines, and links to Graduate School forms, see:  

Guide to Writing the English Master's Thesis (MA/MS)

Dates and Deadlines:

Applying to Write a Thesis:
April 30 (for theses beginning in the fall semester) or November 10 (for theses beginning in the spring semester)

Registering for Thesis Credits:
To register for thesis credits (ENG 590), or to re-register for a second semester, submit the English Masters Thesis Registration Form to the Graduate Coordinator by the last day of the semester prior. 

Thesis Proposal:
By the end of the 8th week of the semester (for those writing the thesis over two semesters of ENG 590) or by the end of the 4th week of the semester (for those writing the thesis in one semester of ENG 590)

Final Submission:

A complete draft of the thesis is due to the committee by the Monday of the twelfth week of the semester in which the student intends to graduate. Upon receipt, the faculty advisor should notify the Graduate Coordinator to confirm a scheduled date for a Final Committee Review. The “Final Committee Review” is not a formal defense but rather an informal review and discussion of the outcomes of the thesis, which may take one of several forms, based on the decision of the faculty advisor and committee. For further details, see the Englishthesis guide.

The final, correctly formatted draft of the thesis and signed English Master's Thesis Acceptance Form is due to the Graduate Coordinator by the Monday of finals week. Once the candidate has been notified that their formatted thesis is satisfactorily received, they must file a copy of the thesis with the university via ProQuest. 

English MFA Thesis 

The MFA thesis is a culminating work of fiction, poetry, or creative non-fiction for students in the MFA in Creative Writing. It follows a separate proposal, ENG 590 registration, and submission process.

For the current MFA thesis guidelines, contact the MFA Coordinator or your academic advisor. For instructions on preparing the thesis proposal and the final submission process, see the summary below. 

Guide to MFA Thesis Proposal and Submission (MFA-Creative Writing)