Degrees & Majors

The M.A. program in Literary Studies fosters an environment of critical engagement with the most pressing questions in contemporary literary and cultural studies. Students work with some of the profession’s most talented and productive teachers, scholars and theorists in the fields of American, British and world literatures, cultural studies and folklore. Students in the M.A. program:

• Undertake coursework that exposes them to the breadth of literature in English from the Middle Ages to the present and to the methods and theories that have shaped literary criticism and scholarship
• Regularly deliver papers at international, national and regional conferences
• Gain valuable professional and organizational experience through participation in the South Atlantic Modern Language Association, an organization of teachers and scholars in modern languages and literatures that is headquartered in the department
• Work as editorial and research assistants with the department’s academic journals, Studies in the Literary Imagination and Eudora Welty Review
• Gain pedagogical and leadership experience through tutoring positions in the department’s Writing Studio
• Pursue interesting internship opportunities with local businesses and nonprofit organizations
• Receive preparation for further graduate study in prestigious national and international doctoral programs

The Ph.D. program in Literary Studies fosters an environment of critical engagement with the most pressing questions in contemporary literary and cultural studies. Students work with some of the profession’s most talented and productive teachers, scholars and theorists in American, British and world literatures, cultural studies and folklore. Students in the doctoral program:

• Undertake coursework that exposes them to the breadth of literature in English from the Middle Ages to the present and to the methods and theories that have shaped literary criticism and scholarship
• Become specialists in an area of literary studies, cultural studies or folklore and learn to develop a research agenda in their area of specialization
• Regularly deliver papers at international, national and regional conferences and publish essays in reviews in a variety of prestigious academic journals
• Gain valuable professional and organizational experience through participation in the South Atlantic Modern Language Association, an organization of teachers and scholars in modern languages and literatures that is headquartered in the department
• Work as editorial assistants with the department’s academic journals, Studies in the Literary Imagination and Eudora Welty Review
• Receive pedagogical, leadership and mentoring experience while serving as instructors of record in the Lower Division Studies program

Ethical conduct is a vitally important part of any good life. There is a growing recognition that ethical behavior cannot be assumed. It often requires an education as to how to act ethically. The minor in ethics does not seek to transform students into ethical people. Instead, it seeks to give ethical people the skills and knowledge needed to confront the ethical dilemmas of life and work in a thoughtful and critical manner. The minor in ethics is designed to be a complement to any major. Students with a major in business, education, the natural sciences, the social sciences, or the health and human sciences are particularly encouraged to consider a minor in ethics. For the latest information about required courses, view the Department of Philosophy website.

Program Information

The mission of the Department is to give students the opportunity to develop appropriate proficiencies in the modern and classical languages, to acquaint students with the literary and cultural productions of other countries, and to provide them the opportunity to acquire critical skills through literary and cultural analysis. For the latest information about required courses, view the Undergraduate Catalog. For more information about the Minor in French, visit the World Languages & Cultures website.

Program Information

The mission of the Department is to give students the opportunity to develop appropriate proficiencies in the modern and classical languages, to acquaint students with the literary and cultural productions of other countries, and to provide them the opportunity to acquire critical skills through literary and cultural analysis. For the latest information about required courses, view the Undergraduate Catalog. For more information about the Minor in French, visit the World Languages & Cultures website.