Master of Arts in English

Welcome to the Master of Arts in English at Sonoma State University. We offer options of completing your degree with an emphasis in literary criticism, creative writing, or in rhetoric and English education. As a whole, we seek to create a community of engaged scholars and writers engaged in a dialogue that crosses and transcends imaginative and theoretical boundaries. We encourage all of our MA students to widen the scope of their interests by exploring opportunities in our curriculum, reaching out to their peers, finding mentors among the English department’s graduate faculty, and by participating fully in the life of the department.

This MA in English handbook (pdf) provides information on how to apply to the M.A. in English and helps newly admitted students gain a sense of what to expect as they navigate their way through the program.

Review this Reading List for the English MA Qualifying Exam.

Once you are admitted as a candidate, there are four basic steps and three forms you will need to complete in a timely manner to ensure your success in the program:

  • Pass all required coursework, fulfill your language requirement, and successfully take either the department's qualifying exam or achieve a 65th percentile score on the GRE Subject exam in Literature.
  • Before the term you plan to finish your degree, select your completion option, constitute your committee, and file an "Advancement to Candidacy" form (GS01) with Graduate Studies.
  • File an "Intent to Graduate" form at the outset of the year you wish to graduate with the Office of Admissions and Records.
  • Complete your thesis, creative project, or comprehensive exam, and file the "Completion of Requirements" form (GS02) with Graduate Studies

These four steps are explained in detail in the MA in English Handbook (pdf), together with supplementary information you may find useful in obtaining your degree. Meeting requirements and published deadlines is your responsibility, and we hope this guide will assist you to do so. It is most important for you to maintain frequent contact with the graduate advisor, and, as you advance through the program, your thesis or creative project supervisor.

Congratulations upon your decision to pursue a Master's in English. We look forward to working with you.

Name: Professor Tim Wandling
Position: Chair of Graduate Studies
Location: Nichols Hall 356
Phone: (707) 664-2796
Email: tim.wandling@sonoma.edu