English: Composition, M.A.


Master of Arts in English: Composition


About the Degree

The Composition Track is intended for students interested in teaching English in secondary schools, two-year colleges, and four-year colleges. The degree is also appropriate for those planning to enter a doctoral program in composition and rhetoric. Most graduate courses in English meet once or twice weekly in the late afternoon or evening, and on Saturday, for scheduling convenience and efficiency. The program offers both a 33 credit hour thesis option and a 36 credit hour non-thesis option.

Students study composition theory and practice, rhetoric, and linguistics.


Salary and Career Outlook

The MA in English may or may not lead to a specific job. Some graduates already work as teachers; some plan to apply for teaching jobs; some plan to go on for the PhD; some pursue other communication-related work.


Why Akron?

The following items make this degree distinctive:

  1. High faculty-student ratio for a more personal approach to graduate English education than is usually available in programs that offer a PhD as the terminal degree.
  1. Strong appeal to local teachers pursuing graduate English credit to further their careers.
  1. Strong international appeal for already-funded students pursuing the English master’s degree who then return to teach and work in their home countries (for example, Saudi Arabia, France, among others).
  1. Excellent preparation for graduate students desiring to pursue a PhD at another university, after obtaining this master’s degree.
  1. Depending on student demand, an accelerated, fully online 18-credit cohort program available for Ohio high-school teachers preparing for dual-enrollment teaching assignments at their home institutions.

Recent employers include:

  • Oriana House, Inc., Caseworker.
  • Write Start Business Consulting, Owner.
  • Kent State University, Lecturer.


Contact Information

Contact Information:

David Giffels, Graduate Coordinator

(330) 972-6604

dg36@uakron.edu