Master of Arts in Multicultural English Literature and Language
The English Graduate Program offers several degree paths for students seeking additional study of literature, language, and writing. Students may pursue a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Multicultural English Literature and Language with a concentration in literature of writing (or generalist) or a Master in Teaching (M.I.T.) combining course work in English and Education in order to obtain a Washington state teaching certificate with an English Language Arts 5-12 endorsement. Students may also pursue a certificate with additional course-work in a more speicalized area of English such as literature, writing, or English Language Arts, which may include pursuit of the State of Washington English Language Arts 5-12 endorsement. Consider carefully which path would best suit your goals.
The M.A. in English program maintains a multicultural emphasis and blends studies in a broad array of areas, such as American, British, Chicano/a, African American, Native American literature, and world literature as well as literature by women and a variety of specialized genres. The program’s flexibility allows students to design their individual programs to meet their long-term goals and to choose special topics directed toward their thesis. Students can elect to concentrate their studies in multicultural literature, or writing, or they can build a generalist program from courses that fall into each of these categories.
The M.A. in English program is designed to allow students to earn their degree while continuing to work. All courses are offered both On-line and in traditional classrooms on the Toppenish campus. On-line courses are available around the clock, and courses taught on the campus are held predominately during the weekends (or occasionally in the evening).
Heritage University’s Master of Arts in English Program is for students teaching or seeking to teach at the college level, as well as for those who wish to prepare for Ph.D. studies in English literature, linguistics, or composition theory. It may also be the program of choice for those who already hold a State of Washington English Language Arts (5-12) endorsement and simply desire more knowledge in their subject area or to become eligible to teach at the college level. Students holding teaching certificates may aslo purse the English Language Arts 5-12 endorsement in the course of their program since the M.A. Program can be specifically tailored to include all the course work required to earn the endorsement (though students must still meet all other State of Washington certification requirements). It may also be adjusted to permit the course work required to enter a particular Ph.D. program.
Alternate Assignments for ENG Survey Courses
In the case of graduate students who were undergraduate English majors and already completed multiple survey courses in American, British, or World literature, Heritage offers two alternative pathways:
1) Research and write a publication-quality essay for submission to a jury-reviewed academic journal or for submission to a conference, or
2) Prepare teaching materials for a future secondary or post-secondary course or a unit in a course in the subject area.
