English graduate studies at St. John’s features
Master of Arts (M.A.) and
Doctor of Arts (D.A.) degree programs with outstanding
faculty in traditional and emerging fields of literature,
cultural studies, critical theory, writing and composition
studies. The Master of Arts (M.A.) and
Bachelor of Arts / Master of Arts (B.A./M.A.) programs have
about 60 students combined, while the Doctor of Arts (D.A.) program
has an additional 40 students. The M.A. and D.A. programs are
designed for both full-time graduate students and professional
educators, administrators, and writers who want to pursue an
advanced degree part-time. The English department's combined
degree program, the B.A./M.A., provides qualified St. John’s
students with the opportunity to earn a Master's degree within five
years of enrolling for their B.A. degree.
The English graduate curriculum offers students the flexibility
to develop individualized programs of study that meet their
intellectual and professional goals. Because the number of
required courses for each program is limited, the curriculum
appeals to students seeking either broad exposure to advanced
English studies or more intensive concentrations in specific
fields. Among the areas of study are British and American
literary history, creative writing and composition studies, and
interdisciplinary fields such as gender studies and postcolonial
studies. The English department has especially strong numbers
of faculty in American studies, modernist studies, and writing and
composition studies. It also features excellent faculty in
early modern, eighteenth-century, and nineteenth-century British
literary studies.
All of the English graduate courses at St. John’s are seminars
taught by research faculty who are committed to teaching and
mentoring graduate students. The graduate curriculum offers
approximately 12 courses in the late afternoon and evening each
semester as well as several summer classes. Most of these
courses take place on the Queens campus, but students can also take
courses on the Manhattan and Staten Island campuses each
semester.
Recent graduates of the M.A. program have received fellowships
for doctoral study at some of the best graduate programs in the
U.S. Other graduates have been accepted at prestigious law
schools, established careers in publishing and editing, and
obtained tenure-track middle school and high school teaching
positions. Career placement of our doctoral students has also
been very successful. Recent St. John's D.A. graduates have
obtained tenure-track jobs at four-year universities, community
colleges, and secondary schools. Our D.A. students have also used
the degree to secure positions in publishing and editing, public
relations, and administration in secondary and higher
education.
Complementing the graduate courses in the M.A. program are
opportunities for practical experience in tutoring, editing, and
research. A limited number of Graduate Assistantships are
available on a competitive basis to all qualified full-time
graduate applicants, while additional opportunities for tutoring
are available for all English graduate students. With the
2006 opening of the Institute for
Writing Studies, the graduate program in English features an
exceptional new environment for professional training and
development in writing instruction.
The English graduate program also sponsors an active
intellectual life. There are regular lectures and readings by
renowned scholars and writers sponsored by the English Department
and the Institute for Writing Studies each semester. There are also
frequent faculty and student colloquia and film series. The
department graduate students are furthermore actively involved in
two publications sponsored by the English Department. In 2003
English graduate students founded a literary journal, The St.
John's Humanities Review, which features book reviews, essays, and
interviews by contributors from campus and from around the
world. In addition, the department supports a thriving
literary journal of student poetry and fiction, Sequoya. For
descriptions of recent English Department events as well as student
and faculty achievements, see the
English Department Newsletter.
Download
Application Forms
Directions to the Queens Campus
Directions to the Staten Island Campus
Department Contact
Dr. John Lowney
Director of English Graduate
Studies
St. John's Hall B40-02
(718) 990-5631
lowneyj@stjohns.edu
Graduate Admission
Information
Office of Graduate Admission
(718) 990-1601
gradhelp@stjohns.edu