Graduate Programs

Join a graduate program that is focused on master’s candidates and creates outstanding opportunities for collaboration and professional mentorship. Graduate cohorts usually include teachers active in the region and provide participants with a context that includes international students. Online courses are increasingly available in the field of professional writing and rhetoric.

Candidates complete culminating projects that are either the master’s thesis (expected for applicants going on to a Ph.D) or Starred Papers enabling professional research toward two shorter projects. Writing Studies candidates may opt for a portfolio.

Master of Arts

• Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), Licensure option available
• Writing Studies and Rhetoric – work collegially with faculty who maintain this department’s strong reputation in the fields of rhetoric and writing, digital media, and professional communication
• English Studies - study and research across the fields of English as you wish by taking courses in literary studies, rhetoric and digital media or linguistics, professional or creative writing.

Master of Science

• English Education – includes coursework in the College of Education and Learning Design such as from Information Media

Graduate Certificates

• Writing Center Administration – take four courses (10 credits) as part of an online cohort focusing on practical skills needed for operating a writing center
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (9 credits)
• Teaching College English in Secondary School – in-service teachers may take18 credits at the graduate level of courses certified for the field coverage requirement in order to teach college in the schools

Learn about our Graduate Assistantship opportunities. 

From our graduates

"The English Studies program at SCSU has been integral to achieving my goal of becoming a teacher. It has exposed me to diverse literature, analytical writing, and critical thinking. Also, the Graduate Assistantship program has given me the opportunity to use those skills in a practical way, as a writing tutor and an instructor in the English 191 (first-year writing) classroom."

— Kristina George '14, '18, English Studies

"It was when I began my graduate assistantship in the Ph.D. program that I fully realized the value of flexibility I gained from SCSU. I found that the education in diversity I received at SCSU enhanced my ability to teach diverse student populations of various racial and ethnic backgrounds as well as to vary my teaching methods to accommodate students’ needs. For instance, I taught foundation courses that helped students improve their grasp of basic English writing skills, and my success I attribute to the flexibility I gained from SCSU."

— Simone Finneman '95 '02, English Studies

"The M.A. program in English at St. Cloud State University prepared me for continuing my goal of becoming a professor. Because of SCSU, I was accepted to, succeeded in, and graduated from one of the top Ph.D. programs in the country."

— Cody Reimer '10, Rhetoric and Writing

"I use my MA in English all of the time. For example, I use video of Kurt Vonnegut talking about storytelling to get sales reps to understand how to do problem solving for clients."

— Mike Lafleur, English Studies, software technician