MA in English Literature - Master's degree in English Literature

Our Master's degree in English Literature Program - Overview

Our Master's degree in English Literature gives students a chance to expand their knowledge of English and American literature and develop high-level academic writing and research skills.

The Shaindy Rudoff Graduate Program in Creative Writing offers a Master's degree in English Literature for writers of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction and literary translation. 

Click here for instructions on how to apply to our Master's degree in English Literature program.

For more information related to The MA program in English Literature at Bar-Ilan University, kindly contact our office here.

Master's degree in English Literature - non-thesis track

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This Master's degree in English Literature program offers an opportunity to study English and American literature at a high level and in a wide range of historical and theoretical contexts. Students also have the unique opportunity to combine literary studies with courses in literary translation and/or creative writing.

Students in this track take a broad selection of courses and write a variety of papers in order to complete their degree requirements. The course requirements for this track are:

• 829: Literary Conversations: Introduction to Advanced Studies in Literature
• Five Graduate-level seminars
• Four Elective Seminars

Master's degree in English Literature - thesis track

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This Master's degree in English Literature track is intended for students with a high degree of skill in critical writing, and allows them to conduct independent research. Students in this track take a smaller number of courses than in the non-thesis Master's degree in English Literature track and then write an MA thesis under the supervision of a faculty advisor. An MA thesis may then serve as the basis for an application to a PhD program.

All Master's degree students in English Literature are automatically accepted to the non-thesis track. Students who wish to switch to the thesis track may apply to do so at the end of the first year by writing to the graduate coordinators, Dr. Carra Glatt and Prof. William Kolbrener. The department's Graduate Committee will review the student’s progress to decide whether they will be allowed to proceed to a research thesis program. The decision will be based on the student's level of academic writing.

Students in the thesis track are required to complete the following:

• 829: Literary Conversations: Introduction to Advanced Studies in Literature
• 919: Advanced Academic Reading and Writing
• Four Graduate level seminars
• Research proposal
• Research thesis

Master's degree in English Literature - Writing Requirements

Master's degree in English Literature students in the thesis track must write two long papers (approx. 17-20 pages) in their seminars. The rest can be short papers. The students themselves will choose the seminars in which they want to write long papers. It is hoped, but not required, that one of these papers will be suitable for expansion into a thesis.

In addition, students write an MA proposal and a thesis. The proposal must be submitted by the end of the first semester of the second year of study.

For more information about the Master's degree in English Literature with thesis track, click here.

Libraries

Short courses or series of lectures intended to help graduate students are offered periodically at the Main Library. Students can learn how to make the best use of the library resources, including online catalogues, databases, the interlibrary loan service, etc.. Announcements of these course offerings are posted in or outside the Department Library. 

You should be able to access the library catalogues and the online databases from your home computer.

For instructions you are welcome to consult Smadar Wisper, our librarian.

Foreign Language Requirement

M.A. Students studying in the department are exempt from the Foreign Language courses requirement.

Basic Jewish/General Studies Courses for MA students

Master's degree in English Literature students who hold an undergraduate degree from Bar-Ilan will take four additional semestrial hours of coursework in Jewish Studies. Master's degree in English Literature students who come from other institutions of higher learning will take eight hours of coursework in Jewish Studies. Students who are not Jewish may request to take General Studies courses in lieu of Jewish Studies- click here for more information.