Syracuse University

What you'll study

The programme combines intensive seminar work in major literary periods and genres with training in contemporary critical theory and research methods. Core seminars typically cover topics such as literary theory and criticism, American literature from the seventeenth century to the present, British literature (including the nineteenth-century novel and twentieth-century modernism), and global or comparative literature.

• Seminars in close reading, period studies and genre studies (e.g., poetry, novel, drama).
• Theory and criticism courses addressing feminist, postcolonial, psychoanalytic, queer and Marxist approaches to texts.
• Research methods and a professional practicum in scholarly editing, pedagogy, or digital humanities tools for textual scholarship.
• Electives that allow engagement with related fields such as linguistics, composition and rhetoric, digital media, cultural studies, or archival studies.
• Thesis or capstone options: students may complete a supervised research thesis or a non-thesis capstone project, depending on degree track and career aims.

Students frequently take advantage of cross‑disciplinary offerings across the university, including courses in film studies, history, and information studies, and may undertake internships or teaching practicums to develop professional skills.

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold an accredited bachelor’s degree, preferably with substantial coursework in English, literature or a closely related humanities discipline. Typical application materials include:

• Official academic transcripts demonstrating strong undergraduate performance.
• A personal statement outlining academic interests, research goals and reasons for choosing the Syracuse programme.
• A writing sample (often an academic essay or research paper) that demonstrates analytical ability and facility with literary argument.
• Letters of recommendation (usually two or three) from academic referees familiar with the applicant’s scholarly potential.
• Proof of English language proficiency for international applicants (e.g., TOEFL or IELTS), when applicable.

Admission may be competitive; applicants whose undergraduate background is not exclusively in English can strengthen their application by demonstrating relevant coursework, research experience, or professional writing-related experience.

Career prospects

Graduates of the MA in English Language and Literature follow diverse career paths that capitalise on analytical, research and communication skills. Common directions include:

• Further academic study (PhD) and careers in university teaching and research.
• Secondary school teaching (often combined with local teacher certification where required).
• Publishing, editing, literary and cultural journalism, and literary agency work.
• Communications, marketing and content strategy roles in public and private sectors.
• Museum, archive and library work, including roles in curation and collections management.
• Digital humanities, web content, and roles that require advanced writing and rhetorical skills.

The programme’s emphasis on research, pedagogy and public-facing projects prepares graduates to move into both scholarly and professional environments.

Why study at Syracuse University

Syracuse offers a Department of English with a wide range of faculty expertise in American and British literature, literary theory, and interdisciplinary approaches that include African American studies, film and cultural studies. The university’s resources — including access to special collections, the Humanities Center and opportunities for cross‑college collaboration — support original research and professional development.

Students benefit from small seminar sizes, opportunities for teaching experience through graduate assistantships, and proximity to regional cultural institutions as well as networks reaching New York City. The programme’s flexible structure allows students to tailor their course of study to academic or professional goals while gaining mentorship from active scholars in the field.