English

Overview

You will be taught by an internationally recognized faculty, winners of awards and fellowships from the Guggenheim, the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Academy Rome, and more.  Faculty strengths include creative writing, British and American literature, global and cultural studies, professional writing, film and media studies, and writing pedagogy.  You will enjoy individual connection and mentorship from the department faculty, as well as the wealth of literary and cultural resources of the Washington, D.C., area.   

Students in the English programs range from recent graduates to mid-career professionals, and each benefit from their classmates’ different backgrounds and experience.  Through the department’s seminars and activities, the programs create a community of teachers, writers and scholars who understand the power of ideas to transform individuals, our professions, and our society. 

Students pursuing the MA in English from George Mason University choose one concentration: cultural studies, linguistics, literature, professional writing and rhetoric, or the teaching of writing and literature. Certificates are also available in many of these areas.  For more information, see Degree Requirements above. There are also PDFs of advising sheets for each concentration available here.

Career options: 

In each concentration, you will enhance your skills in reading, writing, and research. Students use the degree for professional enhancement, or as an entry into teaching, professional writing, or doctoral study.