Candidates for the Master of Arts in Humanities program will plan their course of studies with their academic adviser prior to enrolling in the degree.
Degree Requirements
Required Courses
(HUM 510 should be completed during the first fall semester in which the degree candidate is enrolled. Students will be required to publicly defend their thesis.)
Concentrations
All candidates for the master’s degree in humanities are required to select one of the five areas of concentration offered. Students then complete five courses within their given concentration. Two additional elective courses are also required.
Concentration in English Language and Literature
Students choosing the concentration in English language and literature focus their studies on critical, sociocultural and historical understandings and interpretations of written media and its influence on and interrelationship with the larger cultures that create, sustain and define it. This concentration focuses on how the broadly defined constructs of text and media operate within culture, as well as how they transform it. Students study critical, theoretical, historical and sociocultural ways of understanding literature and literary history, film, drama, narrative, linguistics and other media. Students gain insight into the textual process; the formulation of critical, theoretical and intercultural responses to written media; and the diverse human experiences that lead to the generation of that media. The concentration in English language and literature ultimately prepares students for a range of careers or further graduate study, including teaching, media work, public relations, human resources, technical or corporate communications, the nonprofit sector, public history, publishing and the arts
Required Courses
Five courses in the English language and literature concentration, including two of the following:
| ENG 511 | Structure of the English Language | 4 |
| ENG 518 | Chaucer | 3 |
| ENG 580 | Literary and Cultural Interpretation | 3 |
| ENG 545 | Shakespeare's Histories/Comedies | 3 |
| HUM 570 | Topics in Language & Literature | 3 |
The remaining three courses may be selected from any coursework listed as language and literature (LL).
Concentration in Art and Culture
Students choosing the concentration in art and culture focus their studies on critical sociocultural and historical understandings and interpretations of visual media and its influence on and interrelationship with the larger cultures that create, sustain and define it. This concentration focuses on how the broadly defined fields of art and media operate within culture, as well as how they transform it. Students study formal, aesthetic, historical and sociocultural ways of understanding visual art and art history, film, theater and other media. Students gain an understanding of the creative process; the formulation of critical, theoretical and intercultural insights into artistic creativity and representation; and the diverse human experiences that lead to the generation of visual media. The concentration in art and culture ultimately prepares students for a range of careers or further graduate study, including work in media, museums, teaching, public relations, the nonprofit sector, public history and the arts.
Students selecting this concentration must take five courses in the arts and culture concentration. Among those five courses, they must choose two of the following:
Required Courses
Three additional courses may be selected from any coursework listed as arts and culture (AC).
Concentration in Critical/Cultural Theory
Students choosing the concentration in critical/cultural theory will focus their studies on critical, philosophical and conceptual understandings and interpretations of humanities subject matter. This concentration focuses on the methodologies humanists may use to interpret and understand the narrative texts and visual objects they study as well as the larger world and culture around them. Students gain insight into the interpretation of culture, the formulation of critical, theoretical and conceptual responses to written, visual and performative media, and the diverse human experiences that lead to the generation of that media.
The concentration in critical/cultural theory is ultimately designed to prepare students for further graduate study at the doctoral level, especially in the fields of literary studies, philosophy, semiotics, comparative literatures, and critical/cultural theory.
Students selecting this concentration must complete five courses from the following in the critical/cultural theory concentration:
Required courses
| COM 504 | Communications Theory and Methods | 3 |
| ENG 580 | Literary and Cultural Interpretation | 3 |
| PHI 535 | Aesthetics | 3 |
| WS 520 | Feminist Theory: Visual | 3 |
| WS 521 | Feminist Theory: Literary Analysis | 3 |
Relevant topics courses in theoretical fields may be substituted with the approval of the program director.
Students then take two elective courses from the available M.A. in Humanities curriculum.
Concentration in Women’s Studies
Students choosing the concentration in women’s studies will focus their studies on the critical, philosophical and cultural understandings and interpretations of the role of women and gender in the development of history, culture, text and visual media. This concentration focuses on how the methodologies humanists may use to interpret and understand how women have shaped our historical and cultural notions of gender, and also how women have been vitally contributing to this debate for millennia. Students gain insight into not only into how women have been both celebrated and marginalized by dominant cultures, but will continue the work of rediscovering and re-conceptualizing the role that women have long played in society’s development.
The concentration in women’s studies is designed to prepare students for further graduate study at the doctoral level, for work in the non-profit sector, in higher education or in other fields where the critical history of women is significant.
Students selecting this concentration must complete these two courses:
| WS 520 | Feminist Theory: Visual | 3 |
| WS 521 | Feminist Theory: Literary Analysis | 3 |
Plus three courses from the following in the Women’s Studies concentration:
Relevant topics courses in humanities fields may be substituted with the approval of the program director.
Students then take two elective courses from the available M.A. in Humanities curriculum.
Special Master of Arts in Humanities Concentration
Students choosing the special concentration in the M.A. in Humanities program will have the opportunity to both design and name their own course of study. For this concentration area, students work with the M.A. in Humanities program director to select five courses from among the graduate curriculum offered at Wilson and use those five courses as the basis of their M.A. degree. The student must then both name the concentration and write a description of the degree’s goals, as well as apply to the College’s Committee on Academic Procedures for approval. If approved, the student’s M. A. in Humanities degree will bear the name of the concentration that the student has created. This process must be finalized prior to the completion of the student’s third course in the program.
Students will pair their five-course concentration with HUM 510 and the M.A. in Humanities two-semester thesis sequence. Students will also take two elective courses from the available M.A. in Humanities curriculum.
Graduation Requirements
The successful master’s candidate will complete 30 semester hours, including six semester hours of master’s thesis, while maintaining a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. Graduate credit will be awarded only for earned grades of C (2.0 on a 4.0-point scale) or better.
All coursework and degree requirements must be completed within six years of taking the first class in the master’s program. Appeals for extension of the six-year limit must be submitted in writing to the program director.