Academic Programs
The Master of Arts in English Literature and Publishing (MALP) provides an intensive knowledge of British, American, transnational, and colonial literatures, as well as a robust set of skills in scholarship and criticism, allowing you to innovate in your chosen field. The Master of Arts in Writing and Publishing (MAWP) immerses students in the art and craft of creative writing, literary editing, and teaching and provides opportunities for you to revise your work under the mentorship of acclaimed authors and poets. Both programs offer classes on weekday evenings, thus allowing students to earn their degrees without interrupting their busy daytime schedules.
DePaul’s MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing will prepare and empower you to write a novel or memoir, or a collection of poetry or stories while at DePaul. You will work across genres under the mentorship of distinguished authors and poets. With courses in Copyediting, Book Publicity, Book Design, Teaching Creative Writing, and Teaching English, you will have the choice of a career in publishing or teaching. The Creative Writing and Publishing MFA culminates with a required master’s thesis of publishable quality.
The English Department offers combined bachelor’s + master’s degree programs (BA/MALP, BA/MAWP, and BA/Secondary Education English) that allow selected students to complete both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in a single program. Full-time students are able to complete the program in approximately five years. Students apply to this program in the last quarter of their junior year; interested students should meet with the director of the program. (To contact the applicable Combined Degree Coordinator, please select your program of interest from the dropdown menu on the combined degree webpage.) Applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 3.50 in English and 3.30 overall.
For more information about the MA in English in Literature and Publishing, please contact Program Director Professor June Hee Chung (jchung10@depaul.edu) at 773-325-4089. For more information about the MA or MFA in Writing and Publishing, please contact Program Director Professor Rebecca Johns-Trissler (rebecca.johns@depaul.edu) at 773-325-1767.
Certificates & Working Experience
Our well-established internship program affords students an opportunity to apply their learning in a range of professional venues: magazines, publishing houses, corporate communication departments, and television and radio broadcast studios. Internships can be applied to fulfil course credit. Ex Libris provides a list of internships that are availible each quarter and throughout the summer; this list is updated regularly. For more information about the internship program and internship availibility, please contact Prof. Chris Solís Green at cgreen1@depaul.edu.
Our unique Certificate in Teaching English in Two-Year Colleges prepares our graduates for careers in the classroom. Students can select a number of Chicago-area community colleges for their training. This certificate is available to students in both the MA in English in Literature and Publishing and MA in Writing and Publishing. The Certificate Program also includes an internship for teaching in a Chicago-area two-year college—which all English grad students are able to apply for, even if they choose not to pursue the full certificate. For more information on this certificate and/or internship, please contact Prof. Michele Morano at mmorano@depaul.edu.
DePaul University’s College of Education offers approved programs for State of Illinois certification in 6–12 teaching. Students who complete the requirements for the Master of Arts in English Literature and Publishing may also apply to the College of Education for admission to the certification program.
Digital Humanities, or just simply “DH,” is the name for a set of computer-based tools and methods used by people in the humanities. The Graduate Certificate in Digital Humanities is an interdisciplinary program taught by faculty from across the university. It focuses on training students in the tools, methods, and real-world projects that have become central to cutting-edge humanities scholarship. In this certificate program you will develop hands-on experience with these powerful tools and participate in projects including text markup and analysis, the visualization of cultural objects and datasets, and the publication of results across several media.
The Department of Writing, Rhetoric, & Discourse offers a Graduate Certificate in TESOL, which prepares students to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) in the U.S. or abroad. Comprised of courses in Writing, Rhetoric, & Discourse; English; Bilingual-Bicultural Education; and Modern Languages, the TESOL Certificate can be completed by any DePaul graduate student. For students pursuing the MA in English, three of the four courses required for TESOL will also apply to the MA in English. Thus, attaining the TESOL Certificate requires taking only one course beyond the 12 courses for the MA in English.
Scholarship Options
Ex Libris frequently posts scholarship opportunities for graduate students throughout the year. In addition to these opportunities and those that appear on DePaul’s Scholarship Connect portal (such as the Ellin M. Kelly Endowed British Literature Award), the English Department offers Partial Tuition Scholarships (PTS) each quarter, which recognize the outstanding academic achievement of students in the English department’s three graduate programs. The department also offers graduate assistantships, which cover tuition and provide students with a stipend.
Partial Tuition Scholarships (PTS)
The M.A. in English, M.A. in Literature and Publishing, M.A. in Writing and Publishing, and M.F.A. in Writing and Publishing programs offer Partial Tuition Scholarships (PTS) each quarter to provide a partial reimbursement for tuition paid for graduate courses in English taken toward the MAE, MALP, MAWP, and MFA degrees.
You are eligible to apply for a PTS award if:
- You have already completed at least two English graduate courses toward your MAE/MALP, MAWP, or MFA degree
- You are enrolled in one or more English graduate classes for the term you are applying for.
- You have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.7 or higher
- You are paying your own tuition and fees (without financial assistance from any grant or scholarship agency or employee reimbursement program, including a Double Demon Award–student loans are okay).
Please note that only graduate classes offered through the English department (ENG courses) are eligible for PTS funding. Courses offered through other departments and courses over and above those needed for MAE/MALP/MAWP/MFA degree completion are not covered by these awards. If you drop a course after receiving a PTS Award for it, you will be required to pay back the amount of the award.
You will be notified of an award decision within two weeks after the deadline.
Application details and deadlines are posted within the first few weeks of each quarter on Ex Libris and on the MAE/MALP and MAWP/MFA D2L sites under “Content.”
For any questions about Partial Tuition Scholarships, please contact Department Assistant Laurance Matthews at lmatthe3@depaul.edu.
Graduate Assistantships
Each spring, the English Department awards Graduate Assistantships for the upcoming academic year. These carry:
- Full tuition for up to 6 grad-level courses taken for credit towards your degree during the academic year (up to 12 courses over two years if the award is renewed*)
- A stipend of $8,000 per year, payable September through May
- DePaul student health insurance and various types of leave (if applicable)
[*Note: combined degree students are unable to renew GAships for a 2nd year]
GAs are assigned to work 20 hours per week at the Lincoln Park or Loop Campus during the fall, winter, and spring quarters. These assignments include:
- Tutoring/Working in DePaul’s Center for Writing-based Learning;
- Performing editorial or administrative duties in support of the English Department and its publications and programs;
- Maintaining a solid academic standing
Any current or prospective student in the MA in English Literature and Publishing (MALP), MA in Writing and Publishing (MAWP), the MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing, or either of the combined degree programs may apply for an assistantship.
New students applying for DePaul grad admission AND for a GAship should submit:
- A completed admission application form (click here to access the DePaul graduate application page, and click here to access the seperate GA application form)
- A 200-300 word personal statement describing your reasons for seeking a grad degree
- An additional 200-300 word personal statement specifically outlining your qualifications and goals for an assistantship
- A 25-page writing sample (for incoming MAWP/MFA students)
- A 10-15 page writing sample (for incoming MALP students)
- Undergraduate transcripts from all institutions
- 2 letters of recommendation from people familiar with your ability to perform academic and/or administrative work, especially former classroom instructors
[The deadline for application materials is usually posted to Ex Libris in December or January of each academic year.]
Current MALP, MAWP, MFA, and Combined Degree students should submit:
- A completed application form (click here to access)
- A 200-300 word personal statement specifically outlining your qualifications and goals for an assistantship
- A 25-page writing sample
- Undergraduate transcripts from all institutions
- 2 letters of recommendation from people familiar with your ability to perform academic and/or administrative work, especially former classroom instructors
Current students should submit all materials to Department Assistant Laurance Matthews at lmatthe3@depaul.edu.
[The deadline for application materials is usually posted to Ex Libris in December or January of each academic year.]