Advanced study in literature, creative writing, and linguistics are offered in this program. It is intended to be not merely a continuation of undergraduate work but a distinctly different educational experience requiring study in greater depth and the development of critical thinking. The Department of English offers both onsite and online M.A. degree programs; the programs share the same classes.
The M.A. in English is a 36-semester-hour degree, available under a thesis and a non-thesis option. The thesis option requires students to complete 30 hours of graduate courses and write and defend a thesis (6 thesis hours). The non-thesis option requires students to complete 36 hours of graduate courses and assemble and defend a portfolio of revised essays or creative pieces. The portfolio also includes a reflective essay.
Areas of concentration include: Early British Literature; Later British Literature; American Literature; Comparative Literature; Globalization and Translation (CLGT); Film and Media Studies; Linguistics; Book History/Digital Humanities; Literature, Social Justice, and Environment (LSJE); and Creative Writing. Each emphasis involves a common set of core requirements: foundation courses, British, American, and Comparative literature courses, and literary genre courses. M.A. students must also demonstrate reading knowledge of one language other than English or proficiency in linguistics, English philology, translation methods, or other language-related practices by taking two graduate courses in these fields.
September 2025
College of Arts and Sciences
Texas Tech University,
LUBBOCK,
Texas,
79409, United States
August 2025
Texas Tech University
2500 Broadway,
LUBBOCK,
Texas,
79409, South, United States
The applicant must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or its equivalent from a foreign institution.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - The minimum TOEFL score required is 79.
International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) - The minimum IELTS required score is an overall band score of 6.5 on the Academic version.
Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) - The minimum required PTE Academic score is 60.
Cambridge C2 Proficiency Test (Cambridge CPE) - The minimum required Cambridge CPE grade is a score of 180 or above.
Cambridge C1 Advanced Proficiency Test (Cambridge CAE) - The minimum required Cambridge CAE grade is a score of 175 or above.
Recommended deadlines for international students are as follows:
January 15 for Fall and Summer semesters
July 15 for Spring semesters
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.