对于那些对人文学科有广泛背景，对语言和修辞有浓厚兴趣的学生，以及那些对为研究生院深造奠定坚实基础的人，推荐以语言和修辞为重点的英语文学学士学位。学生将在修辞和语言分析的研究中得到重点强调。该选项特别适合考虑法学院和传播，市场营销和商业职业的学生。
Students graduating from this program will:<br><br>Create sophisticated academic arguments that situate texts within aesthetic, social, and historical context.<br>Produce work in dialogue with current and historical conversations in the field;<br>Evaluate and engage methodological approaches appropriate to academic discourse;<br>Develop and defend, both orally and in writing, their critical perspectives;<br>Synthesize an understanding of interrelations across diverse fields of study;<br>Demonstrate a broad grounding in the diversity of fields in English studies.<br>Produce written work in a vivid, appropriate style that demonstrates mastery of mechanics and grammar.<br>The Department of English offers the Master of Arts in English, which focuses on literary study, as well as two emphasis areas that allow students to concentrate their studies in a particular area: 1) Language and Rhetoric, and 2) Manuscript, Print Culture, and Editing. Through courses in English and American literature, creative and expository writing, film, linguistics, compositionrhetoric, literary criticism, the history of books and print culture, as well as editing, these programs of study are designed to prepare students for teaching, research, and writing careers, for careers in editing, and for further study at the doctoral level. The 31-hour M.A. in English is designed for students desiring a general background in English and American literature and is strongly recommended for students planning further graduate study in English andor American literature.<br><br>The Language and Rhetoric emphasis is designed for students who wish to combine graduate study of literature with the study of linguistics andor composition and rhetoric. This emphasis is recommended for students interested in teaching in community colleges or secondary schools and for students interested in pursuing the Ph.D. in composition and rhetoric or linguistics.