M.A. in English with a Concentration in Teaching of English
Students with established careers in K-12, community college, state college, and liberal arts college English teaching, or who envision careers in such teaching, may elect to complete an MA with a Concentration in the Teaching of English. Many local teachers pursue this version of the MA in English, because it offers more flexibility than the other MA Concentrations, and it pairs especially well with NeWP summer classes.
The Concentration in the Teaching of English can be completed through Option A (Thesis Option) or B (Non-Thesis Option). The most popular route to this degree is to take Option A: 24 hours of coursework plus a 6 hour Masters Thesis. There is also Option B: 36-hour degree with an oral examination but without a thesis.
Of the coursework hours, at least one course should be from each of the 3 required categories: Teaching of Writing, Teaching of Literature, and Alternative Approaches to Teaching. Many Nebraska Writing Project teachers use the 6-credit Summer Institute to fulfill the Teaching of Writing requirement, and the 3-credit Advanced Institute (usually 992) to fulfill the Alternative Approaches to Teaching requirement. The Teaching of Literature requirement can be fulfilled through the options listed below, or through ANY English grad class with a pedagogical component (e.g. a final project that is pedagogical).
Aside from the required categories, any additional classes can be electives, and can be selected from a full range of graduate course offerings, as long as they meet the teaching course requirements. Because the Advanced Institute changes topic every year, it can be retaken for credit (up to 24 hours), and many teachers take multiple Advanced Institutes to work toward their coursework hours. Be sure to check with an advisor before looking outside of the department for additional electives.
At Least One Course in the Teaching of Writing | |||
| Course # | Course Name | Max Credits Per Degree | Tentative Offering |
| ENGL 957B | Nebraska Writing Project Summer Institute | 6 credits | Yearly every summer |
| ENGL 857A | Composition and Rhetorical Theory | 4 credits | - |
| ENGL 880 | Writing Center Theory and Practice | 3 credits | Fall 2025 |
At Least One Course in Alternative Approaches to Teaching | |||
| Course # | Course Name | Max Credits Per Degree | Tentative Offering |
| ENGL 857B | Special Topics: Nebraska Writing Project | 3 credits | - |
| ENGL 882 | Literacy Community Issues | 6 credits | - |
| ENGL 895A | Nebraska Writing Project Internship | 3 credits | - |
| ENGL 992 | Nebraska Humanities Project (Advanced Institute) | 24 credits | Yearly every summer |
| ENGL 992B | Place-Conscious Teaching | 6 credits | - |
| ENGL 973 | Seminar in Literacy | 3 credits | - |
The Nebraska Writing Project Advanced Institute is always offered as one of these options: ENGL 973 or ENGL 992. For example, the 2024 Advanced Institute was offered under ENGL 973, the 2023 Institute under ENGL 992 | |||
At Least One Course in the Teaching of Literature | |||
| Course # | Course Title | Max Credits Per Degree | Tentative Offering |
| ENGL 995 | Approaches to Teaching Literature | 24 credits | - |
| - | |||
| ENGL 991 | Nebraska Literature Project | 24 credits | |
ANY 800-900 Level ENGL literature class with pedagogy component - Approval needed from Graduate Studies Chair Stacey Waite (it is recommended that the final project be pedagogical in nature) | |||
Here is a link to the English Department MA Handbook for 2024
NeWP Friendly Fall 2025 Courses
