Master of Arts/Master of Arts in Teaching English

If you are seeking initial licensure and do not have an undergraduate degree in English, our MA/MAT English program will help you to develop the skills and competencies needed for the next step on your career path.

Program Features 

• Two concentrated study options: Students can pursue literary studies or writing. 

• Thesis option: Degree candidates may choose to write a master’s thesis or portfolio.

• Small class sizes: Most courses at the graduate level are conducted with approximately 15 students. 

• Flexible pacing options: This program can be completed in 3.5 to 4 years full-time or 4 to 7 years part-time. Combination of in-person and online course offerings, with all courses starting at 4:30 pm or later. 

• Faculty: The Salem State University English department is an active community of scholars and writers who regularly publish and contribute to their fields. The graduate faculty prepares students for various professions while remaining committed to the core traditions of literary analysis, creative process, and community engagement, as well as sharing scholarship and creative work with the campus community and the broader public. 

• Exciting 300-hour practicum: Students in the MA/MAT English program are supported by practicums in school-based placements of increasing length, including as part of a two-semester Methods of Teaching English and one semester of student teaching. Salem State’s McKeown School of Education Office of Field Services can place students, and students can also arrange for their own placements, including in school where they may already be employed. 

• Concurrent enrollment opportunities: Certificate in Digital Studies; Certificate in Holocaust and Genocide Studies; Certificate in Writing and Rhetoric; Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. 

• Graduate assistantships: Opportunities to apply for graduate assistantships, grants and scholarships. 

Curriculum 

Our robust 51.05-60.5-credit curriculum is designed to give students the skills and confidence to begin teaching on day one. The curriculum includes five (5) core courses in education, two (2) teaching methods courses within your content specialization, and a semester-long supervised practicum and seminar teaching in the field. It also includes significant literary study and English subject area content. 

Students will complete the following three (3) core English courses, plus an additional five (5) English content courses and two to three (2-3) English electives. 

• ENG 725 - Introduction to Graduate Studies in Literature 

• ENG 817 - Contemporary Approaches to the Teaching of Composition 

• ENG 821 - Contemporary Approaches to Teaching Literature 

Licensure Opportunities 

We offer the opportunity to progress from your preliminary license through your professional license within one program. As soon as you pass your MTELs (state teacher tests), you can apply for your preliminary license and begin your career as a classroom teacher. Once you have completed your core classes and student teaching, you will be endorsed for your initial license.

Upon completing your MA/MAT and finishing at least three years of teaching under your initial license, you will be eligible for your professional license. This means that graduates of our program can complete all licensure requirements without needing to pursue additional coursework. 

_{*Please be aware that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts may change licensure requirements. Students are advised to contact the state for specific, current licensure requirements. Students may access that information at the Department for Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).}

Professional Development Opportunities 

• Master’s in English Regional Conference (MERC): Salem State and Bridgewater State co-organize this annual conference. Salem State master’s students regularly present with peers from New England at the conference. 

• Graduate Student Reading: Each spring, Salem State hosts a graduate student reading where students on the writing track present their work. 

• Salem State University’s Research Day: Graduate students and faculty present papers, posters, and workshops about their ongoing research. 

• Writer’s Series: English graduate students can enjoy a meal and discussion with the prominent writers who speak at Salem State’s Writer’s Series, such as Carmen Maria Machado, Brian Brodeur, and Ha Jing. 

• Submittathon: Salem State’s English department hosts a submittathon at least once per semester. During this event, students gather to support one another and, under the direction of a faculty member, submit works for publication. 

• Publications: Salem State’s English Department publishes the national literary journal Soundings East and the e-zine Red Skies. Master’s students in English have the opportunity to serve on the editorial boards of both publications. 

• Professional Literary Studies, Writing, and Composition and Rhetoric Societies: Many of our students belong to professional associations such as CCCC and the Northeast Modern Language Association and present at their annual conferences, 

Careers

English master’s students bring highly valued critical thinking and communication skills to the workplace. 

Sixty-six percent of our graduates are employed in education, eleven percent are employed in marketing, sales, business, and healthcare management, and others are employed in writing, editing, publishing, communications or work in state and local government and public and school libraries.

• Higher Education Administration, Emerson College 

• English Department Program Coordination, Triton Regional School District 

• Director of Human Services, All Care VNA 

• Digital Content Manager, Philips Research America 

• Director of Museum and Archival Services, Swampscott Public Library 

• Editor, EBSCO Information Services 

• Communications Consultant, Fidelity Foundation 

Our graduates have also pursued doctoral work, most frequently in English, composition, rhetoric, and law, and become lawyers and tenured professors.