Graduate English
The University of Virginia’s Graduate Program in English is a long‑established, distinguished program offering the M.A., Ph.D., and the MFA in Creative Writing. Focused primarily on the M.A. and Ph.D., the program provides advanced training in literary studies across historical periods, world literatures, and contemporary theoretical approaches. It prepares students for doctoral study, teaching, and careers requiring strong research and writing skills.
UVA’s English faculty is internationally recognized for its scholarship, and the department is a national leader in digital humanities, with significant faculty and graduate student involvement in digital research initiatives. The program emphasizes both depth in traditional literary fields and engagement with evolving areas of literary and cultural studies.
Graduate students benefit from close faculty mentorship, a wide array of seminars, and a vibrant intellectual community while pursuing research that spans literature, culture, theory, digital scholarship, and interdisciplinary inquiry.
What Can I Do With This Degree?
- University or college professor / academic researcher in literature, cultural studies, or related humanities fields
- Secondary‑school teacher or curriculum specialist (for M.A. students who pursue teaching careers)
- Writer, editor, or publishing professional in literary, academic, or commercial publishing
- Professional in technology, public sector, business, or non‑profit roles requiring strong analytical and communication skills (noted outcomes for M.A. graduates)
- Communications or content strategist, grant writer, or researcher in education, policy, or cultural organizations
- Digital humanities specialist working in libraries, archives, or digital scholarship initiatives (supported by UVA’s DH leadership)
- Arts and culture administrator, literary programmer, or humanities outreach coordinator
- Historical periods of English and American literature (traditional literary fields)
- World literatures and global literary studies (expanded areas of departmental focus)
- Literary and cultural theory, including contemporary theoretical approaches
- Digital humanities and computational literary studies (UVA is recognized as a DH leader)
- Rhetoric, writing studies, and textual analysis
- Interdisciplinary humanities research connecting literature with history, philosophy, media, and the arts