English, Accelerated Master of Arts

The Accelerated Master of Arts in English program allows undergraduate BA in English students at Gardner-Webb University to begin work in the online MA in English program or Graduate Certificate in English while completing their BA in English degrees. Qualified students may apply for admission to the Accelerated Master of Arts Program (AMP) in English during their junior year (or at the completion of 60 credit hours).

Admission Requirements

Qualified Gardner-Webb University undergraduate students may apply for admission to the Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) in English by following the program-specific admission requirements for full acceptance into the Accelerated Master of English program.

1. At least 60 credits (junior year status) with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0
2. A minimum of 9 credits of undergraduate English courses at the 200-level or above prior to the student enrolling in the first graduate course, with an earned 3.0 GPA in these courses.
3. A clear and well-written 250-word statement of purpose, explaining the student’s objectives and purpose for pursuing an MA in English. The student should indicate the concentration of interest: literature studies, English education, writing studies; and
4. A writing sample of 2,000 words or an equivalent body of work that demonstrates the applicant’s writing abilities and readiness to engage in graduate-level work. This writing sample might include an in-depth literary analysis, an extensive research piece (such as a senior thesis) on a topic within English studies, or a portfolio of writing samples from an internship or current work environment.

No standardized test score is required.
No teaching license is required to be admitted into the program.
Students in the MA English with English Education concentration are not eligible for teaching licensure upon completion.

Students admitted to the Accelerated Master of Arts in English program and who achieve a 3.0 GPA or better in their graduate-level courses and maintain at least a 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA will be granted seamless admission to the MA in English program or Graduate Certificate in English program upon receiving their baccalaureate degrees.

Program Requirements

Students enrolled in the Accelerated Master of Arts in English program can take up to 30% of graduate coursework towards the MA in English (9 hours) while completing their undergraduate degrees at Gardner-Webb University, provided that they earn a grade of B (3.0) or better in each graduate course and fulfill graduate-level requirements. Only 20% of graduate courses (6 hours) will count in both the undergraduate and graduate programs.

ENGL 501 and ENGL 683 may be counted as electives in the BA in English degree, while ENGL 671 can fulfill the BA in English requirement for ENGL: 471 Literary Theory. Students wanting to take other graduate-level courses will be considered on a case-by-case basis and in consultation with their AMP advisor. All courses that lead to the completion of the MA in English degree must be approved by the department chair.

Students will apply for graduation to have the BA in English degree conferred once all requirements for the undergraduate degree have been met. To transition into the MA in English degree or the Graduate Certificate in English from the accelerated program, students must demonstrate conferral of the BA in English degree from Gardner-Webb University with a 3.0 GPA or better in their graduate-level courses and at least a 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA. If GPA requirements are not met, students may still apply for the MA in English program or the Graduate Certificate in English and their application will be reviewed by the graduate program coordinators for determination of admission.

Accelerated students transitioning into the MA in English program will be required to complete the full 30-hour program curriculum. Students will take 120 hours of undergraduate courses, and 30 hours of graduate coursework, of which six hours can be applied to the undergraduate degree.