English Department

Bachelor's + Master's in English Pathway

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Earn a Bachelor's + Master's in English

The Bachelor’s + Master’s Pathway Program allows qualified undergraduates in the department to work towards their MA in English while completing their BA or BS degree. 

Students admitted into the Pathway Program are able to take up to 20 credit hours of 500 level course work as an undergraduate, at an undergraduate tuition rate, and apply the credits to their undergraduate and graduate degrees, saving them both time and money as they progress toward two degrees.

Students apply to the Bachelor’s + Master’s Pathway Program in their junior year; students admitted to the program take 500-level courses in their senior year, beginning with ENG 500 in the fall of their senior year.

Application Deadlines

DeadlineStart Term
April 15Fall Quarter
October 15Winter Quarter
January 15Spring Quarter

Questions?

For questions about the program, contact MA in English Director, Dr. Anoop Mirpuri, at eng-director@pdx.edu. For questions about the admissions application, contact grdstudy@pdx.edu.

Admissions Criteria

Students are eligible to apply for the accelerated Bachelor's + Master's degree in English if they have met the following criteria: 

  • Minimum institutional GPA (i.e., GPA from all classes taken at PSU) of 3.3. 
  • At least 120 credits completed by the end of spring term of junior year.
  • Completion of either ENG 300 or WR 301 (or both) by the end of winter term of junior year. A student who has completed only one of these two courses by the time of the application must complete the other by the end of spring term of junior year.

Application Process

Students should submit their application by April 15 to begin the Pathway Program in the Fall Quarter, October 15 to begin in the Winter Quarter, or January 15 to begin in the Spring Quarter.

By the appropriate application deadline, students should submit the following materials via the application form.

  • A statement of purpose, approximately 2 pages, describing your reasons for pursuing a Master’s degree, your academic interests, and your qualifications for graduate-level work.
  • A writing sample from an English literature class totaling at least 10 pages (either one long paper or multiple shorter papers). Do not send creative writing such as novel chapters or poetry.
  • Two letters of recommendation from PSU English faculty. Please ask references to send letters of recommendation directly to grdstudy@pdx.edu.
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Continuing Requirements

  • All courses numbered 500 and above must receive a grade of B or better.
  • All undergraduate classes must receive a grade of C or better.  
  • Maintain a 3.3 or higher PSU institutional GPA.
  • Achieve a 3.0 or higher GPA each academic term after admission to the program.
  • Resolve any incomplete courses within 1 term.
  • No P/NP credit will be accepted for either program.

Other Requirements

Students will work with their assigned undergraduate advisor and consult with the MA Director on their admissions application for the Pathway Program. They will be assigned a graduate faculty advisor once admitted. During year 4, their primary advisor will continue to be their assigned undergraduate advisor but they will also consult with their assigned graduate faculty advisor on graduate-level courses. In year 5, they will continue on with their assigned graduate faculty advisor until they are ready to select a permanent advisor and committee chair. 

Though there is no fee associated with application to the Pathway Program, students will need to formally apply for graduate admission to the University once they have completed their Bachelor’s degrees. This application does entail a fee. For information on how to apply for graduate admission to the University, visit the Graduate Admissions webpage. 

Please note that the University requires that students pursuing a Master of Arts degree complete a second language requirement, equivalent to two years of college-level study. If you are completing a BS degree in English, you will need to meet the second language requirement before graduating with an MA in English.