Upon completion of the MA program students will be able to:

1. Write effectively about a broad range of texts in English using effective compositional and rhetorical techniques.
2. Assess and intervene in existing scholarly discourses in the field as a literary critic.
3. Distinguish and interpret diverse experiences across various social formations (i.e., race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, etc.) as registered in literary works.
4. Evaluate and apply the principles of a range of critical theories and/or textual theories, including those emerging from communities that have been historically underrepresented, in order to produce a sustained analysis of literary works.

In addition to the MA outcomes, upon completion of the PhD program students will be able to:

1. Define, distinguish, and evaluate three fields of study in literature as defined by historical period, genre, critical theory, and/or single author. Employ significant developments and emergent trends in pedagogical theories, methods, and materials to effectively teach college-level composition & literature.
2. Use a variety of research methods (e.g., close reading, textual criticism, linguistic analysis, archival, biographical, etc.) and interpret the findings in order to produce a sustained analysis of one or more literary works.
3. Defend scholarly interpretations and interventions at a professional level, leading to internal and external conference presentations, publication, fellowships, grants, and academic employment.

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