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Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

»Integrated BA/MA in English

The Department of English at Chapman University’s Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences offers an integrated BA/MA in English program. This program enables Chapman undergraduate students to begin taking graduate coursework during the senior year of their BA program and to complete the MA the following year. The program is open to all undergraduate majors that have satisfied the prerequisites for the program and meet the admissions requirements.

Current Chapman students can learn more about the program by reading below and by visiting the MA in English page.

 


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Academic Requirements

  • Must be an undergraduate student with 90+ units of undergraduate coursework completed.
  • Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0+.

Application Requirements

Students apply to the MA during their junior year or first semester of their senior year. If accepted into the integrated graduate program, undergraduate students may take and share up to 15 credits between the undergraduate and graduate degrees. Students in the integrated bachelor’s plus master’s programs will matriculate into the graduate program after the completion of their bachelor’s degree.

Submit the Online Application. (Despite what the How to Apply page says, you won’t need to pay the application fee or submit your Chapman transcripts since you are already a Chapman student!)

  • As a current Chapman student applying to an integrated master’s degree program, the department has agreed to waive the recommendation letter requirement for your application. In the online application, please enter the name, email, and phone number for two faculty members at Chapman who support you as a candidate for this program.
  • Your resume or curriculum vitae.
  • An essay expressing your reasons for wanting to join the particular academic program to which you are applying. What are your personal and career goals, and how will this particular degree from Chapman University help you reach those goals? Your essay should be double-spaced, size 12 font, and 1-2 pages in length/
  • A completed 12–15-page literary essay that focuses on an analysis of one or two literary texts. The essay should be informed by contemporary literary, rhetorical, and/or cultural theory and criticism, and demonstrate analytical strengths and critical writing skills. The essay should also reflect a grasp of critical literary skills and the ability to deal with theoretical texts in an effective and knowledgeable manner. Typically, applicants submit a piece of advanced academic writing from an undergraduate English course. Essays should be typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins on all sides.

Curriculum

Any 500-level course that is approved for MA credit is eligible to count toward the integrated program.

  • At the first opportunity to do so, students should take ENG 556 - Literary Theory and Critical Practice: 1920-Present, usually offered in the fall semester.
  • Students who wish to apply for the Graduate Student Instructor program must take ENG 580 during the spring semester of their senior year.
  • Students complete the remaining credits of the MA degree, including all required courses, by the end of the graduate program.
  • The integrated program is designed to save students money and time. Generally speaking, those savings are lost if you cannot use the 15 credits you’re allowed to share between degrees (or if you cannot fit them into your senior year schedule). For some students it may be more advantageous to apply to the standard MA in English program. Admitted students can take fewer than 15 credits in order to “jumpstart” their time in the MA program; however, any classes not completed as an undergraduate will need to be completed as a graduate student.

Frequently Asked Questions


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What are the advantages of the Integrated program?

You’ll save money. During your senior year, you will continue paying the set amount for undergraduate tuition without any additional charge for taking graduate classes.

You’ll save time. You’ll finish your graduate degree in as little as one year and enter the workforce that much sooner.

You’ll continue your education at a place you know. You won’t have to start over at a new school. You’ll already know what resources are available to you. You might even already know some of your professors in the graduate program.

How does sharing credits work?

If accepted into a graduate program, undergraduate students may take up to 15 graduate credits. These 15 credits can be used to satisfy the undergraduate graduation requirements and count toward the MA program. 

Students should check with their advisor, program director, and/or department chair, as well as the office of financial aid regarding sharing credits.

How do I register for classes as an integrated student?

Undergraduate students, including students currently admitted in the integrated program, must register for graduate courses using the Undergraduate Request to Register for Graduate Course form. One form should be submitted for each class in which the student would like to enroll. In Wilkinson College, the Graduate Programs Coordinator can sign for the Instructor and Department Chair.

Please note, forms cannot be submitted to the office of the registrar prior to a student’s enrollment appointment.

Contact Us

Dr. Joanna Levin, Ph.D.
Program Director
jlevin@chapman.edu

Danielle Espiritu
Graduate Programs Coordinator
(714) 516-7116
Current Students: despiritu@chapman.edu
Prospective Students:
wilkinsonadmit@chapman.edu 

Stella Hong
Graduate Admission Counselor
(714) 289-3590 
stellah@chapman.edu 

 For additional admission information, please contact:

Office of Graduate Admission
888-CU-APPLY or (714) 997-6711
gradadmit@chapman.edu

Application Deadlines

Apply now using the Online Application. 

You must apply and be admitted before the start of your senior year.