Masters
  MA LCS
  MAPW
  MA Rhetoric
  MDes CPID
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PhD

Courses

The Carnegie Mellon Department of English offers four distinct master of arts degrees: the Master of Arts in Literary and Cultural Studies, the Master of Arts in Rhetoric, the Master of Arts in Professional Writing, and, in conjunction with the Department of Design, the Master of Design in Communication, Planning, and Design.

The Master of Arts in Literary and Cultural Studies and the Master of Arts in Rhetoric are both one-year master's programs intended primarily, though not solely, for students who wish to pursue academic careers. The MA in Literary and Cultural Studies is intended for students who wish to study interpretive approaches that regularly link individual texts to the conditions of their production and reception. The MA in Rhetoric features an interdisciplinary approach to discourse and the arts of inquiry, interpretation, and communication. Students in both programs take classes alongside PhD students in the same fields and will find themselves well-placed to apply to PhD programs in turn, or to enter the professional world as educators or writers.

The Master of Arts in Professional Writing is a program designed for students who wish to directly enter the professional world as writers. Graduates of the MAPW program will be prepared to work as communication specialists in government, business, and industry. The program requires three semesters of coursework plus a professional internship.

The Master of Design in Communication Planning and Information Design is a two-year program presented in conjunction with the Carnegie Mellon Department of Design. Like the MAPW, this is a professional program, but the CPAD is designed for students who want to explore the creative potential of the interplay between words and images in traditional and innovative media.

For more information on any of these programs, please select a program from the list of links to the left.