The Mills master of arts degree in English and American literature is designed to help you develop critical writing and scholarly research skills essential to a variety of professional paths. In the heart of the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area literary scene, you'll find an intimate and inclusive environment in which to explore ancient traditions and contemporary literatures. The program is particularly attractive to students who are interested in pursuing a PhD in literature, who want to teach at a high school or community college, or to those who are already teaching and wish to enhance their knowledge and critical skills.

The Mills MA program is led by distinguished faculty who are actively engaged in research and academic scholarship. With an impressive student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 15:1, you'll find that one of the most valuable aspects of our program will be the opportunity to work closely with these engaging professors. This collaboration between talented students and accomplished faculty produces exceptional results. Our MA students regularly attend and present at nationally recognized literary conferences, and many of our alumni publish articles based on the work they completed at Mills.

Our MA candidates are also active teachers and tutors at Mills and in the community, working at local high schools and colleges, gaining critical experience and connecting with the greater Bay Area. Our students enjoy the events we host to bring the literary community to campus, and we encourage students to interact with the local literary network at UC Berkeley, Stanford, and San Francisco State for a wide range of lectures, access to research libraries, and cross-registration in interesting courses.

Our successful graduates have been accepted into top-tier PhD programs, including: Columbia University; Northeastern University; Rice University; Stanford University; Syracuse University; University of Chicago; University of Texas, Austin; and the University of California campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Many of our graduates have found positions as full-time tenured professors and embark on promising careers in publishing and editing.