Literature and Culture Certificate

Vision Statement

The graduate certificate in literature and culture offers an education in the intersection between literature written in English—either originally or in translation—with human culture broadly considered. The certificate will give high school teachers the credential to teach preparatory coursework worthy of college credit at UNO and other universities. And it is also designed as a continuing education option for anyone wishing to study literature at a post-baccalaureate level for personal enrichment. The certificate can be earned as part of the larger MA in English at UNO, and it can also be applied toward completion of that larger program retroactively.

The certificate will teach:

• literature of every period, from ancient to modern, in a variety of thematic and historical contexts;
• cultural encounters captured imaginatively on the pages of the literary text;
• the relationship of a culture to the literature produced within it, both harmonious and discordant;
• theories of literary effects on the course of human culture and history; and
• literature as a celebrated artifact of human hope, critique, and beauty.

Although applicants need no formal training in literature to enroll, they should expect to be immersed in a professional discipline of literary study with a research component. One especially designated course required for the certificate will provide training for students in the methodology of literary research.

Program Contact Information

Robert Darcy, PhD, Director 
402.554.2638
rdarcy@unomaha.edu

Ramon Guerra, PhD, Graduate Program Chair (GPC) 
402.554.3636
unoenglishgradschool@unomaha.edu

Program Website

Admissions

General Application Requirements and Admission Criteria

Program-Specific Requirements

Application Deadlines (Spring 2025, Summer 2025, and Fall 2025)

Applications for this program are accepted on a rolling basis. All materials must be submitted prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student has elected to begin coursework. 

Other Requirements

• Applicants must have completed a baccalaureate degree  with at least a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) GPA. Undergraduate study of literature is required. Students who do not bring 18 hours of undergraduate study in English, however, would be obligated to enroll in ENGL 8010 as their first course of study in the certificate.

• English Language Proficiency: Applicants are required to have a command of oral and written English. Those who do not hold a baccalaureate or other advanced degree from the United States, OR a baccalaureate or other advanced degree from a predetermined country on the waiver list, must meet the minimum language proficiency score requirement in order to be considered for admission.

  • Internet-based TOEFL: 100, IELTS: 7.5, PTE: 68, Duolingo: 130 

Degree Requirements