Dual Degree in Information and English
MSIS in Information Studies, School of Information / MA in English, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts
We are not accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year.
The School of Information (iSchool) and the Department of English at the University of Texas at Austin offer a dual-degree program leading to the Master of Arts (MA) degree in English and the Master of Science in Information Studies (MSInfoStds) degree.
Students in the dual-degree program will be able to complete both degrees in three academic years. The overall credit load in the dual-degree program is 60 credit hours (30 English, 30 iSchool). While a student may pursue any of the 15 fields of study available in the Department of English, some areas with particularly strong thematic and methodological overlap with the iSchool include:
- Bibliography and Textual Criticism
- Digital Literacies and Literatures
- Popular Culture and Cultural Studies
- Rhetoric
- Women, Gender, and Literature
Advising and Faculty Oversight
Advising in the dual-degree program will allow students flexibility and guidance. Every semester, each student must meet with the Dual-Degree Graduate Advisor from the English Department before registering for coursework to ensure that the student is taking the best selection of courses at the appropriate time. In addition, students are encouraged to meet with their faculty advisor within the iSchool.
The two degrees in this dual-degree program will be awarded simultaneously. If a dual-degree student does not complete the requirements of one degree but has completed and wants to receive the other, they must gain admission to the stand-alone degree program and complete the requirements of the stand-alone degree.
Financial Support
Financial support for dual-degree students is the same offered for single-program students in the individual programs. Dual degree applicants should refer to the English and Information Studies programs for more information.
Admission to the Dual-Degree Program
The admissions committee of the iSchool and the admissions committee of the English Department will review the materials for admission to the respective degree programs. The Dual-Degree Graduate Advisor at the English Department and the Graduate Advisor at the iSchool will then consider applicants admitted to both programs for admission to the dual-degree program. Successful candidates will be recommended to the Dean of the Graduate School for admission to the dual-degree program. The Graduate School will notify the student of their admission to the dual-degree program.
For complete information on the application process please visit the UT English Department.
The dual-degree program will require completion of 30 hours in English and 30 hours in the iSchool.
Core requirements (9 hours)
All students in the INF/ENG dual-degree program must complete three required courses during the first three semesters of the program. These include:
- ENG 388M Introduction to Digital Humanities
- ENG 384K Disciplinary Inquiries
- INF 380E Perspectives on Information
Coursework requirements (45 or 48 hours)
The balance of coursework required for the two degrees will be comprised of electives which may be taken from the range of graduate courses offered at UT Austin. Students may take up to twelve (12) graduate credits at UT-Austin outside English and the iSchool with the permission of their advisors. Of the twelve credit hours allowed, students may take no more than nine (9) upper-division undergraduate credit hours at UT Austin. No more than six (6) upper-division undergraduate credits may be from any one department. Students may not count any English or iSchool undergraduate courses toward the dual degree. A student may also complete up to six (6) semester credit hours of Individual Studies without special permission. In accordance with Graduate School policy, in all cases, the program of work for each graduate degree will include at least 18 credit hours of graduate coursework in the major and at least 9 hours of supporting coursework.
All courses, other than the capstone, must be taken for a letter-grade. In rare cases, exceptions are allowed with persmission of the Dual Degree advisor.
Capstone requirements (3 or 6 hours)
Students may choose one of three completion or capstone options in the final semester of their coursework through the English or the iSchool, the choice of which will define the requirements and the course number:
(1) a Master’s Report (E 398R or INF 398R)
(2) a Master’s Thesis, which comprise two semester's work (E 698A/B or INF 698A/B)
(3) a Professional Experience and Project (INF 388L) or Digital Studies Practicum (E 398D)
Each dual-degree student must demonstrate competence in the research skills appropriate to the student’s overall academic and career objectives and to the final Report, Thesis, or Professional Experience and Project.
English Capstone: If the student chooses the Thesis or Masters Report option in English, they will follow the College of Liberal Arts Graduate School’s guidelines for Theses, Dissertation, and Reports submission. If they choose a Professional Experience and Project (E 398D), they will fill out the Digital Studies Practicum Proposal Form with an advisor in the semester before the practicum takes place and send the form to tclement[a]utexas.edu.
iSchool Capstone: If the student chooses the Thesis, Masters Report, or Professional Experience and Project option in the School of Information, they will follow the capstone guidelines at the iSchool.
