Specialized online graduate school in language and literature, featuring unique Tolkien Studies and Germanic Philology programs.
Signum University offers a Master of Arts in Language and Literature and a Graduate Diploma, both emphasizing the connection between language and literature. The MA program typically requires two to eight years depending on full-time or part-time enrollment, culminating in a thesis of approximately 15,000 words. Four concentration areas are available: Classic Literature, Tolkien Studies, Germanic Philology, and Imaginative Literature. Instruction combines live and recorded lectures, weekly discussion sections (maximum 12 participants), and interactive online forums via Google Classroom and Zoom.
Signum is a fully online institution with no physical campus. Students access courses through a digital platform requiring a reliable computer, internet connection (minimum 1 Mbps), and microphone. Upon admission, students receive a Signum-issued email account and access to Google productivity apps and library resources including JSTOR, Project Muse, and open-access journals. The university fosters community through online events, Mythmoot conferences, regional meetups, and a global network of scholars and creatives.
The library provides access to world-class scholarly resources including JSTOR, Project Muse, and open-access journals such as The Journal of Tolkien Research and Mythlore. Students benefit from research guides tailored to course offerings, digital collections including thesis archives and conference proceedings, and librarian support for research questions and strategies. All resources are available online without geographical restriction.
Signum prioritizes affordable graduate education by eliminating overhead costs associated with physical campuses. For-credit programs are currently available to students in 34 US states plus overseas. The university is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to making online education accessible to all. Non-degree options include SPACE (adult continuing education), Signum Tutorials, and course auditing.