CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, STANISLAUS
Department of English
Library Building,
Room 195
801 W. Monte Vista Ave., Turlock, CA 95382
Telephone: 209-667-3361; Fax: 209-667-3720
Master of Arts
Programs in English
I. OVERVIEW
The Master of Arts Programs in
English serve the personal and professional needs of various students: those
currently teaching or intending to teach high school; those intending to teach
at the community college level; those anticipating doctoral studies; and those
simply interested in the personal growth that advanced studies in English
provide. In an attempt to meet students' needs and interests, the Department
offers three main concentrations and two combinations leading to the Master of
Arts in English:
(1) in the literature of
(2) in rhetoric and teaching writing (MA-RTW);
(3) in teaching English to speakers of other languages (MA-TESOL);
(4) in combined RTW and TESOL; and
(5) in
combined Lit and RTW.
Students planning to continue on
to a Ph.D. should complete the concentration in either Literature or RTW.
Students planning to teach overseas or in the
multicultural classroom should complete the TESOL concentration. Students
planning to teach at the Community College level should consider one of the
combinations, depending on their areas of interest.
II. ADMISSION
Application forms and program
information may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Studies. Completed
applications should be sent to the Office of Admission and Records for
processing. Applications can be completed via the Internet.
Effective
1 January 2008, for Fall admission, student applications must be received by
the Grad School by 15 April and complete applications must be received by the
English department by 1 March for a mid-March review of applications; for
Spring admission, student applications must be received by the Grad School by
15 September and complete applications must be received by the department by 1
October for a mid-October review of applications. Students who cannot meet application deadlines
may be admitted to the program on a rolling basis, if possible. Students will be notified about the state of
their applications approximately two weeks after the completion of departmental
review.
The applicant must also submit to
the English department two letters of recommendation from former instructors or
others who can comment on the applicant's ability to succeed in graduate
school. The applicant must submit a 5 to 10 page writing sample. (A critical or
an analytical study written for an undergraduate
class would serve as an appropriate sample.)
Applicants with a B.A.
in English and a 3.0 GPA are admitted as fully classified students. Applicants
with non-English BAs or a GPA below 3.0 may have to submit scores for the
Graduate Record Examinations (GRE); in which case, program admission would
require a score
of 500 on the Verbal Test. Students not admitted to the
International students
must take both the TOEFL and the Test of Written English, achieving a minimum
of 575 on the TOEFL if their score on the Test of Written English is 4; or at
least 550 on the TOEFL if their score on the Test of Written English is 5.
Questions about
recommenders or other appropriate writing samples should be directed to the
English Graduate Coordinator (
Requirements
for Admission to the MA-LIT and MA-RTW Concentrations
In addition to fulfilling all
requirements for admission to the University, applicants to the MA-LIT and
MA-RTW Concentrations normally should have a BA degree in English. Those who do
not may be required to complete additional
prerequisite coursework.
Requirements
for Admission to the MA-TESOL Concentration
Non-English majors may be required
to take the GRE Verbal test for classified status in the TESOL Concentration.
English majors who graduated from the CSU with 3.0 GPA or higher can start the
program conditionally classified. For the non-English major, the prerequisites
for the MA-TESOL concentration consists of the following:
1. American Literature after 1865 (ENGL 2210, or its equivalent) (3)
2. Masterpieces of World Literature (ENGL 3920, or its equivalent) (3)
3. Applied Writing (ENGL 3009), or its equivalent (3)
4. ENGL 3750: Introduction to Linguistics (4), ENGL 3700 Introduction to Language (3) or their equivalents.
Students for whom English is a
second language must pass the TOEFL and
Written Test of English and demonstrate fluency in spoken English before
acceptance into the program.
Once admitted to the graduate program, students should consult the English Graduate
Coordinator and the Concentration Advisor, who will assist students in
determining appropriate plans of study. Normally, the Coordinator of the chosen
concentration (LIT, RTW, TESOL) is the student’s program adviser.
IV. Undergraduate and
transfer units in the MA program
A maximum of six units of approved post-baccalaureate upper
division undergraduate studies may be applied to MA/RTW and MA/TESOL
requirements. Three units may be applied to the MA/Lit.
Students taking any upper division undergraduate class must identify themselves as graduate students to the instructor of the undergraduate class. For students following the LIT and RTW tracks, the Department requires that they do additional work comparable to that of an ordinary graduate seminar; they may NOT choose to do less work and take the class for undergraduate credit.
Ordinarily only six units of
graduate credit may be transferred from another institution. The English
Graduate Committee will determine which transfer units will be accepted toward
the degree at Stanislaus.
Students with a BA in English, at
least a 3.0 GPA, two letters of recommendation, and a 5-10-page writing sample
may be admitted to the program as fully classified students. Some non-English
BAs may be admitted as fully classified as well, depending on their major,
experience, and writing. Those with incomplete files may be admitted as
Conditionally Classified, but should complete the application process as soon
as possible. No more than nine units earned as a Post baccalaureate
Unclassified student shall apply to the MA degree.
VI. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER'S DEGREE
The following requirements
describe the minimum of prerequisites and courses that candidates must complete
to receive the MA degree. To develop historical, theoretical, and
methodological expertise in the field, students are encouraged to take courses
and seminars in a variety of areas.
To receive an MA in English, a student must
1. complete at least 30 units;
2. maintain a grade-point average of at least 3.0, with no grade lower than a B- in any course;
3. pass comprehensive exit examinations;
4. in
the case of project or thesis, present an oral defense.
VII. DUAL
CONCENTRATIONS
LIT/RTW Dual Concentration:
A student may choose to
combine the two concentrations by taking at least 37 units. Comprehensive exams
will consist of two exams in literature and one in RTW, administered as is
customary for the particular concentration.
The
degree requirements for this dual concentration comprise:
(1) MA-RTW core courses: 18-21 units (5001, 5010,
5020, 5870, 5894, 5941)
(2) MA-LIT core courses: 15 units (5000, at least
three 5000-level Lit seminars, and one literature elective)
(3) LIT thesis or RTW project, with topic for
either encompassing both areas 6 or 4 units (students not completing a thesis
or project must substitute two 5000-level seminars, at least one of which must
be in Literature)
RTW/TESOL Dual Concentration:
This dual
concentration will also require a minimum of 36 units and will require the
MA-RTW core listed above. See the TESOL coordinator for additional specific
course requirements.
VIII. FORMATION OF STUDENT'S MA ADVISORY
COMMITTEE
Students in all three
concentrations should consult the Graduate Coordinator concerning the formation
of an appropriate three-person graduate Advisory Committee. Students should
form that committee no later than one semester before that in which they plan
to take exams. Students in the LIT concentration should form an Advisory Committee
before registering for the term in which they intend to take comprehensive
exams or one term prior to taking ENGL 5990.
Students in the RTW
and TESOL concentrations should form an Advisory Committee at least one
semester before taking the comprehensive examination or beginning the
prospectus for the advanced project.
The student's MA Advisory Committee will be responsible for
administering the student's comprehensive examinations, and for reading and
evaluating the thesis or advanced project. To allow time for Advisory Committee
members to read theses or advanced projects, students must turn in these
materials at least one month before the expected graduation date. For information about comprehensive exams,
check the link for the concentration in which you are interested.
IX. COLLOQUIUM, OR
ORAL EXAMINATION
Students completing a
thesis or project must give an oral defense or participate in a Department
colloquium. These consist of interested students and professors, gathered
together to listen to and discuss MA candidates' presentations relating to
their research or courses of study.
X. CONTINUING ENROLLMENT
REQUIREMENT
Since Winter 1998,
irrespective of catalogue year, any student who has completed all other degree
work, is pursuing the project or thesis, but has not completed the thesis or
project, must sign up for one unit of Extended Education credit each term in
order to remain affiliated with the university until the thesis or project has
been submitted. A student who is not affiliated with the university may not use
any university facilities or consult with faculty.
XI. APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION
A candidate for an MA
degree must file an application for the degree at the Admissions and Records
office in the first two weeks of the term (or first week of a summer session)
in which he or she expects to complete all requirements for the degree.
The Department offers
qualified graduate students in English an opportunity to support their MA
studies financially and to gain valuable teaching experience by serving as
Teaching Associates in the composition program. Students may apply for an
assistantship when they seek admission to the Graduate Program, but to be
eligible for a TA position they must normally have attained classified graduate
standing in English.
Candidates are
selected for the TA program on the basis of the quality of their academic
background, previous experience, and their promise as classroom instructors.
ENGL 5894 Teaching College Composition and Literature is required as a pre- or
co-requisite for teaching and is applicable to all three concentrations. For
information about teaching associateships, salaries,
applications, and deadlines, contact the Director of Composition (
XIII. THE TEACHING INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Knowing that
many graduate students in English aspire to teach at the university/college
level, the Department has designed an internship program for qualified graduate
students interested in attaining supervised practical experience in teaching
literature, composition, and English as a Second Language (ESL). Students who
sign up for the internship program will work with a supervisory instructor.
The student and the
supervising instructor will decide jointly the specific duties for which the
student will be responsible. Students who intend to serve as interns must take
ENGL 5940: Internship or ENGL 5941: Internship in Teaching Writing. Note that a
student may serve as an intern more than one time; however, only three units of
Internship can be applied toward the MA-RTW and MA-TESOL. Internships CANNOT be
applied towards MA-LIT after Fall 1998.
AN EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/HANDICAPPED/TITLE IX EMPLOYER. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION,
CONTACT:
Department of English,
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