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Program Overview
The MA in English program offers a wide range of courses based in our graduate faculty’s expertise in diverse areas of English studies. Students may choose graduate courses that cover the various periods and genres of British and American literature, as well as courses in rhetoric and composition, literary and critical theory, and special topics such as feminism/modernism, autobiography, postmodernism and the novel.
Seminars that provide intensive study of major authors, literary periods and movements, critical issues, and modes of discourse are the centerpiece of the MA coursework. Of the minimum 30 units required for the degree, 20 units must be at the 600 level, which means that students will take at least five graduate seminars. All students must enroll in English 696 and take at least one seminar in pre-1800 British literature. The remaining 600-level units may be selected from any of the English Department’s graduate seminars.
The culminating experience of the MA in English is either a comprehensive examination or a Master’s thesis. Both final degree requirements offer students the opportunity to demonstrate the mastery of the skills they have been developing and refining throughout their graduate coursework: the ability to analyze and interpret texts, to conduct research using a variety of methods, and to write compellingly in an academic or professional discourse. Students select an exam area based on their interests and coursework, and then prepare essays on three exam topics, one of which will be selected for the final three-hour examination. Writing this essay allows a student to demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of the exam area, including the ability to cite relevant criticism and theory, to make a persuasive argument based on textual analysis and research, and to write clearly and cogently. Students who elect to write a thesis will have the opportunity to develop an in-depth research project with guidance from the graduate faculty. Both the comprehensive exam and the Master’s thesis provide students with an intensive, rigorous, and rewarding culminating experience.
Goals and Outcomes
Goals
The MA in English is designed to:
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Cover a representative range of periods, authors and genres in literary and rhetorical texts |
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Introduce a variety of critical, theoretical and pedagogical approaches to the study of
literature, writing and rhetoric |
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Train students to explore the relations among written works and their historical, social, political and professional contexts |
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Broaden and deepen students’ understanding of the intellectual, cultural, literary and rhetorical traditions of writing in English |
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Develop students’ ability to research a topic intensively and construct an informed argument |
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Develop students’ critical reading and writing skills |
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Improve students’ oral presentation and argumentation skills |
Outcomes
By the end of their MA program students should be able to:
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Demonstrate familiarity with a wide range of representative literary and rhetorical texts, including influential criticism of and commentary on those texts |
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Examine the theoretical premises underlying the critical analysis of literature, rhetoric and/or the teaching of reading and writing |
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Analyze the functions of texts and their relations with historical, social and political contexts |
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Analyze how purpose, style and genre function in texts to achieve particular literary, rhetorical and aesthetic effects |
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locate, evaluate and synthesize the available resources for researching a significant scholarly topic |
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Write papers that construct logical and informed arguments |
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Prepare and deliver effective oral presentations and arguments acceptable within the English professions |
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Required Coursework
Students must have a minimum of 30 units of approved upper-division and graduate courses with at least 24 units in English to obtain the MA degree. No courses previously used to satisfy BA requirements may be retaken for graduate credit. Double-numbered courses (400/500) must be taken at the 500 level for MA credit. Only specified 400- level courses may be counted toward the MA; these courses are listed on the Graduate Course Descriptions page. Other undergraduate courses may be taken for graduate credit if students obtain approval to do so in advance. To have an undergraduate course approved for graduate credit, students must submit to the Graduate Coordinator a memo from the course instructor explaining what extra work the student was assigned in order to meet graduate standards. Note that General Education courses cannot be applied to the MA degree.
English 696 Requirement
Students must take English 696: Seminar in Literary Criticism and Research prior to, or concurrent with, other 600-series courses. Students must be admitted to the MA program in order to enroll in English 696. Plan on taking this course early in your program.
600- Level Courses
Of the required 30 units, at least 20 must be at the 600- level (this includes English 696 but not English 697 or 698). Students must take at least one seminar in the 600-series in British Literature before 1800. English 697 (Directed Research) and English 698 (Thesis) may NOT be used to fulfill this course requirement. The following seminars are eligible:
Additional Units
Students must take additional acceptable units to make up a minimum of 30 units. Up to 6 units approved for graduate standing may come from other departments, other campuses, or extension programs, if approved as relevant to a degree objective (i.e., Area of Concentration). Outside courses, however, may not fulfill the 20-unit requirement of 600- level courses in English. Students whose degree interests require more than 6 units outside the Department of English should consider an Interdisciplinary Studies Master of Arts. The Interdisciplinary Studies Program is administered through University Programs and housed in Library E-14. All upper-division and graduate courses taken as a post-baccalaureate student affect the overall GPA.
Click here to see a list of acceptable MA courses and descriptions
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FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY
General Overview
Foreign language proficiency is required as an adjunct to graduate study in English for several reasons. Knowledge of a second language offers a second window of perception on the world. It puts into perspective the logic and illogic of one’s first language. It offers acquaintanceship with another literature not distorted by translation. It also makes possible research into scholarly and critical writing about the English language and its literatures not available in translation.
Foreign Language Requirements
Candidates must complete the foreign language requirement or be enrolled in the final units of the requirement before taking final comprehensive examinations. The foreign language proficiency requirement may be fulfilled in ONE of the three following ways:
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Complete college course work in a foreign language equivalent to sophomore proficiency (normally 201B at this University) with a grade of “C” or better; |
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Complete college course work in a foreign language equivalent to freshman proficiency (101B) with a grade of “C” or better AND complete either English 550: Old English or English 551: Middle English with a grade of “B” or better. Either or both of the English courses may be counted toward the minimum 30 units for the degree (students should note that English 550 and 551 require a prerequisite course, English 461, or permission of the instructor); |
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Receive credit by examination in a 201B foreign language course, or demonstrate native proficiency in a foreign language accepted by the Graduate Studies Committee |
Unlike almost all upper-division and graduate courses, lower-division foreign language courses may be taken CR/NC.
ADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY
What is advancement to candidacy and when should I do it?
Advancing to candidacy certifies that the Department recommends a student to the College of Liberal Arts as a candidate for the MA degree. You must be advanced to candidacy at least one semester before the semester you plan to graduate, and you can advance once you’ve completed 6 units toward your degree. Advancement confers the equivalent of catalog rights on graduate students—that is, your degree requirements are determined by the catalog at the time of your advancement. If you change your program of study, your requirements will be determined by the catalog at the time.
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THE FINAL DEGREE REQUIREMENT
General Requirement Information
The final requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in English is either:
- A final comprehensive examination, OR
- A thesis.
Students who wish to change to the comprehensive exam option after taking 698 units must confer with the Graduate Coordinator, who will seek approval from the College of Liberal Arts Dean. In these cases, the RP grade(s) the student received for any 698 units will remain on the transcript without being changed to a letter grade. Students may not change options after failing either the thesis or the comprehensive examination.
Option One: The Final Comprehensive Examination Option
The final comprehensive examination is a three-hour essay that serves as a capstone of the 30-unit program of study. A candidate must be enrolled at the University in the semester the examination is taken. Early that semester, the candidate must apply to the English Department Office to take the examination and specify the area to be covered. Two months prior to the examination date, candidates in each area of study will be given five questions to answer. Each candidate may reject two of the five questions. At the examination, the student will be told which one of the remaining three questions to address in an essay, demonstrating familiarity with both primary and secondary sources. Students are encouraged, but not required, to write the examination on a computer.
Examination Areas
The examination tests a candidate’s mastery of one of the eight following areas, which the candidate selects on the basis of intensive study including course work at the graduate level. Students should be aware, however, that 600-level seminars are not survey courses, but typically involve in-depth studies in a portion of the subject named in the course title.
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Area
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Description
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Area I
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Old and Middle English Language and Literature |
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Area II
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English Literature of the Renaissance |
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Area III
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English Literature of the Restoration and 18th Century |
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Area IV
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English Literature of the 19th Century |
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Area V
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English Literature since 1900 |
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Area VI
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American Literature before 1900 |
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Area VII
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American Literature since 1900 |
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Area VIII
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Literary Genre or Criticism (Students set up their own reading lists on topics crossing period or nationality boundaries, the topic to be approved IN ADVANCE by the Graduate Studies Committee.) |
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Area IX
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Rhetoric, Writing, and Composition |
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Examination Objectives
The examination gives candidates the opportunity to synthesize their learning and to demonstrate their analytical and interpretive skills. More specifically, it requires students:
- To show their ability to write a complete essay that demonstrates a comprehensive and deep understanding of a particular field in English or American studies or another specialty area. The essay will measure knowledge, analytical ability, and writing capabilities.
- To show comprehension of, and familiarity with, a breadth of both primary and secondary materials within the area of study. Thus the essay will provide evidence of the student’s ability to use library resources.
- To show connections and distinctions within the area of study. The essay will encourage the student to draw from the coursework that has formed the student’s program of study.
Each exam is read by three faculty members who specialize in the selected area. Readers rate the examination as O (outstanding), P (passing), or NP (not passing). An “outstanding” exam must receive two or more O ratings; a “passing” exam must receive an O or P from at least two of its readers; a “not passing” exam must receive at least two NP ratings. Students awarded a grade of NP may petition the Graduate Studies Committee to take the examination a second time. An unsatisfactory performance on the second attempt will result in dismissal from the graduate program.
Students who sign up for and later decide to withdraw from the exam must notify the graduate secretary no later than 24 hours before the exam. Failure to report one’s decision to withdraw from the exam by this time will result in a “no pass” score. Similarly, if a student attends the exam and then leaves without finishing, he or she will receive a “no pass” score. Students may petition the Graduate Studies Committee to be exempted from either of these rules if they can claim that serious, unforeseen medical or personal problems prevented them from attending (and notifying the English Department of their inability to attend) or completing the exam.
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Option Two: The Thesis
Before a student can advance to candidacy with a thesis option or begin taking 698 units, he or she must prepare for the proposed thesis committee the following:
1. Formal Prospectus
The prospectus should explain the student’s topic, works to be treated, preliminary thesis or central line of argument, and suggested breakdown of chapters. It should also convey a sense of previous scholarship in this field and indicate the methodology and the major critics or critical traditions that will be employed.
2. Bibliography
The bibliography should include a substantial representation of primary and secondary material (i.e., editions of literature as well as works of literary criticism and any other related scholarship) to support the prospectus.
The student will then convene a meeting with the three prospective committee members, who will have had time to review the materials before meeting. Together, student and committee will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the project as set forth in the prospectus and bibliography. Other topics addressed will include a time frame for completing the thesis and the committee’s division of labor.
The committee will then confer and decide whether or not to approve the thesis project as proposed. The committee may decide that more work needs to be done before the prospectus can be approved. If the committee members do approve the project, they will sign the 698 form at that time.
Other thesis regulations are detailed in the section on Graduate Study in the University Bulletin. Essentials include the following:
- A student must be Advanced to Candidacy before enrolling in 698 (Thesis).
- The six units of English 698 (Thesis) may not be used to satisfy MA requirements for 600-level seminars.
- A student who takes English 698 (Thesis) may also use English 697 (Directed Research) as part of the minimum 30 units of the MA program. However, because University policy states that a maximum of six units shall be allowed for a thesis, English 698 and English 697 cannot be taken for the same project.
- A minimum grade of B is required for English 698 (Thesis).
Thesis topics depend on the student’s interests and the availability of faculty who specialize in the area of study. For information on writing theses in creative writing or technical and professional writing consult with the appropriate faculty.
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FACULTY ADVISORS
All students accepted into the MA program are required to meet with a graduate advisor during their first semester to discuss strengths and weaknesses and to plan a preliminary course of study. Letters of acceptance will include the name of your initial advisor. Please make an appointment through the graduate secretary (562-985-4225).
After the first semester, you are free to choose an advisor other than the one initially assigned to you; you must choose your particular graduate advisor before advancement to candidacy. The Department of English keeps an updated list of faculty available to graduate students as advisors and mentors.
Throughout their programs, students are encouraged to seek guidance from advisors on choosing courses and meeting degree requirements. By meeting at least once a year, preferably once a semester, with your advisor, you will be informed about any changes in regulations applying to the MA degree, whether these originate inside or outside the Department. You are also welcome to consult with faculty on the intellectual, social, and personal aspects of working for the degree.
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RESEARCH SKILLS
All MA students are expected to know basic methods of library research, which include using print and on-line bibliographies to locate books and journal articles. Students should also be familiar with the Modern Language Association (MLA) style of documentation. If you do not already own a copy, you are encouraged to purchase and use The M.L.A. Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, ed. Joseph Gibaldi. Leslie Swigart in the library can help with questions about research resources and methods; she can be reached at (562) 985-8327 or lswigart@csub.edu. Faculty may also be consulted if you have questions about research methods or documentation rules.
ADDITIONAL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
G.P.A. Information
Only grades earned at CSULB offset a GPA deficiency at CSULB. All upper-division and graduate courses taken as a post-baccalaureate student affect the overall GPA.
GPA Maintenance
Students are required to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better both in the MA program and in all upper-division and graduate courses taken at CSULB as a post-baccalaureate student. Graduate students are subject to dismissal from the University if they fail to raise their GPA to 3.0 after two semesters on probation. A student who has been disqualified must reapply to the University. As the Catalog states, “subsequent removal of GPA deficiencies . . . does not guarentee readmission to CSULB.” The Graduate Coordinator, in consultation with the Graduate Studies Committee, will decide whether or not to readmit students who have been on probation or academically disqualified from the MA in English program.
Upper-Division and Graduate Course Grading
Credit/No Credit grading is not available in upper-division or graduate courses, with few specified exceptions such as teacher training. It is acceptable for lower-division courses, such as 100-200-level foreign language classes, which do not affect a graduate student’s overall GPA.
Incomplete Course Grades
Graduate students should avoid “I” (Incomplete) grades in any courses on the graduate program. Any Incomplete grades must be finished within one year from the semester when they were awarded. Students who need to extend the time required to complete a course beyond one year may apply for an extension of the Incomplete grade. The application for extension requires approval by the instructor of the course, the Department Chair, and the Dean of the College. If an Incomplete is not finished wihtin the allotted period, it will lapse to an “F” or the grade designated by the instructor. Grades lower than “C” cannot be counted on the MA program and subject a student’s Advacement to Candidacy to cancellation.
Continuous CSULB Enrollment
Students are required to be continuously enrolled at CSULB to acquire the MA degree. Students who are absent for twelve consecutive months break the continuous enrollement and must apply for readmission. Students previously Advanced to Candidacy must satisfy any new requirements in effect at the time of readmission and may have to petition through the Graduate Coordinator for reinstatement in the program by the Associate Vice President. To avoid such problems, if you know you must break enrollment temporarily, you should consult the University Catalog for policies governing “Educational Leave.”
Graduate Studies 700
A candidate who has completed course work, but not the comprehensive examination or the thesis, may satisfy the continous enrollment requirement with a non-credit Extension course, Graduate Studies 700. Students must be registered either in a course or in GS 700 for every semester in which they plan to use University facilities or consult members of the faculty. Registration is also required in Winter or Summer Session if that is when you plan to graduate. Application forms are available in the English Department office. Successive enrollments in GS 700 are subject to official limitations, but exceptions are usually granted.
The Request to Graduate Form
All students must file a Request to Graduate Form. This form is available only in the Office of Enrollment Services (BH-101). Before filing, students must already have an approved Advancement to Candidacy on file in Enrollment Services. (See the current Schedule of Classes for filing deadlines). The completed form must be returned to the General Information windows after paying appropriate fees to the Cashier’s office. No degree can be granted unless this form is filed. Students planning to graduate in one year should file the card at the time of admission.
Seven Year Requirement for Completion of Degree
All students must complete all degree requirements within seven years from the first units earned towards the MA. Courses more than seven years old must be replaced or “revalidated” to count in an MA program. The English Department will revalidate no more than three courses on a student’s Program of Study and will not revalidate any course for which a student earned a grade lower than a “B.” If more than three courses require revalication, or if the grade for a course is lower than a “B,” the student will have to retake that course, if it is a requirement for the MA program, or replace it with a current course that completes the student’s Program of Study. To revalidate a course, students must provide a written demonstration of current competence in the subject matter of the course; the specific work to be performed will be assigned by the faculty member who taught the courses, if he or she is available, or by another faculty member in the same or related area of study. Revalidation requires authorization by the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies.
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