English M.A.
Requirements
Requirements for Graduation
1. A minimum of 48 quarter units of acceptable graduate-level work in the formal program, with no fewer than 35 completed at this university and with at least 34 units gained from 600-level courses in English. Students must gain approval in advance from the Graduate Coordinator to count 300-, 400- or 500-level courses as electives;
2. Advancement to candidacy;
3. A grade point average of at least 3.0 ("B") in all graduate course work and research fulfilling the requirements of the student's concentration and grades of "C" (2.0) or better in all courses in the program;
4. For students in the English Composition Concentration and English Literature Concentration, demonstrated minimal competence in a language other than English at the level of a foreign language 150 course given by the Department of World Languages and Literatures. Can be fulfilled by one of the following, but note that courses taken to fulfill the language requirement cannot be applied toward any graduate degree unit requirements:
A. One year of college course work (with a grade of A, B, C, or CR) studying a language other than English,
B. Passage of a language competency exam in a language other than English at a level of Intermediate (ACTFL Stage 2) or above or equivalent,
C. Four units of college course work (with a grade of A, B, C, or CR) studying a language other than English plus four units of course work in language acquisition, such as ENG 312;
5. For students in the Teaching English as a Second Language Concentration, demonstrated competence in a language other than English. Can be fulfilled by one of the following:
A. One year of college work (with a grade of A, B, C or CR) studying a language other than English,
B. Passage of a language competency exam in a language at a level of Intermediate (ACTFL Stage 2) or above or equivalent;
6. The graduation writing requirement is met upon successful completion of the thesis or comprehensive examination;
7. The program must be completed within a seven-year period. No more than seven years may elapse between the time of registration for the earliest course listed on the program and the completion of all requirements for the degree. Students who have taken any required or elective course that expires because it exceeds this seven-year limitation will be required to retake the course or its equivalent as designated by the Graduate Coordinator, regardless of the grade originally earned. Petitions to waive this requirement will not be approved.
Note: Students interested in pursuing dual concentrations should contact the Graduate Coordinator about dual concentration requirements.
Degree Requirements (48 units)
English Composition Concentration (48 units)
Before enrolling in courses, students should consult the course descriptions for course prerequisites.
1. ENG 609. Perspectives on Research (4)
2. ENG 611. The Western Rhetorical Tradition (4)
3. ENG 612. Contemporary Composition and Discourse Theory (4)
4. ENG 613. Seminar in Rhetoric and Composition (4)
5. Four units chosen from:
ENG 615. Discourse Analysis: Theories and Applications (4)
ENG 616. Contrastive Rhetoric (4)
ENG 617. Linguistic Pragmatics (4)
ENG 618. Stylistics (4)
6. ENG 650. Critical Approaches to Literature (4)
7. Twelve units chosen from:
ENG 530. Issues in Tutoring Writing (4)
ENG 621. Approaches to Imaginative Writing (4)
ENG 626. TESL Methods and Materials for Reading and Writing (4)
ENG 657. Sites of Praxis (4)
ENG 658. Computers and Writing: Literacy and Technology (4)
ENG 660. Issues in Teaching College Composition (4)
8. ENG 662. Internship in Composition (2)
9. ENG 695. Thesis Proposal/Comprehensive Examination Preparation (2)
10. Electives (4-8 units)
Students who are completing the Thesis Option under Culminating Experience below must take four units of electives; students completing the Comprehensive Examination option must take eight units of electives. Electives must be approved in advance by the Graduate Coordinator.
11. Culminating Experience
Choose one of the following two options:
Thesis Option (4 units)
1. ENG 699A. Thesis (2)
2. ENG 699B. Thesis and Research (2)
Comprehensive Examination Option (0 units)
1. ENG 999. Comprehensive Examination (0)
English Literature Concentration (48 units)
Before enrolling in courses, students should consult the course descriptions for course prerequisites.
1. ENG 609. Perspectives on Research (4)
2. ENG 611. The Western Rhetorical Tradition (4)
3. ENG 612. Contemporary Composition and Discourse Theory (4)
4. Four units chosen from:
ENG 615. Discourse Analysis: Theories and Applications (4)
ENG 616. Contrastive Rhetoric (4)
ENG 617. Linguistic Pragmatics (4)
ENG 618. Stylistics (4)
5. ENG 621. Approaches to Imaginative Writing (4)
6. ENG 650. Critical Approaches to Literature (4)
7. Twelve units chosen from:
ENG 601. Seminar in Poetry (4)
ENG 602. Seminar in Dramatic Literature for Stage and Film (4)
ENG 603. Seminar in Fiction (4)
ENG 604. Seminar in Nonfiction Prose (4)
ENG 651. Seminar in a Literary Topic (4)
8. ENG 663. Internship in Literature (2)
9. ENG 695. Thesis Proposal/Comprehensive Examination Preparation (2)
10. Electives (4-8 units)
Students who are completing the Thesis Option under Culminating Experience below must take four units of electives; students completing the Comprehensive Examination option must take eight units off electives. Electives must be approved in advance by the Graduate Coordinator.
11. Culminating Experience
Choose one of the following two options:
Thesis Option (4 units)
1. ENG 699A. Thesis (2)
2. ENG 699B. Thesis and Research (2)
Comprehensive Examination Option (0 units)
1. ENG 999. Comprehensive Examination (0)
Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Concentration (48 units)
If TESL concentration students have completed ENG 523 and 524 with grades of "C" or better in their B.A. degree, they must take eight units of graduate-level English electives, approved in advance by the Graduate Coordinator, in lieu of ENG 523 and 524 in the M.A. program.
Before enrolling in courses, students should consult the course descriptions for course prerequisites.
1. ENG 523. English Grammar II (4)
2. ENG 524. Sociolinguistics (4)
3. ENG 609. Perspectives on Research (4)
4. Four units chosen from:
ENG 611. The Western Rhetorical Tradition (4)
ENG 612. Contemporary Composition and Discourse Theory (4)
5. ENG 615. Discourse Analysis: Theories and Applications (4)
6. Four units chosen from:
ENG 616. Contrastive Rhetoric (4)
ENG 617. Linguistic Pragmatics (4)
7. ENG 619. Second Language Acquisition (4)
8. ENG 626. TESL Methods and Materials for Reading and Writing (4)
9. Four units chosen from:
ENG 530. Issues in Tutoring Writing (4)
ENG 657. Sites of Praxis (4)
ENG 658. Computers and Writing: Literacy and Technology (4)
ENG 660. Issues in Teaching College Composition (4)
10. ENG 664. Internship in ESL Teaching (2)
11. ENG 695. Thesis Proposal/Comprehensive Examination Preparation (2)
12. Electives (4-8 units)
Students who are completing the Thesis Option under Culminating Experience below must take four units of electives; students completing the Comprehensive Examination option must take eight units of electives. Electives must be approved in advance by the Graduate Coordinator.
13. Culminating Experience
Choose one of the following two options:
Thesis Option (4 units)
1. ENG 699A. Thesis (2)
2. ENG 699B. Thesis and Research (2)
Comprehensive Examination Option (0 units)
1. ENG 999. Comprehensive Examination (0)
Culminating Experience
Students select either the Thesis Option or the Comprehensive Examination Option. Successful completion of either option satisfies the graduation writing requirement.
Thesis Option
Students electing the Thesis Option are required to write a thesis in either English composition and rhetoric, literature, linguistics, applied linguistics or teaching English as a second language. Students develop an acceptable thesis project and prepare a thesis proposal in accordance with program guidelines, consisting of a 1000-word proposal and an annotated bibliography. Those pursuing a dual concentration must devise a thesis project relevant to both concentrations. To develop a thesis proposal and obtain approval of it, students carry out the following steps:
1. Complete ENG 695 with a grade of CR;
2. Gain the support of a committee of two or three English Department faculty members (the thesis reading committee);
3. Submit the Thesis Proposal and annotated bibliography to the full graduate committee (8-10 members) and carry out any revisions requested to achieve its approval.
Students then write the thesis, a culminating independent project that demonstrates mastery of both the subject matter and the written discourse of the discipline. Completed thesis manuscripts must be formatted in accordance with the guidelines established by the Graduate Studies Office and approved by the thesis reading committee and either the graduate coordinator, associate graduate coordinator, or department chair, and the Dean of Graduate Studies.
Note: To undertake the Thesis Option, a student must have a minimum GPA of 3.7 overall in degree-applicable courses or the permission of the graduate coordinator.
Comprehensive Examination Option
Students electing the Comprehensive Examination Option must take the examination no earlier than in the last quarter of program coursework, and after successful completion (with a grade of CR) of ENG 695.
Students must declare their intent to take the examination at least one quarter in advance and register for ENG 999. The comprehensive examination is offered twice yearly, in fall and spring quarters.
The reading committees for the comprehensive examination in each concentration will be established annually by the graduate program, and will consist of two English Department faculty members and the graduate coordinator or associate coordinator responsible for each concentration.
The comprehensive examination addresses both the program's core curriculum and the student's concentration. The examination will be graded pass/fail. No student will be permitted to take the comprehensive examination more than twice. Candidates who re-take the examination must do so within one calendar year.
Please refer to the University catalog at http://catalog.csusb.edu for official information.