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Nov 03, 2024
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2017-18 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
English, M.A.
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 Return to: Department/Programs
Kevin Donovan, Program Director
(615) 898-2665
Kevin.Donovan@mtsu.edu
The Department of English offers the Master of Arts, the Doctor of Philosophy, and a minor at the graduate level.
Graduate study in English is primarily an engagement in the deep and intense study of literature and language, theory, and writing, undertaken for the special pleasure in knowledge and understanding of the world and its semiotic systems that such studies bring. It also provides preparation and training for careers within and without the academy.
The Master of Arts in English curriculum allows students to explore traditional areas of literary study (Chaucer, Spenser, Shakespeare, Milton, Blake, etc.) as well as topics related to popular culture, film, gender, folklore, linguistics, and children’s literature. Opportunities are also available for concentrated studies in rhetoric, pedagogy, and composition theory.
Please see the undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.
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Admission Requirements
Admissions decisions are based on the department’s judgment of the applicant’s capacity, suitability, and preparation for graduate study. Admission to graduate study is not automatically guaranteed by meeting minimum admission requirements.
Applicants should have earned at least 30 semester hours of undergraduate English. Application Procedures
All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.
Application for Summer/Fall admission must be complete by March 1. Application for Spring admission must be complete by October 1. Those seeking teaching assistantships must apply by February 1 for the following Fall semester. All application materials, including the assistantship application, should be sent directly to the College of Graduate Studies.
Applicant must
- submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
- submit three letters of recommendation from professors or professionals that address the applicant’s potential to successfully complete an M.A. program in English;
- submit official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (English subject test optional);
- submit official transcripts of all previous college work;
- submit a 500-word statement of purpose outlining academic interests and professional goals.
Degree Requirements
The Master of Arts in English requires 30 hours coursework including three credit hours of thesis research or 33 hours for students choosing the portfolio option.
Candidate must
- successfully complete a directed portfolio (ENGL 6913 ) if in the non-thesis option;
- successfully complete and defend a thesis (ENGL 6640 ) if in the thesis option.
Curriculum: English
Candidate must complete 30 hours (thesis option) or 33 hours (directed portfolio option) in the one of the following emphases:
Literary Studies, choosing one of two options
M.A. with Thesis (30 hours)
Core Requirements (6 hours)
Distribution Requirements (12 hours)
- British or American literature up to 1700 3 credit hours
- British or American literature from 1700 to 1900 3 credit hours
- British or American literature since 1900 3 credit hours
- Global literatures in English 3 credit hours
Electives (9 hours)
May be fulfilled by any combination of English courses. One 5000-level Foreign Language for Reading Knowledge course may be used as an elective. Students are expected to take 3 credit hours of directed reading and research (ENGL 6620 ) with their proposed thesis director the semester before enrolling for thesis hours.
Thesis (3 hours)
At least 3 credit hours of ENGL 6640 - Thesis Research must be completed with a grade of S, and the completed thesis must be successfully defended and accepted by the College of Graduate Studies.
M.A. with Portfolio (33 hours)
Core Requirements (6 hours)
Distribution Requirements (12 hours)
- British or American literature up to 1700 3 credit hours
- British or American literature from 1700 to 1900 3 credit hours
- British or American literature since 1900 3 credit hours
- Global literatures in English 3 credit hours
Electives (12 hours)
May be fulfilled by any combination of English courses. One 5000-level Foreign Language for Reading Knowledge course may be used as an elective.
Directed Portfolio (3 hours)
Three credit hours of ENGL 6913 must be completed with a grade of S. The portfolio is made up of three course papers revised according to the recommendations of the assigning professors into short essays appropriate for submission to relevant academic journals and an essay of at least 1,500 words addressing the choice of essays and reflecting on the process of revising them into publishable articles. Final submission of the portfolio to the English Office of Graduate Programs should include the originally assigned papers, the revised articles, the reflective essay, and a sign-off sheet for each paper signed by the assigning professor attesting the professor’s satisfaction with the revisions.
Language and Writing Studies with Thesis (30 hours)
Core Requirements (6 hours)
Required Courses (12 hours)
Culminating Project/Thesis (3 hours)
Either a thesis ( ENGL 6640 - Thesis Research ) or a culminating project in which the student revises a seminar paper into an essay appropriate for submission to relevant academic journals. The revised paper must be accompanied by a rhetorical analysis of the target journal, a process narrative discussion the student’s writing process, and a reflection piece articulating what the student learned through the process.
Language and Writing Studies with Portfolio (33 hours)
Core Requirements (6 hours)
Required Courses (12 hours)
Directed Portfolio (3 hours)
Three credit hours of ENGL 6913 must be completed with a grade of S. The portfolio is made up of three course papers revised according to the recommendations of the assigning professors into short essays appropriate for submission to relevant academic journals and an essay of at least 1,500 words addressing the choice of essays and reflecting on the process of revising them into publishable articles. Final submission of the portfolio to the English Office of Graduate Programs should include the originally assigned papers, the revised articles, the reflective essay, and a sign-off sheet for each paper signed by the assigning professor attesting the professor’s satisfaction with the revisions.
Teaching Writing and Literature with Thesis (30 hours)
Core Requirements (6 hours)
Required Courses (12 hours)
Electives (9 hours)
From any 6000-level English classes or one 5000-level English class. One 5000-level Foreign Language for Reading Knowledge course may be used as an elective.
Capstone Project/Thesis (3 hours)
At least 3 credit hours of ENGL 6640 must be completed with a grade of S, and the completed thesis must be successfully defended and accepted by the College of Graduate Studies. The thesis may be a conventional academic investigation or it may be a hybrid pedagogical project involving classroom research/inquiry supported by scholarly research.
Teaching Writing and Literature with Portfolio (33 hours)
Core Requirements (6 hours)
Required Courses (12 hours)
Electives (12 hours)
From any 6000-level English classes or one 5000-level English class. One 5000-level Foreign Language for Reading Knowledge course may be used as an elective.
Directed Portfolio (3 hours)
Three credit hours of ENGL 6913 must be completed with a grade of S. The portfolio is made up of three course papers revised according to the recommendations of the assigning professors into short essays appropriate for submission to relevant academic journals and an essay of at least 1,500 words addressing the choice of essays and reflecting on the process of revising them into publishable articles. Final submission of the portfolio to the English Office of Graduate Programs should include the originally assigned papers, the revised articles, the reflective essay, and a sign-off sheet for each paper signed by the assigning professor attesting the professor’s satisfaction with the revisions.
Popular Culture/Culture Studies (30 hours)
Core Requirements (6 hours)
Required Courses (12 hours)
Electives (9 hours)
From any 6000-level English classes or one 5000-level English class. One 5000-level Foreign Language for Reading Knowledge course may be used as an elective.
Open Degree Plan (30-33 hours)
M.A. with Portfolio (33 hours)
Students taking this option take 30 hours of coursework including ENGL 6660 - Introduction to Graduate Study: Bibliography and Research plus a minimum of 3 hours of ENGL 6913 - Directed Portfolio , completed with a grade of S. The portfolio is made up of three course papers revised according to the recommendations of the assigning professors into short essays appropriate for submission to relevant academic journals and an essay of at least 1,500 words addressing the choice of essays and reflecting on the process of revising them into publishable articles. Final submission of the portfolio to the English Office of Graduate Programs should include the originally assigned papers, the revised articles, the reflective essay, and a sign-off sheet for each paper signed by the assigning professor attesting the professor’s satisfaction with the revisions.
Program Notes
Candidate must
- file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to entry into the program;
- file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term in which the student intends to graduate.
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