MA Handbook

MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGLISH

The Master of Arts (MA) program in English equips graduate students with the knowledge and skills necessary both for the outstanding teacher and for the well-prepared candidate for further graduate study. The graduate committee of the department accordingly requires its master’s candidates to follow a course of advanced study that leads to a comprehensive knowledge of English and American literature. Candidates are also given training in the principles of literary criticism and in the use of bibliographic tools so that they will have a general competence in criticism and research.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must meet the general requirements of the Graduate School, with the additional requirement that they have a 3.0 grade point average in their previous English courses. The Coordinator of Graduate Studies in English will then evaluate the applicant’s transcript, prescribing additional undergraduate hours for those who have fewer than 24 credit hours in English and American literature or other work acceptable to the department of English. Courses in freshman composition, grammar, teaching methods, journalism, speech, etc., may not be included in the required 24 hours. Exceptions may be made for outstanding students who have majored in related fields. Applications for the MA program are accepted continuously, but to apply for a Graduate Teaching Assistant position, the department deadlines for application are October 1 for spring; February 10 for fall admission.

Applicants who have earned degrees at institutions in countries in which English is not the native language must score at least 600 paper-based, 250 computer-based, or 100 Internet-based on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Examination, or an overall band score of 7.5 on the IELTS before being admitted to the MA degree program in English.

Counseling

MA candidates in English are advised by the Graduate Coordinator of English. The coordinator and the student establish a plan of study that takes into account the student’s interests and vocational plans.

Transfer of Credit

Students must complete 24 hours of credit at Wichita State within the English department. Students may transfer up to 9 hours of credit on the Plan A program and up to 6 hours of credit on Plan B. If the credit to be transferred comes from a program in which the student took a graduate degree, the time limits imposed by the Graduate School on other transfers of credit will not apply.

Language Requirement

Before receiving an MA degree in English, candidates must fulfill a foreign language requirement by any one of the following ways:

1. By submitting a transcript showing the successful completion of at least 15 hours of coursework in a single foreign language or the equivalent as defined by the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
2. By completing the required 15 hours in a single foreign language while in the MA program.
3. By taking a test administered by the department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures in the elected foreign language, with a successful score determined by the English department.
4. By submitting a transcript showing successful completion of 6 hours of linguistics.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

English 700, Introduction to Graduate Study in English, normally should be included in the student’s first semester of graduate study.

All work to be counted toward the MA degree in English must be in courses numbered above 700 with the exception of 9 hours which may be taken at any level 500 or above. Candidates offering 500-, 600-, or 700-level English courses for graduate credit must satisfy a higher differential of performance relative to undergraduate students in the same courses, with the nature of this differential set by the course professor.

There are two programs leading to the degree. Plan A, which emphasizes literature, composition, and pedagogy, is especially designed for teachers. Plan B, which requires the student to submit a master’s thesis, places more emphasis on research, scholarly writing, and the independent study of literature.

Plan A requires the completion of 11 courses for a total of 33 credit hours distributed as follows: ENGL 700, Introduction to Graduate Study in English; two major author(s), genre, or special topics classes (ENGL 508, 512, 513, 514, 515, 516, 520, 536, 580, 712, 713, 714, 715, 816, 880); two courses from British Literature before 1900 (521, 522, 524, 526, 527, 720, 721, 722, 724, 726, 727, 814); one course in American literature before WWI (503, 504, 703, 704); one course in 20th/21st century studies—British, American, or Anglophone (532, 533, 705, 728, 733); one course in composition theory and pedagogy (680, 780); and three elective classes in linguistics, literature, or methods of teaching English.

With Graduate Coordinator approval, courses with a minimum of 80 percent of the content meeting a requirement may be used to satisfy a requirement other than the one for which they are listed. No single course can be used to satisfy more than one requirement. A major author(s) course cannot be used to satisfy a period requirement. With approval of the Graduate Coordinator, a course can be repeated once for credit if at least 80 percent of the content is different. Regents’ rules require that at least seven courses be at or above the 700 level. All English department classes at the 500 level or above not taken to meet another requirement can earn credit as an elective provided that the student has sufficient coursework at the 700 level or above. With Graduate Coordinator approval, one elective may be taken in another department or college, such as the College of Education.

A master’s thesis is not required, but students must take a comprehensive examination based on a standardized recommended reading list approved by the graduate studies committee. The main portion of the list divides British and American literature into six historical periods surveying the major authors, genres, and works from each period. A second portion of the list recommends reading in the field of composition and pedagogy. Plan A students must choose questions from two literary periods, one American, one British, and one question from the composition and rhetoric section. At least one of the two literary periods must cover literature before 1900. Students may take either the December or May comprehensive examination by informing the Graduate Coordinator of intent to do so in writing.

Plan B requires the completion of 10 courses for a total of 30 credit hours distributed as follows: ENGL 700, Introduction to Graduate Study in English; two major author(s); genre, or special topics classes (ENGL 508, 512, 513, 514, 515, 516, 520, 536, 580, 712, 713, 714, 715, 816, 880); two courses from British Literature before 1900 (521, 522, 524, 526,5727, 720, 721, 722, 724, 726, 727, 814); one course in American literature before WWI (503, 504, 703, 704); one course in 20th/21st century studies—British, American, or Anglophone (532, 533, 705, 728, 733); two elective classes in linguistics, literature, or methods of teaching English; and a master’s thesis (ENGL 890). A maximum of 3 hours of ENGL 890 can be applied toward the degree.

With Graduate Coordinator approval, courses with a minimum of 80 percent of the content meeting a requirement may be used to satisfy a requirement other than the one for which they are listed. No single course can be used to satisfy more than one requirement. A major author(s) course cannot be used to satisfy a period requirement. With approval of the Graduate Coordinator, a course can be repeated once for credit if at least 80 percent of the content is different. Regents’ rules require that at least seven courses be at or above the 700 level. All English department classes at the 500 level or above not taken to meet another requirement can earn credit as an elective provided that the student has sufficient coursework at the 700 level or above. With Graduate Coordinator approval, one elective may be taken in another department or college.

Plan B also requires a written comprehensive examination, a thesis, and an oral thesis defense. The oral defense committee includes the director of the thesis, a graduate faculty member from the English department, and a reader from outside the English department who is a graduate faculty member. The written comprehensive examination will be based on a standardized recommended reading list approved by the graduate studies committee. The list divides British and American literature into six historical periods surveying the major authors, genres, and works from each period. Plan B students must choose questions from three literary periods, with at least one each from American and British. At least one of the three literary periods must cover literature before 1900. Students may take either the December or May comprehensive examination by informing the Graduate Coordinator of intent to do so in writing.

SPECIAL NOTE: Graduate students who are also teaching assistants must take English 780, 581, and 681. English 681 and 780 may be used for degree credit. English 581 may not be used for degree credit.

GENERAL INFORMATION

REGISTRATION AND ADVISING

During pre-registration and registration each semester, the Graduate Coordinator will be available to advise students and to sign their registration materials. Graduate student registration materials should be approved only by the Graduate Coordinator or the Department Chairperson.

Other kinds of counseling should be arranged by appointment with the Graduate Coordinator.

PLAN OF STUDY

In order to define a program of study for a graduate degree, students must submit the Plan of Study form leading to admission to candidacy for the degree no later than the month following the completion of 12 semester hours of graduate credit or the semester prior to the semester of graduation, whichever comes first. After approval by the Graduate Coordinator, the Plan of Study is submitted to the Graduate School for approval.

Students may make changes by filing a Plan of Study marked “Revised Plan,” approved by the Graduate Coordinator and the Graduate School.

DIRECTED READINGS

English 855 is intended for the qualified student as an opportunity to do further work beyond the regular courses in the Department of English.

In order to undertake a Directed Reading, the student should first discuss with the Graduate Coordinator the suitability of the directed reading for the student’s plan of study. If appropriate, the student then solicits the efforts of an instructor who is willing to direct the course. In consultation with that instructor, the student then develops a prospectus that includes a statement of purpose, the method of evaluation, a preliminary bibliography, and the signature of the instructor involved. The student submits the completed prospectus to the Graduate Coordinator for approval. The prospectus must be approved prior to the student’s enrollment in English 855 (preferably during the semester preceding the one in which the student intends to enroll).

Upon completion of the course, the student must file a statement form with the Graduate School. Forms are available in the Graduate Coordinator’s office.

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION

All candidates for the MA degree must pass a final written comprehensive examination, as specified in the descriptions of Plans A and B. Students are urged to consult their advisor or advisors concerning the scope of the examination and the items on the book list. Course syllabi are not designed toward the comprehensive examinations, so students should pursue additional reading beyond course requirements.

Students should take the comprehensive examination in the last semester of their course work or as close to that time as is feasible. The comprehensive examination is given twice a year (in the fall and spring semesters); no comprehensive examination is given during the summer session.

Four weeks in advance of the scheduled date of the examination, students are required to give to the Graduate Coordinator written notice of their intention to take the comprehensive examination. The scheduled date of the examination will be posted each semester. Candidates who fail may repeat the entire examination once. In either case, two successive failures will result in denial of the degree. Exceptions to these policies must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee and the Department Chair.

MASTER’S ESSAY: PLAN B

The Master’s Essay or Thesis is intended to be a demonstration of the student’s ability to formulate a problem in literary study, to pursue its solution through appropriate scholarly, critical, and analytical techniques, and to present the results in suitable written form. Although the essay need not be thought of as a publishable contribution to knowledge, it should develop a new interpretation, reinterpret available information, present a new approach to the given material, and/or refute or modify some interpretation(s) previously appearing in print. It must demonstrate the author’s ability to assemble and evaluate pertinent materials from primary and secondary sources. In final form the essay must develop a central thesis. The writing must be clear, free from solecisms, and suited to the occasion. The student should write an essay (exclusive of title page, preliminaries, bibliography, appendices, etc.) of 25 to 40 pages.

Preliminary Steps

The candidate may select an essay which he/she has written in an English course granting graduate credit and which he/she feels is worthy of further development, or he/she may select another topic altogether. With the Graduate Coordinator, the candidate will discuss the possibilities of converting such a paper or another topic into a master’s essay, and the choice of an appropriate faculty director for the project. Normally the student should choose a director from whom he/she has taken courses or who is otherwise familiar with the student’s work. The student approaches the prospective director, and if that person agrees to serve, they determine a potential second reader drawn from the English department faculty and third reader drawn from another department of the university. The student approaches and obtains agreement from these two additional readers. Prior to enrollment in English 890 (thesis hours) but after obtaining agreement from a second reader, the candidate will submit to the Graduate Coordinator a prospectus—devised in cooperation with his/her Director and second reader—which contains the following information: the name of the student, the director, and the second reader, the tentative title, and a 3-5 page research statement explaining a) the research problem, including a clear delimitation of the subject and definitions of important terms; b) the hypothesis or main idea; c) the relations between the project and published scholarship or criticism; and d) a sense of the importance of the project. A preliminary bibliography of primary and secondary sources, including recent and important scholarship must be attached.

After examining the proposal, the Coordinator will approve or disapprove the project. He/she may also offer specific suggestions about the future development of the essay.

The Director and the Second Reader

The candidate and his/her Director will work together to fulfill the requirements for the essay. When the Director feels that the essay has been adequately completed, the candidate will submit it to the second reader. Depending on candidate, director, and reader preference, the second reader may review the essay in parts (such as after completion of each chapter) or as a whole. The second reader is empowered to make suggestions which he/she thinks will improve the scholarly form, the style, the content, and the organization of the essay. His/her suggestions will be made both to the candidate and to the Director. When the candidate has appropriately addressed the suggestions of the second reader, the essay is ready to be submitted to the third reader, who is also empowered to make suggestions which he/she thinks will improve the scholarly form, the style, the content, and the organization of the essay. The third reader may decide whether necessary revisions are so extensive that the defense needs to wait until suggestions are addressed, or whether the defense can go forward while revisions are being completed.

The Full Committee and the Oral Examination

When the director and the second reader accept a version of the essay, the student may apply for a date for his/her final oral examination. By the end of the eighth week of the semester, the student must give to the Graduate Coordinator a statement, signed by the first and second readers of the thesis, that it is ready to be examined by the other member of the student’s orals committee. Final dates for completion of the oral examination are available from the Graduate Coordinator. No oral examinations will be given during the summer session.

Upon receipt of the student’s application for an examination date, the Coordinator will confirm a committee to be appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School. The committee consists of the student’s Director, the second reader, and the third reader. The examination is open to all members of the faculty and to graduate students in English. The Graduate Coordinator will notify the Graduate School of the date, time, and location of the oral examination and the Graduate School will send announcements to all those concerned.

At least ten days before the scheduled date for the oral examination, the student must submit one typewritten copy of his/her essay to each member of his/her committee. (See the Graduate School Bulletin for mechanical requirements). The copies of a thesis presented to the orals committee should be “printer ready” and substantially free from errors. The thesis director will be responsible for the enforcement of this rule.

The candidate will be expected to defend his/her essay and to demonstrate knowledge of the areas of learning related to the subject of his/her essay. Such knowledge would include extensive acquaintance with appropriate primary and secondary sources such as the works of the author(s) studied, biographical and historical detail, the topic’s position in literary and intellectual history, and the criticism and scholarship on the topic.

If two members of the committee accept the essay and approve the candidate’s performance in the oral examination, he/she will be granted up to three hours of credit. A unanimous committee vote shall be required before a thesis can be awarded “distinction.” Any votes by members of an oral examination committee may be cast by secret ballot, if requested by any member.

Regulations Concerning Rejection of an Essay

If an essay is rejected, the candidate will be advised by his/her committee to carry out one or more of the following suggestions:

1. Do further research and re-write the essay (form and content unacceptable).
2. Re-write the essay (content is satisfactory, but not form).
3. Do further reading in areas related to his/her essay (paper is acceptable, but oral examination is weak).
4. Take additional course work in prescribed areas (he/she is not yet prepared to do the essay properly).
5. The candidate must wait at least ninety days before re-submitting the essay or retaking his/her oral examination.

A FINAL NOTE: It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of and to comply with all deadlines, including the deadline to file for degree.