English, M.A.

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Graduate Program Advisor: Prof. Kelly Norman Ellis

Graduate Faculty: Brenda Aghahowa, Kelly Ellis, Christine Ohale, Nuru Yakubu Ubangiji

The Department of English, Foreign Languages, and interdisciplinary Programs offers the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Literacy, Language, and Culture, the Master of Arts degree in English, and Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing.

While many students enter the Master of Arts degree program to prepare for teaching composition or literature in schools or at the postsecondary level, others enroll for the degree to acquire background and skills for careers in writing, publishing, and a variety of business fields. Courses that address such professional interests are built on a firm foundation of core studies in literature and criticism and are complemented by the traditional skills that the program also develops analytical abilities, techniques of investigation, and organization and presentation of ideas. For some students, the Master of Arts degree in English is essential preparation for the doctoral degree. It is the highly recommended background for such professions as law. Above all, the degree supports professional aspirations by enriching the student’s personal life through the impartation of varied knowledge of cultural history and the many modes of vision for examining and enjoying literature.

The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Teaching Literacy, Language, and Culture in Postsecondary Settings is designed to prepare graduate students for teaching positions in postsecondary settings by helping to enhance the impact of writing instruction in two- and four-year postsecondary institutions. Students will demonstrate mastery in instructional planning, content (composition and literature), and the sociocultural connections between literacy, culture, and identity.

The Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing is a terminal degree and the appropriate credential for the teaching of creative writing. Holders of the degree will be able not only to teach courses in creative writing, but also courses in African American literature, African literature, and Third World literature, as well as non-Black literature. The MFA degree focuses on the study of writing through the crafting, performance, and publication of original work. MFA students may also fulfill the requirements for the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Teaching Literacy, Language, and Culture in Postsecondary Settings.

Graduate-level courses also are available in television, theatre arts, and communication studies.

Admission Requirements

Students applying to the master’s degree program in English must submit a graded English paper if they wish to be considered for full admission. Students also must write a paper of literary analysis during a 90-minute period scheduled at Chicago State University. The date of the scheduled writing period can be obtained from the Department of English, 773/995-2189. Graduate applicants are not required to complete the English Qualifying Examination.

Depending on the assessment of the graded English paper, the assessment of the paper on literary analysis, and whether students have fulfilled the second general requirement, students could receive one of the following decisions: 1) denied admission, 2) conditionally admitted, or 3) fully admitted. Fully and conditionally admitted students who do not produce an acceptable paper of literary analysis will be assigned to a supportive course (ENG 2800, 2100, or 2260). Undergraduate courses do not count toward graduation. Students must register for the supportive course during the next semester and earn a grade of A or B. If a student fails to earn a grade of A or B in the assigned supportive course, the Department Graduate Committee will determine the student’s standing in the program.

Assessment

All MA degree students will be assessed in American literature, African American literature, British literature, and linguistics as they enter the program, after completion of 21 credit hours, after completion of 30 credit hours, and upon completion of the program.

The department maintains an updated copy of its Assessment Report in SCI 320.

General Requirements

Fulfillment of the general requirements for admission to the graduate program.
Completion of 24 semester hours of undergraduate work in English with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
A minimum of half of the courses applied to the satisfaction of master’s degree requirements must be at the 5000 level, including one seminar in American literature and one seminar in British or English literature.
While students need not repeat required courses taken at CSU at the undergraduate, 4000 level (ex. ENG 4311, which is taught in a combined course with ENG 5411 Studies in Shakespeare), they must earn at least 30 or 33 credit hours in appropriate 5000-level courses, depending upon the option selected (either completing the Comprehensive Examination or completing a Master’s Thesis).

Option 1

Completion of at least 30 credit hours of graduate-level course work, with grades averaging B (3.0) or above.
Successful completion of a comprehensive examination in English or American literature or linguistics after the student has accumulated at least 21 hours in the master’s degree program. Students will be given only two opportunities to successfully complete the comprehensive exam.

Option 2

Completion of at least 33 credit hours of graduate-level course work (including the thesis), with grades averaging B (3.0) or above. (See graduate advisor for MA thesis guidelines.)

Specific Requirements

Completion of 30 semester hours of graduate work in English selected with the approval of the graduate advisor.

Completion of the Following Courses, or Their Equivalents, Is Required on Either the Undergraduate or Graduate Level:

ENG 4311
or
ENG 5411 - Studies in Shakespeare Credit Hours: 3
ENG 5331 - Literary Criticism Credit Hours: 3
or
ENG 5428 - History of Literary Criticism Credit Hours: 3
ENG 4336
or
ENG 5436 - Descriptive Grammar Credit Hours: 3
ENG 4315
or
ENG 5415 - Studies In Chaucer Credit Hours: 3
ENG 4327
or
ENG 5427 - Methods and Materials of Literacy Research Credit Hours: 3 and three courses in some combination of British and American literature.

MA Thesis General Requirements

The thesis for the MA in English is a research treatise that develops a well-supported argument to advance a literary relationship, insight, synthesis, or interpretation that cannot be found in print and that demonstrates the student’s ability to write publishable scholarship. Prerequisites for admission to ENG 5498 - Master’s Thesis include the following:

The student completes a minimum of twenty-seven hours of graduate English courses inclusive of ENG 5427 - Methods and Materials of Literacy Research and ENG 5331 - Literary Criticism with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0.
The student and advisor select thesis committee members (department chair ex officio).
The student submits and defends a prospectus for the committee’s approval.

The student registers in ENG 5498 . Consecutive requirements for the thesis include the following:

The student submits completed sections of the thesis to the committee at least twice between the prospectus defense and the thesis defense.
Student defends the thesis (within two attempts).
Committee members indicate their acceptance of the thesis by their signatures.
Graduate advisor submits the thesis to the dean for approval.
After it has been approved by the thesis advisor, the manuscript and other required documents must be properly uploaded to the ProQuest database, and also reviewed by administrators of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies, in order for the degree to be conferred.