Master of Arts
English
Dr. McRae Amoss, Jr., Chair
Department of English, Philosophy and Modern Languages
434.395.2155, mamoss@longwood.edu
Dr. Carolyn Craft, Program Coordinator
434.395.2162, ccraft@longwood.edu
The Department of English, Philosophy and Modern Languages offers a
program leading to the degree of Master of Arts - English with a concentration
in Literature or in English Education and Writing. All graduate students
in the Literature concentration must write a thesis; students in the English
Education and Writing concentration may choose to write a thesis or take
a comprehensive examination. The program coordinator serves as adviser
to all students in both concentrations. Questions concerning the graduate
program in English should be directed to the coordinator or the chair.
In addition, the department offers courses in support of the Master
of Science - Education/ Curriculum and Instruction Specialist/English and
the Master of Science - Education/Curriculum and Instruction Specialist/Modern
Languages. See pp. 24-26 for program requirements.
ADMISSION
Students admitted to the Literature concentration are expected to have
an undergraduate major in English literature (30 hours). Consideration
will be given to those having an English minor (18 credit hours), depending
on the courses taken, but more undergraduate preparation may be required
at the discretion of the departmental graduate committee. Students admitted
to the English Education and Writing concentration are expected to have
an English major, minor or equivalent. Students admitted to the Master
of Science in Education/Curriculum and Instruction Specialist/English are
expected to have an undergraduate minor in English. (See admission requirements,
p. 9.)
ENGL 583 Writing: Theory and Practice is required as soon as possible
in the student's program for all teaching assistants except (1) those who
took it while undergraduates as 483, and (2) those who took an equivalent
course elsewhere and/or who are exempted from this requirement by the director
of freshman composition.
THESIS
The candidate for the Master of Arts - English may register for thesis
research at any point following his/her admission to the program. The student
should begin early to explore thesis possibilities with instructors. The
program coordinator will assist the student -- as will any member of the
graduate faculty -- in the choice of a thesis director. As soon as a member
of the graduate English faculty agrees to act as director for the thesis,
the student should submit a one-page thesis proposal to the program coordinator.
The thesis proposal should be signed by the director of the thesis and
by two other graduate English faculty members who are qualified to serve
and who have agreed to serve as readers for the thesis. (Exceptions to
the thesis committee must be approved by the departmental graduate committee.)
After the thesis committee has approved the proposal, the student can begin
work on the thesis. The student's thesis director serves as chair of his/her
thesis committee. The completed thesis, when approved, will carry the signatures
of the members of the thesis committee.
The thesis shall follow the format of the latest MLA style sheet. The
student is to supply copies, one of which will be placed in the Library
and another in the departmental library. See p. 21 for further information
on thesis preparation.
Each student must successfully defend his/her thesis in an oral examination.
This defense of thesis should take place as soon as possible after the
thesis is completed.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
Students in the Master of Arts in English: English Education and Writing
concentration who elect not to write a thesis and students in the Master
of Science in Education: Curriculum and Instruction Specialist/English
register for English 699 Comprehensive Examination the last semester of
their degree work. If degree completion is scheduled for summer, the examination
may be taken the preceding spring provided the student needs no more than
two summer courses to complete her/his program. The student must have a
B average (3.0 GPA) in all courses completed for the degree before taking
this examination.
The comprehensive examination will be administered two times a year
from 9a.m. – 12 noon on the third Saturday of October and the first Saturday
of March. Registering for English 699 indicates that the student will take
the examination that semester; if the student needs to delay the examination,
the English Graduate Program Coordinator may grant permission to delay
the exam one semester (without re-registration for 695 and without additional
fee) or may refuse to grant such permission (appeal to the EPML Department
Chair and subsequently the Graduate Faculty Petitions Committee is possible).
The comprehensive examination consists of four essay questions:
the student will answer three of these questions. The comprehensive examination
will be designed for the individual student, based on the courses each
student has taken. The student’s knowledge of and ability to apply specific
theory and research relating to his/her area of concentration will be evaluated,
together with the student’s competency in written expression and reasoning
ability.
The grading system for the evaluation of the examination will be pass/fail,
with two graduate English professors (and/or Education professors, if C&I,
or other appropriate professors for MA in English: EE&W concentration)
grading each question. If a question receives a pass and a fail, then a
third professor will grade that question. Any reexamination will consist
of three essay questions; a student will answer the number of questions
failed on the original examination.
Any student failing the examination, or any portion thereof, may re-register
for English 699 Comprehensive examination ($35.00 fee) and have one reexamination
at the next scheduled examination date (the English Graduate Program Coordinator
may grant permission for an examination date a semester later if delay
in repeating is necessary). Failure of the examination, or any portion
thereof, for a second time will be final, and the student will be dropped
from the graduate program.
Literature
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
REQUIRED COURSE
| ENGL 600 |
Thesis Research (6)XXXXXXXXXXXXX |
ELECTIVE COURSES. (24) Select 8* of the following (at least 2 must
be 600 level courses, and all courses may be repeated for credit when the
topics change):
| ENGL 511 |
The Epic (3) |
| ENGL 512 |
Poetry (3) |
| ENGL 513 |
The Novel (3) |
| ENGL 514 |
Short Story (3) |
| ENGL 515 |
Drama (3) |
| ENGL 521, 522 |
Major Figures in Fiction (3, 3) |
| ENGL 523, 524 |
Major Figures in Poetry (3, 3) |
| ENGL 525 |
Shakespeare (3) |
| ENGL 531 |
Arthurian Literature (3) |
| ENGL 532 |
Women and Literature (3) |
| ENGL 541 |
Ethnic Literature (3) |
| ENGL 542 |
Regional Literature (3) |
| ENGL 543 |
Postcolonial Literature (3) |
| ENGL 544 |
Literature and Culture (3) |
| ENGL 562 |
Literary Criticism (3) |
| ENGL 595 |
Special Topics (1-3) |
| ENGL 611 |
Studies in British Medieval Literature (3) |
| ENGL 621 |
Studies in the English Renaissance (3) |
| ENGL 631 |
Studies in British Neoclassicism and the Eighteenth Century (3) |
| ENGL 641 |
Studies in British Romantic and Victorian Literature (3) |
| ENGL 651 |
Studies in Modern and Contemporary British Literature (3) |
| ENGL 661 |
Studies in American Colonial Literature (3) |
| ENGL 671 |
Studies in American Romanticism (3) |
| ENGL 681 |
Studies in American Realism and Naturalism (3) |
| ENGL 691 |
Studies in Modern and Contemporary American Literature (3) |
| ENGL 695 |
Studies in Special Topics (1-3) |
*ELECTIVE COURSES. Students may select one of the following
to fulfill three (3) hours of the twenty-four (24) hours required above:
| ENGL 510 |
Creative Writing (3) |
| ENGL 570 |
Professional Writing Skills (3)XXXXXXX |
| ENGL 580 |
The Teaching of English (3) |
| ENGL 581 |
Literature for Young Adults (3) |
| ENGL 583 |
Writing: Theory and Practice (3) |
TOTAL HOURS REQUIRED: 30
English Education and Writing
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
ELECTIVE COURSES. (12) Select a minimum of four from the following:
| ENGL 510 |
Creative Writing (3) |
| ENGL 570 |
Professional Writing Skills (3) |
| ENGL 580 |
The Teaching of English (3) |
| ENGL 581 |
Literature for Young Adults (3) |
| ENGL 583 |
Writing: Theory and Practice (3)XXXXX |
ELECTIVE COURSES. (15) Select a minimum of five from the following
(at least 2 must be 600 level courses, and all courses may be repeated
for credit when the topics change):
| ENGL 511 |
The Epic (3) |
| ENGL 512 |
Poetry (3) |
| ENGL 513 |
The Novel (3) |
| ENG L 514 |
Short Story (3) |
| ENGL 515 |
Drama (3) |
| ENGL 521, 522 |
Major Figures in Fiction (3, 3) |
| ENGL 523, 524 |
Major Figures in Poetry (3, 3) |
| ENGL 525 |
Shakespeare (3) |
| ENGL 531 |
Arthurian Literature (3) |
| ENGL 532 |
Women and Literature (3) |
| ENGL 541 |
Ethnic Literature (3) |
| ENGL 542 |
Regional Literature (3) |
| ENGL 543 |
Postcolonial Literature (3) |
| ENGL 544 |
Literature and Culture (3) |
| ENGL 562 |
Literary Criticism (3) |
| ENGL 595 |
Special Topics (1-3) |
| ENGL 611 |
Studies in British Medieval Literature (3) |
| ENGL 621 |
Studies in the English Renaissance (3) |
| ENGL 631 |
Studies in British Neoclassicism and the Eighteenth Century (3) |
| ENGL 641 |
Studies in British Romantic and Victorian Literature (3) |
| ENGL 651 |
Studies in Modern and Contemporary British Literature (3) |
| ENGL 661 |
Studies in American Colonial Literature (3) |
| ENGL 671 |
Studies in American Romanticism (3) |
| ENGL 681 |
Studies in American Realism and Naturalism (3) |
| ENGL 691 |
Studies in Modern and Contemporary American Literature (3) |
| ENGL 695 |
Studies in Special Topics (1-3) |
ELECTIVE COURSES. (9) Select 1-3 from the following:
| EDUC 502Xxxx X |
Research Design (3) |
| EDUC 530 |
Teaching Reading in the Content Area (3) |
| EDUC 543 |
Curriculum Development in the Middle and Secondary School (3) |
| ENGL 511 |
The Epic (3) |
| ENGL 512 |
Poetry (3) |
| ENGL 513 |
The Novel (3) |
| ENGL 514 |
Short Story (3) |
| ENGL 515 |
Drama (3) |
| ENGL 521, 522 |
Major Figures in Fiction (3, 3) |
| ENGL 523, 524 |
Major Figures in Poetry (3, 3) |
| ENGL 525 |
Shakespeare (3) |
| ENGL 531 |
Arthurian Literature (3) |
| ENGL 532 |
Women and Literature (3) |
| ENGL 541 |
Ethnic Literature (3) |
| ENGL 542 |
Regional Literature (3) |
| ENGL 543 |
Postcolonial Literature (3) |
| ENGL 544 |
Literature and Culture (3) |
| ENGL 562 |
Literary Criticism (3) |
| ENGL 595 |
Special Topics (1-3) |
| ENGL 600 |
Thesis (6) (Required for students opting to write a thesis) |
| ENGL 611 |
Studies in British Medieval Literature (3) |
| ENGL 621 |
Studies in the English Renaissance (3) |
| ENGL 631 |
Studies in British Neoclassicism and the Eighteenth Century (3) |
| ENGL 641 |
Studies in British Romantic and Victorian Literature (3) |
| ENGL 651 |
Studies in Modern and Contemporary British Literature (3) |
| ENGL 661 |
Studies in American Colonial Literature (3) |
| ENGL 671 |
Studies in American Romanticism (3) |
| ENGL 681 |
Studies in American Realism and Naturalism (3) |
| ENGL 691 |
Studies in Modern and Contemporary American Literature (3) |
| ENGL 695 |
Studies in Special Topics (1-3) |
| LISC 560 |
Informational Sources and Services (3) |
| SPED 515 |
Survey of Exceptional Students (3) |
| THEA 508 |
Directing for the Teacher (3) |
| ENGL 699 |
Comprehensive Examination (0) (Required for students not writing thesis) |
TOTAL HOURS REQUIRED: 36
SUMMARY OF PROCEDURES FOR ENGLISH GRADUATE STUDENTS
1. On being admitted to the graduate program, the student should
determine a basic plan of study. To do this, he/she should arrange a conference
with the program coordinator and should become familiar with the departmental
requirements.
2. The student should complete the course requirements and either
write a thesis or take a comprehensive examination. Students in the English
Literature concentration must write a thesis; students in the English Education
and Writing may choose either option.
3. The student writing a thesis should obtain from the program
coordinator an information sheet listing all the thesis procedures.
4. The student writing a thesis files a form containing date,
place of scheduled defense, members of the committee, and the thesis title
in the Office of Graduate Studies at least four weeks before the scheduled
defense.
5. The student taking the comprehensive examination must register
for ENGL 699 the last semester of their degree work. If degree completion
is scheduled for summer, the student would register for ENGL 699 the spring
semester immediately preceding that summer as long as the student needs
no more than two summer courses to complete his/her program. Comprehensive
examinations are administered two times a year from 9:00 am to 12 noon
on the third Saturday of October and the first Saturday of March.
A $35.00 fee will be assessed.
6. The student must file an application for graduate degree with
the Office of Registration no later than the completion of 24 credit hours
and prior to enrollment in the final semester of course work. A $25 diploma
fee must accompany the application that is paid in the Office of Cashiering.
7. The student should make arrangements for the purchase of the
cap, gown, and hood from the college bookstore if the student is
planning to participate in Commencement.
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