Graduate Programs

m.a./m.s./M.S. WITH teacher certification

ADMISSIONS PROCEDURES

Candidates applying for admission for the M.A. degree, the M.S. degree, or the M.S. degree with certification or for the English teacher certification program should make an appointment with the graduate director, Nicole Fluhr, at (203) 392-6739 or fluhrn1@southernct.edu. Candidates should also file an application with the Graduate Office and submit all official transcripts to them.

If you are hoping to transfer graduate credits taken at another institution, the course(s) in question must meet the guidelines described in the Graduate Catalog; during your initial meeting with the Graduate Coordinator, you can discuss whether and how your credits will transfer. Transfer credits may not constitute more than 25% of a student's planned program (that is, no more than 9 credits for the M.A. and straight M.S. programs), whether the classes were taken prior to admission to Southern or while in a matriculated program at Southern.

Note: Although the department has rolling admissions throughout the year, including the summer, candidates are encouraged to apply by May 1 for the fall semester and by December 1 for the spring semester to guarantee admission for that semester. Prospective degree candidates may, however, register as part-time non-matriculated students in graduate courses. Up to nine credits of non-matriculated course work may be applied toward the degree.

MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGLISH (36 CREDITS)
The Master of Arts degree in English is designed for students who plan to pursue doctoral studies in English, who want to extend their knowledge and appreciation of literature, composition theory, or critical theory, or who are interested in a specialization in African American literature. The degree is also appropriate for those who are already certified teachers. Applicants are required to have a reading knowledge of one foreign language. To be accepted into the Master of Arts Program, candidates must:

meet the general admission requirements of the School of Graduate Studies;
have completed a minimum of 30 undergraduate credits in English with a grade point average of 3.2 or higher;
have an overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or higher (note: interested applicants who do not meet these requirements may contact the Graduate Coordinator);
submit a typed, 500-word statement of purpose explaining why they want to enter the degree program they have selected, a 4- 5-page writing sample (academic or professional non-fiction prose), and three letters of recommendation, at least two of which should be from an academic referee(see the application packet for details). These materials should be mailed together in a single envelope addressed to the Graduate English Admissions Committee. Transcripts, application forms, and application fees should be mailed directly to the School of Graduate Studies, not to the Department of English;
have a reading knowledge of one modern foreign language. This requirement should be met before the student begins the graduate program but must be met before the student enrolls for more than fifteen hours of course work; the requirement can be met by passing two years, or the equivalent, of college-level work in a foreign language; students may demonstrate proficiency by means of a transcript indicating a passing grade in four semesters of college-level foreign language study, by a waiver of equivalency from the Southern Connecticut State University Department of Foreign Languages, or through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).

The submission of GRE or Miller's Analogy Test Results is optional.

Program Overview

Requirements-21 credits

ENG 517 - Research Methods and Critical Theory (3 credits)
ENG 508 - Contemporary Critical Theory (3 credits)
A course in the history of the English language, or a course in the early literature of the language (pre-1500 British literature) (3 credits)
Two courses in American literature (6 credits)
Two courses in British literature, including one course in English literature from 1500-1800 (6 credits)

Elective Courses or Optional Specializations - 9 credits

Three elective courses in any area of English studies (9 credits)

Specialization in African American Literature (Students substitute 9 credits in African American Literature for 9 elective credits)

Thesis Option - 6 credits

Thesis proposal and Thesis (6 credits)

Comprehensive Option - 6 credits

Comprehensive Examination
Two electives in any area of English studies (6 credits)

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MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN ENGLISH (36 CREDITS)

The Master of Science degree in English is designed for students who wish the option of supplementing work in American or British literature, African-American studies, composition theory, or critical theory with electives in related fields. Such an option permits a student, through departmental advisement, to approach the humanities with the enthusiasm of a generalist or to develop an area of expertise with the focus of a specialist. This degree also may assist students in meeting admission requirements for the Ph.D. programs in English studies even if the candidates did not major in English as undergraduates. However, the Master of Arts degree is the strongly preferred prerequisite for Ph.D. candidates.

This degree is particularly appropriate for in-service teachers, who may combine their English studies with up to 6 credits of coursework in a related field. The coursework in a related field is intended to enhance professional skills or provide an interdisciplinary component to the degree. Options include English as a Second Language, history, psychology, reading, sociology, and interdisciplinary women's studies. The opportunity to take courses outside of the English Department allows students to explore related fields or develop skills that may aid them in their teaching. To be accepted into the Master of Science program, candidates must:

meet the general admission requirements of the School of Graduate Studies;
have completed a minimum of 24 undergraduate credits in English with a grade point average of 3.2 or higher;
have an overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (note: interested applicants who do not meet these requirements may contact the Graduate Coordinator);
submit a typed, 500-word statement of purpose explaining why they want to enter the degree program they have selected, a 4- to 5-page writing sample (academic or professional, non-fiction prose), and three letters of recommendation, at least two of which should be from an academic referee (see the application packet for details). These materials should be mailed together in a single envelope addressed to the Graduate English Admissions Committee. Transcripts, application forms and application fees should be mailed directly to the School of Graduate Studies, not to the Department of English.

The submission of GRE or Miller's Analogy Test results is optional.

Program Overview:

Requirements-18 credits

ENG 517 - Research Methods and Critical Theory (3 credits)
ENG 508 - Contemporary Critical Theory (3 credits)
A course in the history of the English language, or a course in the early literature of the language (pre-1500 British literature) (3 credits)
One course in American literature (3 credits)
One course in British literature (3 credits)
One course in literature of non-dominant traditions (3 credits)

Elective Courses or Optional Specializations - 12 credits

Four elective courses in any area of English studies (12 credits) (With the permission of the Graduate Coordinator, 3-6 of these credits may be taken in related areas outside of the English Department. Thesis students should choose electives with care so that they have a background in the area of their thesis)

Thesis Option - 6 credits

Thesis proposal and Thesis (6 credits)

Comprehensive Option - 6 credits

Comprehensive Examination
Two Electives in any area of English Studies (6 credits)

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MASTER OF SCIENCE AND CERTIFICATION IN SECONDARY ENGLISH (59.5 CREDITS)

[Click the link above for the .pdf file explaining this program.]

This program is designed for students who wish to earn both a master's degree and certification to teach English in Grades 7-12. To be accepted into the Master of Science with Certification Program, candidates must:

meet the general admission requirements of the School of Graduate Studies;
have completed a minimum of 24 undergraduate credits in English with a grade point average of 3.2 or higher;
complete an application to the School of Education;
have an overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (note: interested applicants who do not meet these requirements may contact the Graduate Coordinator);
submit a typed, 500-word statement of purpose explaining why they want to enter the degree program they have selected, a 4- to 5-page writing sample (academic or professional non-fiction prose), and three letters of recommendation, at least one of which must be from an academic referee (see the application packet for details). These materials should be mailed together in a single envelope addressed to the Graduate English Admissions Committee. Transcripts, application forms and application fees should be mailed directly to the School of Graduate Studies, not to the Department of English.

The submission of GRE or Miller's Analogy Test results is optional.

Applicants must have taken a wide range of literature courses. No more than six of the twenty-four required undergraduate credits in English may be in writing courses, including freshman composition. Applicants' transcripts will be reviewed, and a planned program will be established, based on National Council of Teachers of English standards for content knowledge. Refer to the section on "Admission to Teacher Certification Programs" in the beginning of the School of Graduate Studies Catalog under "Application and Admission" for additional information regarding acceptance to a certification program, PRAXIS examinations, and student teaching.

All candidates for the Master of Science degree and Certification in Secondary English must be admitted to the School of Education before beginning their program and are required to complete a Special Project for their capstone experience.

Program Requirements-41.5 credits

ENG 492--Teaching Literature to Adolescents - 3 credits

ENG 510--History of the English Language - 3 credits

ENG 505--Applied English Linguistics - 3 credits

ENG 493--English in the Secondary School - 3 credits

EDU 455--Secondary School Student Teaching in English - 12 credits

EDU 453--Student Teaching Seminar - 1 credit

RDG 517--Content Area Literacy in Middle and Secondary Schools - 3 credits

PSY 370--Educational Psychology - 3 credits

SED 482--Teaching Exceptional Students in Secondary Education Classrooms - 3 credits

SHE 203--School Health - 3 credits

EDF 520-523, choose one - 3 credits

IDS 471-- English Language Learners in the Classroom - 1.5 credits

Additional requirements for the Master's Degree (18 credits):
ENG 517--Research Methods and Critical Theory - 3 credits

Twelve elective credits in English studies, 9 of which must be in the study of literature. (Students are encouraged to take literature courses as their electives and to consult with the Coordinator of Secondary Education in selecting these courses.)

Special Project - 3 credits

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ENGLISH TEACHER CERTIFICATION (44.5 credits)
This program is designed for students seeking certification to teach English in the secondary school. To be accepted into the certification program, candidates must:

meet the general admission requirements of the School of Graduate Studies;
have completed a minimum of 24 undergraduate credits in English with a grade point average of 3.2 or higher;
complete an application to the School of Education;
have an overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (note: interested applicants who do not meet these requirements should contact the Secondary Education Coordinator);
submit a typed, 500-word statement of purpose explaining why they want to enter the degree program they have selected, a 4- to 5-page writing sample (academic or professional non-fiction prose), and three letters of recommendation, at least oine of which must be from an academic referee (see the application packet for details). These materials should be mailed together in a single envelope addressed to the Graduate English Admissions Committee. Transcripts, application forms and application fees should be mailed directly to the School of Graduate Studies, not to the Department of English.

The submission of GRE or Miller's Analogy Test results is optional.

The candidates are expected to take the following courses unless they have completed the requirement earlier:

Professional Education Courses:

IDS 471-- English Language Learners in the Classroom - 1.5 credits

ENG 493--English in the Secondary School - 3 credits

EDU 455--Secondary School Teaching in English - 12 credits

EDU 453--Student Teaching Seminar - 1 credit

PSY 370--Educational Psychology - 3 credits

EDF 520-523, choose one - 3 credits

SED 482--Teaching Exceptional Students in Secondary Education Classrooms - 3 credits

SHE 203--School Health - 3 credits

One course in each of the following areas (3 credits each): advanced composition, History of the English Language, English grammar systems, young adult literature, and reading in the secondary school. Students should consult with the Coordinator of Secondary Education when selecting these courses.