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            Graduate Programs And Degrees 

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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, Kenneth Florey, at (203) 392-6733. Candidates should also file an application with the graduate office and submit all official transcripts to them.

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.
 

Graduate Teaching Assistantships in Composition

The graduate teaching assistantship in English Composition is a year-long award. Applicants  must be matriculated graduate students in English, and have completed 6 credits or more in graduate English courses with at least a 3.5 average in those classes; all matriculated students in the English Department Graduate Program, including those newly admitted, who have taken fewer than 6 credits, may also apply, provided that their GPA in undergraduate English courses is 3.5 or higher.  Those who receive the award intern in English composition  and are mentored throughout the year by the Director of Composition or a departmental designee.  Past teaching assistants have found  the assistantship valuable in discovering a call to teach, securing part-time work, preparing for doctoral study, and attaining positions in secondary schools. Two to three awards are given  each year. Selection occurs in April for the following year. Application materials are available in the English Department office in Engleman and at the English  Department Web site. For further information,  contact Dr. Kelly Ritter  (203) 392-7048 or ritterk1@southernct.edu   or  Kenneth Florey (203) 392-6733 or  floreyk1@southernct.edu
 

Institutes

An  institute is an accelerated, intensive,  unconventional course offering such as an overseas course or a course offered during  winter session or spring break. Typically,  winter session and summer session institutes are  less than five weeks in length or are offered on  weekends. No student may take more than two institutes (6 credits) toward completion of degree requirements.

MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGLISH  (33 CREDITS)

The Master of Arts degree in English is designed for students who plan to pursue doctoral studies in English, for those who want to extend their knowledge and appreciation of literature, composition theory, or critical theory, who want to explore their talents as creative writers, or who are interested in a specialization in women's studies.  The degree is also appropriate for those who are already certified teachers.  Applicants are required to have a reading knowledge of one foreign language.   Students may take up to 6 credits in disciplines other than English.   Prior permission of the department is required.  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 (note: interested applicants who do not meet these requirements are encouraged to 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 two recommendations (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; 

  • having 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

Requirement--6 credits

  • ENG 517--Research Methods and Critical Theory

  • A course (3 credits) in the history of the English language, or a course in the  early literature of the language

Area of Specialization--9 credits

  • Three courses (9 credits) in American literature, British literature, African-American Studies, Composition  Theory,  Creative Writing, Critical Theory, or Women's Studies--the area of concentration.  For a listing of the various courses in the department that make up these various concentrations, click on Distribution.

 Thesis Option--18 credits

  • Thesis proposal and Thesis (6 credits)

  • One elective (3 credits) in an area not chosen for concentration

  • Free electives (9 credits) in any area of English studies

Comprehensive Option--18 credits

  • Comprehensive Examination

  • One Elective (3 credits) in an area not chosen for concentration

  • Free electives (15 credits) in any area of English studies

MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN ENGLISH  (33 CREDITS)

The Master of Science degree, with its specialization in English, is designed for students who wish the  option of supplementing work in American or British literature, African-American studies, composition theory, critical theory, creative writing, or women's studies 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 specific skills with the focus of a specialist. This degree also assists 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, allowing scholarly pursuits in English studies and giving them an opportunity to explore a related professional field or to develop a skill that would aid them in their teaching. The course work in the related field (9 credits) is intended to enhance professional skills or provide an interdisciplinary component to the degree. Options include coursework in such fields as English as a Second Language, history, psychology, reading, sociology, and interdisciplinary women's studies.  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 are encourage to 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 two recommendations (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

Requirement--6 credits

  • ENG 517--Research Methods and Critical Theory

  • A course (3 credits) in the history of the English language, or a course  in the early literature of  the language.

Cognate Electives--9 credits

  • Electives (9 credits) in a related or applied area (or in English studies)

Thesis Option--18 credits

  • Thesis proposal and Thesis (6 credits)

  • Four electives (12 credits) in any area of English studies

Comprehensive Option--18 credits

  • Comprehensive Examination

  • Six electives (18 credits) in any area of English studies

MASTER OF SCIENCE AND CERTIFICATION IN SECONDARY ENGLISH  (54 CREDITS)

The program leading to the Master of Science degree and Certification in Secondary English 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;

    • have an overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (note: interested applicants who do not meet these requirements are encouraged to 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 two recommendations (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 completed two courses in American literature and two courses in British literature.  No more than six of the twenty four credits may be in writing courses, including freshman composition.  Refer to the section on "Admission to Teacher Certification Programs" in the beginning of the school catalog for further information.

All candidates for the Master of Science degree and Certification in Secondary English are required to pass a comprehensive examination.

Program Requirements--39 credits

ENG 504--The Teaching of Writing 
ENG 510--The History of the English Language
ENG 505--Applied English Linguistics
EDU 490--English in the Secondary School
EDU 452--Secondary School Teaching--8 credits
EDU 453--Student Teaching Seminar--1 creditl
RDG 565--Reading Development in the Secondary Schoo
PSY 370--Educational Psychology
SED 482--Teaching Exceptional Students in  Secondary Education Classrooms
SHE 203--School Health
EDU 497 or 498, choose one and EDF 520-524, 526, choose one

Additional requirements for the Master's Degree:

ENG 517--Research Methods and Critical Theory 3 credits

Four 3 credit electives in English studies (students are encouraged to take literature courses as their  electives and to consult with the Director of Secondary Education in selecting these courses). 12 credits
 

ENGLISH TEACHER CERTIFICATION (39 credits)

This program is designed for students seeking certification to teach English in the secondary school.  For additional information, refer to the section on "Admissions to Teacher Certification Programs" in the beginning of the University's Graduate Catalog.   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;

  • 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 4-5 page writing sample (academic or professional, non-fiction prose), and two recommendations (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 one or more of the following courses unless
they have completed them earlier:

EDU 490--English in the Secondary School
EDU 452--Secondary School Teaching--8 credits
EDU 453--Student Teaching Seminar--1 credit
PSY 370--Education Psychology
EDF 520-524, 526, choose one
SED 482--Teaching Exceptional Students in Secondary Education Classrooms
SHE 203--School Health
One course in each of the following areas: advanced composition, English grammar systems, History of the English Language, young adult literature, and reading in the secondary school.  Students  should consult with the director of Secondary Education when selecting these courses.