graduate degree plans

Master of Arts in English Degree Plans

The English Department offers two options leading to the Master of Arts degree:

Track A – Masters of Arts degree (thesis option – 30 semester credit hours, including 3 research hours for thesis) – in literature study with an emphasis in American, African-American, or British literature.

Track B – Masters of Arts degree (non-thesis option - 30 semester credit hours for non-thesis) – with a generalist concentration in literary studies. With the approval of the Department Chair and the instructor, the student will devote three credits to a “Directed Reading and Research” course resulting in two or more longer papers.

Both the MA degree (thesis option) and the MA degree (non-thesis option) are designed to prepare students for entry to the professional world or further graduate study.

Master of Arts Degree, Track A (thesis option)

In order to earn a Master’s degree in English under Track A, a candidate must complete the following departmental requirements:

• Thirty hours of graduate work in English, including English 837 (Thesis in Progress), with an emphasis in African American, American, or British literature)
  Required Core Courses: English 502, 533, and 638
• Evidence that the student either has passed at least twelve semester hours of a foreign language or has a reading knowledge of some foreign language (such competency to be certified, through examination, by the Department of Foreign Languages)
• A written comprehensive examination
• End of program assessment that includes a comprehensive test, portfolio, and research completion and evaluation
• An acceptable thesis based on an investigation of a subject approved by the Department and the University Graduate School
• An oral defense of the thesis before the committee of graduate faculty advisors
• A completed thesis approved by the University Graduate School

Master of Arts Degree, Track B (non-thesis option)

In order to earn a Master’s degree in English under Track B, a candidate must complete the following departmental requirements:

• Thirty hours of graduate work in English for a general concentration in literature
  Required Core Courses: English 502, 533, and 638
• Evidence that the student either has passed at least twelve semester hours of a foreign language or has a reading knowledge of a foreign language (such competency to be certified, through examination by the Department of Foreign Languages)
• A written comprehensive examination
• End of program assessment that includes the comprehensive examination, portfolio evaluation, and research completion
• An acceptable portfolio of at least six seminar-length analyses covering each of the areas of required studies (American, African-American, British, Criticism, Directed Study) with the portfolio to be evaluated by members of the graduate faculty
• An oral review of the portfolio before the committee of graduate faculty advisors

Master of Arts in English Two-Year Matriculation Plan

Year One

The student is expected to accomplish the following during the first year:

• Arrange to confer with the Graduate Dean for advisement on specific requirements
• Demonstrate writing proficiency on the GRE or ENG 501
• Fulfill the M.A. language requirement if you do not have four semesters of a foreign language for your B.A.
• Submit official final transcripts of the B.A. (and any graduate coursework to be transferred) to the TSU Registrar, Graduate School Office, and English Department
• Form a committee of advisors and meet with them at least once a month
• Take English core course requirements as soon as possible
• Successfully complete 18 hours by the end of the first year.

Year Two

The student is expected to accomplish the following during the second year:

• Meet with the committee of faculty advisors to determine needed course work and to meet all degree requirements and obligations, according to the Graduate School schedule
• File a degree plan before the third semester in the program
• Successfully complete the remaining hours of your degree plan
• Schedule and take your oral examination in the final semester
• Turn in the thesis and/or portfolio according to the Graduate School schedule. (This will allow time for the advisors to review and evaluate the work and to schedule a review of the portfolio or a defense of the thesis. This will also allow time for the candidate to incorporate recommended changes into the thesis.)
• Apply for graduation and follow all requirements as established by the University’s Graduate School Office.