Master of Arts in English
From the UMSL BulletinDescription
The Master of Arts program in English is designed to provide the student with a comprehensive coverage of literature and language. The program allows students to select courses from any of the areas of study offered by the department: English literature, American literature, composition and rhetoric. Within this program, students may elect an emphasis in literature or an emphasis in composition. As early as possible in the program, students must take English 5000, Introduction to Graduate Study, which focuses on bibliography, research methods, and literary criticism. At the conclusion of the program, students may elect English 6000, Thesis. This six hour course is an option for students who want to pursue further research on a focused topic.
The department also offers an MFA degree. For information, see The MFA in Creative Writing
Questions about the MA program in English should be directed to:
Frank Grady
English M.A. Program Director
455 Lucas Hall
University of Missouri-St. Louis
One University Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63121
314-516-5592
fgrady@umsl.edu
You may obtain application forms for, and information about, applying to the graduate program by contacting Graduate Admissions at 516-5458. On-line registration forms are available from the UMSL web site at http://www.umsl.edu/. Go to Graduate School, then "Applications."
Admission
To enter the graduate program in English, a candidate must satisfy the requirements both of the Graduate School and of the Department of English. A candidate should have a bachelor's degree, with at least 18 hours in English above the freshman level, 12 of which must be in literature. Normally only students with a grade point average of at least 3.0 in undergraduate English courses and an overall undergraduate average of 2.75 will be considered. Though the English department welcomes scores from the Graduate Record Aptitude Exam and letters of recommendation, it does not require either of these. (Applicants for teaching assistantships will need to submit scores on the GRE general test. See Financial Aid and Teaching Assistantships below.)
With the advice of the graduate committee, the Director of the English M.A. will use the undergraduate record, and (if available) scores on the GRE general test, and letters of application as the basis for making a decision. Applications to the MA in English are considered at all times. However, because spaces in graduate courses are limited, prospective students are strongly advised to submit their applications well before the semester begins in order to gain admission into appropriate classes.
Advising
Before registering for the first semester of course work, students will meet with the Graduate Coordinator to review their undergraduate record and to plan a graduate program. At this time, the students may discuss with the Graduate Coordinator their proposed emphasis area. Thereafter, the student will consult with the Coordinator, who serves as adviser to all graduate students, during each registration period and as the need for advising arises.
Requirements
All students are responsible for meeting the requirements of the Graduate School as listed in the Graduate Bulletin and the following requirements of the English Department:
1. Hours required for Graduation. Each student must complete a minimum of thirty-six graduate hours in English, of which no more than twelve may be at the 4000 (300) level. Because 4000 (300)-level courses can carry graduate credit only if students submit additional work, as determined by the teacher of the course, students must inform the teacher of their graduate status and arrange for such work at the beginning of the semester.
2. Required Course. During the first year of graduate study (preferably during the first semester), all students in literature and composition must take English 5000 (400), Introduction to Graduate Study in English.
3. Emphasis Area
A. Emphasis in Literature. Students who choose this area of specialization may offer no more than nine of the 36 credit hours in courses other than literature (English 5000 [400] is excluded from these nine hours). As well as taking 5000 (400), students must take at least one course in each of the following six areas:
- Area 1 British literature before 1660
- Area 2 British literature between 1660 and 1900
- Area 3 Twentieth-century literature (British, American, post-colonial, or in translation)
- Area 4 American literature
- Area 5 Theories of writing, criticism, language and/or culture
- Area 6 Literature in translation, study of a particular literary genre, or a course in another relevant discipline
B. Emphasis in Composition. Students who choose this area of specialization must offer 18 hours in literature and 18 hours in writing. If they write an MA thesis, their program will be 15 hours in literature, 15 hours in writing, and 6 hours of thesis. Here are the two patterns of study:
NON THESIS OPTION
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THESIS OPTION
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4. Grade Requirement. To receive the M.A. degree, a student must have an average of 3.0 or better at the completion of course work. If at any time a student's average should fall below 3.0, the Graduate Committee of the English Department will review that student's work and status in the program. Any student with a GPA below 2.0 will be dismissed from the Graduate School. At the end of each semester, the Graduate Committee will review the work of each student who is on probation or on restricted status. Students failing to make reasonable progress will be dismissed from the M.A. program. Reviews of the work of all students in the program will be made at least once a year.
5. Time Limitation. A student must complete all requirements within six years after initial enrollment in the degree program. Students not registering for two consecutive semesters must reapply for admission to the program unless they have been granted an authorized leave of absence by the Graduate Dean.
6. Foreign Language. Although the M.A. in English has no foreign language requirement, students planning to pursue the Ph.D. are strongly encouraged to take at least two years of a foreign language.
Course Load
The normal course load for a full-time graduate student is 12 hours for a regular semester and six hours for the summer term. A graduate student who is employed full time may register for a maximum of six hours each semester. Teaching assistants and other students who are employed part time may register for a maximum of nine hours each semester. To register for an overload, a student must have a GPA of at least 3.5 and obtain the written permission of the Graduate Coordinator and the Graduate Dean. Forms for requesting permission to register for an overload may be obtained from the Coordinator. Such permission will be given only in exceptional circumstances.
Delayed Grades
A graduate student is expected to complete all course assignments by the end of the term in which a course is taken. On occasion, a student may request a delayed grade, but it is left to the discretion of the instructor whether or not to grant the delay. The Graduate School stipulates that delayed grades must be removed within two regular semesters after the time recorded or they automatically become failing grades. However, the English Department encourages the expeditious removal of such grades. To that end, the number of courses that a degree candidate would normally be allowed to register for in a given semester will be reduced by the number of delayed grades which that student continues to carry for classes taken more than one semester prior to the current semester. (The summer term will not be counted as a full semester.)
Transfer Credit
Subject to the approval of the Graduate Committee of the English Department and the Graduate Dean, a student may transfer a maximum of twelve hours of graduate course work from other universities. This may include credit earned prior to or subsequent to enrollment at UM-St. Louis. Petitions should be submitted to the Graduate Committee, whose recommendations will be forwarded to the Graduate Dean for final action. The University does not accept graduate credit for courses from institutes unless the institutes were conducted by UM-St. Louis. A candidate working toward an UM-St. Louis degree must confer with the Graduate Coordinator before enrolling in any course offered by another institution for which graduate credit is anticipated.
Inter-University Graduate Exchange Program
Under the Inter-University Graduate Exchange Program offered by UM-St. Louis, Washington University and St. Louis University, a student working towards the M.A. degree at UM-St. Louis may take up to 6 hours of graduate credit at Washington University or at St. Louis University. Credit hours and grade points obtained through the program are automatically counted toward the UM-St. Louis degree and tuition fees are assessed at the UM-St. Louis rate. To register for a course offered through the Exchange Program, a student must secure the permission of the Graduate Coordinator, and obtain the requisite form from the Graduate Office.
Independent Reading
English 5970 (497) is primarily designed to allow a Master's candidate to do intensive work in an area of study that has not been or is not likely to become the subject of a regular course or seminar offered by the English Department during the period the student spends within the graduate program. A student who desires to undertake independent study must justify the project to the prospective supervising professor and to the Graduate Coordinator. Normally permission to take English 5970 (497) will be granted only once and only after the student has completed at least 15 hours of graduate work in English.
Any graduate student who desires to pursue a course of independent reading must confer with the faculty member with whom he or she wishes to work prior to the start of the term in which such a course of study is contemplated. Once the instructor's consent has been received, the student should obtain a copy of the Independent Reading Petition from the Graduate Coordinator. This form requires a description of the project and the signature of the supervising Graduate Faculty member. It must be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator prior to registration for his or her endorsement. English 5970 (497) can serve as a preliminary for the Master's Essay (English 6000 [499]).
Master's Thesis
A student seeking a Master of Arts degree in English may elect to write a Master's Thesis, which grants six hours of credit toward the 36 hours required for graduation. The thesis should demonstrate original thought and substantial research and may be a critical study of literary works, a theoretical exploration of issues related to literature or writing, or a descriptive assessment of fieldwork related to writing and pedagogy. The thesis must be approved and assigned a grade by a thesis committee. See separate description, English 6000 (499), Thesis, for further details.
Financial Aid and Teaching Assistantships
The University annually makes available a small number of graduate research fellowships. The competition for such grants is open to master's and doctoral candidates in all departments and schools. A student is encouraged to develop a project for English 5970 (497) or 6000 (499), to be undertaken during the last 15 hours of residence, that might serve as the basis for an UM-St. Louis Summer Graduate Fellowship proposal. On occasion the English Department offers a research assistantship with a specific professor.
The major source of financial aid for English M.A. candidates, however, is the teaching assistantship. Teaching assistants teach one class of English 1100 (10) (Freshman Composition) during their first term, and two sections in the following terms. Assistants may request to teach during the summer term for additional compensation as the summer schedule is prepared. The non-resident tuition will be waived for teaching assistants who are from states other than Missouri. Assistants who have performed their duties to the satisfaction of the Department will normally be reappointed to their positions if they so desire.
Anyone who wishes to apply for a teaching assistantship must obtain an application from the Graduate Coordinator, the Graduate School, or the English Department secretary and return the completed form to the Coordinator no later than March 15. In order to be considered for an assistantship the applicant must have submitted an application to the graduate program in English, complete with GRE scores. The applicant must also submit two letters of recommendation and a copy of a paper written for an English course that is representative of the candidate's writing and critical skills. Teaching assistants normally begin their appointments in the Fall term. On occasion, however, new appointments are made for the Winter term. Assistantships are usually awarded in early April.
All teaching assistants are required to take at least six hours of graduate work during the regular semester. There are, however, some exceptions to this stipulation which might be exercised to serve the continuity of the composition program. Teaching Assistants are required to take English 5890 (489), Teaching College Composition, early in their programs.
The English Master of Arts Essay Prize
Each Spring the English Master of Arts Prize Essay will be selected by a departmental committee from among those papers submitted to it during the preceding academic year. Any member of the English Graduate Faculty will, at his or her discretion, select one or more papers from each graduate class or 4000 (300)-level class with graduate students which he or she has taught during this period, and those essays will be placed in competition for the annual award. The nominated essays should be significant term papers rather than class reports. The author may revise the paper prior to submission. All papers must be received by the Department Chair by February 1.
The award will be presented to the winner at a departmental colloquium in the Spring.