Graduate Program Director: Adam Schuster
Email: aschuster@csub.edu

Program Description

The Master of Arts in English provides the following:

1. Carefully planned and integrated program ensuring a foundation of professional skills through a common core of courses.
2. Some uniform degree of coverage in British and American literature.
3. More intensive training in reading, critical analysis, research, and writing than is possible in undergraduate work.
4. Breadth through an emphasis on the fields of literature, language, and composition.

To meet these objectives, the English graduate program has been designed primarily to provide the following:

1. A well-balanced program for those who wish to terminate their studies at the master’s level and whose primary aim is to teach in a community college.
2. Advanced training for teachers who wish to improve their professional skills and status.
3. A variety of courses for students who plan to pursue the Ph.D. degree at another institution.
4. Continuing education for those who wish to extend their knowledge as an end in itself through an interesting and stimulating series of classes in literature, criticism, and language, as well as the teaching of composition and English as a Second Language.

The MA qualifies students to teach in the California community college system or private secondary schools as well as prepares them for careers in editing, advertising, and public information.

Additional Programs

Teaching Assistant Program in Writing

The Teaching Assistant Program in Writing begins with a one-semester apprenticeship in a composition course or courses in the department. If the faculty mentor’s evaluations are positive and enrollment is sufficient, the student will be assigned to their own class for one semester. Students are required to take ENGL 6000 English Practicum in conjunction with their apprenticeship. Prerequisites for the Teaching Assistant Program in Writing are

1. Completion of ENGL 5130 Composition Theory & Practice with a grade of B+ (3.3) or better
2. Completion of 10 hours of tutoring
3. Advancement to classified status
4. A graduate GPA of at least 3.5

English 6000 can count as an elective toward the MA.

Teaching Assistant Program in Literature

The Teaching Assistant Program in Literature begins with a one-semester apprenticeship in a literature course in the department. If the faculty mentor’s evaluations are positive, the student may apply to work as a teaching assistant for an instructor in ENGL 1208 Introduction to Literature. Students are required to take ENGL 6000 English Practicum in conjunction with their apprenticeship. Prerequisite: ENGL 5020 Special Method: Instruction of Literature with a grade of B+ (3.3) or better.

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Writing

CSUB's Certificate in Writing is the perfect supplement to your Bachelor's or Master's degree, regardless of your area of study. Holders of a BA or BS pursuing a credential may earn in-service units and improve their own writing skills at the same time; those in a Master's Program may benefit from an additional emphasis on writing when they enter the job market.

This certifies the completion of specialized training in writing by those who hold a BA or an MA degree, whether or not they are involved in a graduate degree program. Candidates for this certificate must complete with a B or better four specific graduate writing courses selected from the following five: ENGL 5110 Approaches to the Analysis of Writing, ENGL 5120 Rhetorical Theory, ENGL 5130 Composition Theory & Practice, ENGL 5140 Methods and Materials in Teaching Second Language Writing and ENGL 5150 Teaching Basic Writers.

California Writers Series

Each year the English department sponsors two or more readings by poets and fiction writers living and working in California. Previous presenters have included Wanda Coleman (Guggenheim and NEA Fellow) and Kay Ryan (Pulitzer Prize winner and former United States Poet Laureate). Faculty contact is Dr. Emerson Case.

Lectures in Language and Linguistics

Linguists from universities throughout the state and region come to campus two or more times per year to present lectures in all areas of linguistics, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, historical/comparative linguistics, and second language acquisition. Faculty contact is Dr. Emerson Case.

Sigma Tau Delta

The English department is home to the Xi Tau Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, an international honor society for English majors. Juniors, seniors, and graduate students are encouraged to apply. Faculty advisors are Dr. Emerson Case and Dr. Andy Troup.

English Club

Students majoring or minoring in English are welcome to meet in an informal setting to discuss literature, language, classes, and all other aspects of campus life. Meetings are generally held every Friday afternoon. Faculty advisors are Dr. Emerson Case and Dr. Andy Troup.

Application and Admission

Application Procedure

Persons seeking graduate study in English must apply online through Cal State Apply at  (https://www2.calstate.edu/apply).  Admission to graduate study by the university does not constitute acceptance into the English MA Program.

Students must also notify the English Department’s Graduate Program Director of their intention to pursue the MA degree. The Graduate Program Director will familiarize the student with the requirements and timetable of the MA Program.

Admissions Requirements

Admission to the graduate program leading to the Master of Arts in English requires the following:

1. A baccalaureate degree in English from an accredited college or university.
2. A 3.0 GPA (A=4.0) for the last 60 semester units (90 quarter units) attempted and a 3.0 GPA in upper-division English courses.
3. Students who do not meet the 3.0 GPA requirement for upper-division English courses can qualify for the program by scoring at or above the 70th percentile on the verbal measure of the Graduate Record General Test OR by presenting an approved personal statement and writing sample to the Graduate Program Director.
4. For international students whose first language is not English, a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based TOEFL exam, 80 on the internet-based TOEFL exam, or 6.5 on the IELTS. Documentation must be provided in original form by the testing institution; copies submitted by the applicant are not acceptable.

Students who have a baccalaureate degree in a subject other than English will have to complete up to seven-courses (21 units) that comprise the undergraduate core requirements for English, with a GPA of 3.0, before being considered for admission to the master’s degree program in English. The undergraduate core requirements are described below. All courses are to be selected in consultation with the Graduate Program Director for English.

1. One upper-division courses in linguistics, such as ENGL 3610 General Linguistics or ENGL 4650 History of the Language or its equivalent.
2. Any six other upper-division courses in English, which may include courses in genre, major figures, periods, or creative writing;  ENGL 3000 Critical Approaches to Literature is highly recommended.

Classification of Graduate Students

There are three classifications for students in the English graduate program:

Classified

A student who meets all the requirements for admission to the master’s degree program in English will be admitted as a Classified Graduate Student. A Classified Graduate Student may take any graduate-level course meeting the requirements of his or her plan of study as long as the appropriate prerequisites have been met.

Conditionally Classified

A student who meets most but not all of the requirements for admission as a Classified Graduate Student may be admitted as a Conditionally Classified Graduate Student.  The letter of acceptance will list the conditions that students must fulfill to become classified. A Conditionally Classified Graduate Student may take no more than two three-unit courses that count towards the requirements for the MA in English while meeting the specified conditions.

Candidacy

Classified students who have maintained a 3.25 GPA will be advanced to candidacy in the term in which they intend to graduate.

Academic Advising

MA students should stay in contact with the Graduate Program Director, so the department can provide current information to help the student move expeditiously through the program. It is the student’s responsibility, in consultation with the graduate program director, to choose appropriate courses and to organize a thesis, project, or examination committee (Graduate Committee), and the program’s Graduation Outline should be frequently consulted and followed. Meeting with the graduate program director is an important first step in the MA program. The graduate program director advises and guides students during the period of graduate study and responds to any concerns students may have while in the program.

Committee Selection

Each MA student in English must have a committee, either to provide examinations or to read and guide the project or thesis. The Graduate Program Director can provide assistance in forming an MA committee.

Students must distribute their classes in the following manner: 

• They must take one class in each of the nine Domains designated with Roman numerals below.  
• They also take one elective from any of the Areas designated by Arabic numerals in which they have not previously taken a class. 
• Most students will not take classes in all 15 fields.
• The eleventh class is either ENGL 6710 Comprehensive Examination or ENGL 6720 Thesis or Project described below.
• Graduate students must earn a GPA of 3.0 (B) or better in the classes listed for the nine Domains. 
• No course in which the student receives less than a B (3.0) will count toward the degree.

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Domain I
Area 1
ENGL 5000	Methods of Scholarly Research	3
Domain II
Area 2
ENGL 5010	Criticism	3
Domain III
Area 3
ENGL 5610	Theories of English Grammar	3
or ENGL 5620	History of English Language
Domain IV
Area 4
ENGL 5300	Chaucer	3
Area 5
ENGL 5310	17th Century British Literature	3
or ENGL 5320	Shakespeare
Area 6
ENGL 5330	18th Century British Literature	3
or ENGL 5340	Development English Novel
Domain V
Area 7
ENGL 5350	19th Century British Literature	3
Area 8
Select one of the following:		3
ENGL 5520	20th Century Poetry
ENGL 5360	Postcolonial Literature
ENGL 5370	British Literature: 20th Century to the Present
Domain VI
Area 9
ENGL 5220	Early American Literature	3
or ENGL 5230	Late 19th Century American Literature
Area 10
Select one of the following:		3
ENGL 5240	Modern American Literature
ENGL 5250	Contemporary American Literature
Domain VII
Area 11
ENGL 5210	Ethnic Literature	3
Domain VIII
Area 12
ENGL 5110	Approaches to the Analysis of Writing	3
Area 13
ENGL 5120	Rhetorical Theory	3
Domain IX
Area 14
ENGL 5130	Composition Theory & Practice	3
or ENGL 5020	Special Method: Instruction of Literature
Area 15
ENGL 5140	Methods and Materials in Teaching Second Language Writing	3
or ENGL 5150	Teaching Basic Writers
Elective		3
Total Units		48

Upon completion of all course work, students enroll in ENGL 6710 Comprehensive Examination or ENGL 6720 Thesis or Project. ENGL 6710 Comprehensive Examination is an independent course that culminates in three written comprehensive examinations based on the department’s standardized reading lists. Students choose three fields of their choice for testing and can take the three examinations on separate occasions, but no more than two times each. ENGL 6720 Thesis or Project is an independent course that culminates in a thesis or project. Students develop the thesis or project under the supervision of three faculty readers. ENGL 6710 Comprehensive Examination and ENGL 6720 Thesis or Project are graded CR/NC. Note: Students must maintain continuous enrollment while completing the requirements for the comprehensive examination, thesis, or project and can do so by enrolling in English 7000 (0 units) through the Division of Extended Education and Global Outreach during semesters when they are not enrolled in any other classes.

Undergraduate Courses for Graduate Credit

Graduate students normally will take courses from those numbered in the 5000-6000 level series, but they may substitute one or two 3000-4000-level classes (supplemented by additional graduate-level work) with the permission of the instructor and the Graduate Program Coordinator. With the approval of the instructor of the class and the Graduate Program Coordinator, graduate students may also take up to two graduate courses in independent study mode; however, ENGL 5000 Methods of Scholarly Research, ENGL 5610 Theories of English Grammar, ENGL 5620 History of English Language, and ENGL 5010 Criticism are not available through independent study mode and cannot be substituted by any other courses.

Additional Requirements

Time Limitation on Course Requirements

State law mandates a seven-year limitation on course credits. Students who fail to complete their degree programs within the seven-year limit may petition the Department’s Graduate Committee to permit the revalidating of outdated courses. If granted, such revalidation will normally require an oral or written examination on the course content, supervised by a specialist in the field.