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TESOL Certificate |
2007-2008 MA Guidelines (General)
The MA in English at Oklahoma State University allows students to develop expertise in a variety of areas: British and American literature, Creative Writing, Literary Theory and Criticism, Screen Studies, Composition and Rhetoric, Technical Writing, Linguistics, and Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL). In consultation with their advisory committees, students devise an individualized curriculum that reflects their own intellectual interests and prepares them to enter a PhD program or to teach at the college level.
The MA in English consists of 30 credit hours, including six hours
of thesis. In addition to these hours, students must demonstrate reading
knowledge of a foreign language, pass the MA Qualifying Examination,
and successfully defend a thesis. A description of the degree requirements
and regulations appears below.
Students who wish to concentrate only in TESL or Technical Writing should consult the sections which describe the MA in English degree with options in those areas.
Summary Checklist:
By the end of the second full semester of enrollment, you should
- have chosen an adviser in your major area of study
- have chosen your advisory committee
- have met with your committee and discussed your Plan of Study
- have filed your Plan of Study
- taken ENGL 5013: Introduction to Graduate Studies
Before taking your MA Qualifying Examination, you must
- have fulfilled the foreign language requirement
- have maintained a GPA of 3.0 or above on all graduate course work
- have filed an approved Plan of Study with the Graduate College and English Graduate Office
- have submitted an "Intent to Take Qualifying Examination" form to the English Graduate Office at least three weeks before the examination
Before you are eligible to graduate, you must
- have filed a diploma application
- have submitted a revised Plan of Study, initialed by your adviser
- have submitted the defense copy (Final Draft) of your thesis by the Graduate College deadline
- have passed your oral defense (Final Examination) and turned in the signed form to the Graduate College
- have submitted the final copy of the thesis/dissertation in accordance with the format guidelines at http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/student/thesis/default.html
Graduate College Rules and Regulations
There are many rules and regulations affecting graduate enrollment, tenure, examinations, theses, and dissertations that are made by the Graduate Faculty of Oklahoma State University rather than the English Department. Among the rules students should familiarize themselves with are those governing academic dishonesty or misconduct, especially those dealing with plagiarism. It is the student's responsibility to become informed about all English Department, Graduate College, and University regulations.
The Oklahoma State University Catalog should be read closely by all those who are thinking about, or participating in, graduate studies in English at Oklahoma State University. Copies are available free to all incoming graduate students at 202 Whitehurst.
Adviser and Advisory Committee
All graduate students select an individual adviser and an advisory committee to guide them in completing their degrees.
Adviser. Students should choose an adviser by the end of their first semester of course work, but if this is not possible, students should select an adviser by the end of their first year of graduate study. An adviser of an MA student may be any associate or full member of the graduate faculty of the English Department; in most cases, the adviser has expertise in the subject matter area in which the student plans to write a thesis.
Advisory Committee. The advisory committee will normally consist of the student's major adviser as committee chair and at least two associate or full members of the English Department's graduate faculty.
Changes. To change an adviser or advisory committee, a student must request the change in writing to the English Graduate Director and provide reasons for the change. The Graduate Director will forward the request to the Graduate College for final approval.
Plan of Study
MA students must file a Plan of Study with the Graduate College before completing the 17th hour of graduate credit.
Planning Meeting. No later than the second full semester of enrollment and prior to enrolling for the third semester, students should schedule a meeting with their advisory committee. During that meeting, the student and advisory committee will discuss the student's preparation, professional goals, and plans for graduate study. The student and committee should agree upon a Plan of Study, the foreign language requirement, tentative plans for the MA Qualifying Examination, and the thesis.
Submitting the Plan of Study. Students may download a Plan of Study form from the Graduate College web site, or pick up a paper form from 308M. The student and committee will discuss the Plan of Study which the student completes in pen, informally. After the planning meeting, students will submit the hand-written form to the English Graduate Office. The Graduate Unit Assistant will prepare a final copy of this form and return it to the student, who will then obtain signatures from all members of the advisory committee. The student returns the signed form to the English Graduate Office for the Department Head’s signature. The English Graduate Office then processes the completed and signed form for delivery to 202 Whitehurst.
Changes. Changes to the Plan of Study can be made with the approval of the advisory committee and initialed by the adviser. A final, updated Plan of Study must be on file at the beginning of the semester in which the degree is to be conferred.
Ten-Year Rule. A final Plan of Study may not include any course more than ten years old at the time of actual graduation.
Checklist for Submitting a Plan of Study
- Minimum of 30 hours, including 6 hours of thesis, beyond baccalaureate degree
- At least 21 hours of course work at the 5000 or 6000 level at OSU
- Minimum of 16 hours in English
- No more than 9 hours of course work taken as special student or transferred from another institution
- All courses, including 4000 level, must be taken for graduate credit
- No course work may be used to complete requirements for another degree
- The Plan of Study must be signed by the adviser, committee members, and the Department Head
Course Requirements
The MA program consists of 30 credit hours. In order to provide the flexibility necessary for an individual student's emphasis in period or genre studies, creative writing, screen studies, linguistics, or composition/rhetoric, the department requires only one course of all general MA students, English 5013, Introduction to Graduate Studies. Students will complete an additional 21 credit hours of course work at the 5000 level (or above) and 6 credit hours for either a research or a creative writing thesis. The following requirements govern MA course work.
Introduction to Graduate Studies. English 5013, Introduction to Graduate Studies is required of all students during their first year in the master's program. Students who believe that they have already taken a course equivalent to English 5013 may petition the Graduate Director to have that requirement waived. The student's petition should include a letter asking for the waiver and containing reasons for the request, a copy of the syllabus from the previous course, and any papers or assignments done for that course. The Graduate Director will then pass the request to those professors teaching English 5013 for an evaluation and request a written recommendation. Upon receiving the recommendation, the Graduate Director will affirm or deny the petition and notify the student and the student's adviser. Each case will be judged on its own merits, regardless of whether the same course number at the same institution has been recommended as an equivalent course before.
Methods Course for Teaching Assistants. Teaching assistants must take an appropriate methodology course or courses in their first semester of teaching at Oklahoma State University. These hours may be counted as part of the total hours of course work.
Creative Writing Requirements. Creative writing students may take six to nine hours of workshops or directed study in creative writing and must take six hours of thesis. Fifteen to eighteen hours must consist of other appropriate and required departmental course offerings.
Suggested Literature Curriculum. In addition to other requirements, literature students are advised to take nine hours as a core on which to build further study of literature. These nine hours should be distributed as follows: three hours in literary theory; three hours in American literature; three hours in British literature. One of the literature courses should be pre-1800; the other should be post-1800.
Electives. Students choose the remaining hours of course work in consultation with their advisory committees. Course selection should take into account the student's thesis subject, professional goals, and preparation for the MA Qualifying Examination.
Required Hours at 5000/6000 Level. All MA students must complete at least 21 hours of course work at the 5000/6000 level; this 21 hours of course work may include six hours of credit for work on the thesis.
4000-Level Courses. Only those 4000-level classes marked by an asterisk in the OSU University Catalog are available for graduate credit. All graduate course work should include a research paper or other appropriate project. In the instance of a 4000-level course that may not require such a paper or project, the student should, with the consent of the instructor involved, arrange for such a paper or project to supplement the assigned work. Because 4000-level literature courses are designed primarily for undergraduates, the Department strongly suggests that all graduate courses be at the 5000/6000 level.
Transfer Hours. Students may transfer up to nine graduate hours from another university granting a Master's degree in English. A student's advisory committee shall determine the number of hours of transfer credit to be awarded. If a student uses the hours for a degree at the previous institution, the hours are not applicable to the MA degree at OSU.
Independent Study. Independent Study courses may be occasionally arranged with an instructor when no regular graduate course on the desired topic is available during the student's expected tenure. Each of the two course numbers (5210 and 6210) may be used for up to six hours credit per semester, and no more than nine hours total per course number. All students requesting an Independent Study course must hold a meeting with their advisory committee and receive approval by the members of the committee. Special forms must be used by those who wish to enroll in such courses. Available from the Graduate Director's office, these forms should be submitted no later than the end of the first week of graduate enrollment prior to the semester in which the independent study class is taken. A student who has completed the 17th graduate credit hour in a degree program but who does not have an approved plan of study on file in the Graduate College may not arrange an Independent Study course.
The Graduate Studies Committee will evaluate applications for independent study in accordance with the following criteria and procedure:
- Has the student's advisory committee approved the course?
- Has the student taken regularly offered courses related to the subject?
- Is the independent study unlikely to have a negative impact on enrollment in concurrent or immediately subsequent course offerings?
- Does the independent study fill a gap in the student’s curriculum? Or is the specific course content unlikely to be offered during the student's expected tenure?
- Are the text materials clearly listed?
- Is the work appropriate for the number of credit hours requested?
- Is the list of assignments and percentages awarded to each clearly explained?
- Is the schedule of conferences sufficiently specific?
If all eight questions may be answered affirmatively, the Graduate Director will send a written notice of acceptance to the faculty member, who will then inform the student.
If one or more questions cannot be answered affirmatively, the Graduate Director will contact the faculty member in an effort to clarify and/or resolve the problem(s). If no resolution can be reached, the Graduate Director will inform the faculty member of the denial and the reason(s) for the denial in writing. The faculty member will then inform the student.
End-of-Semester Evaluations. All graduate students will be evaluated in writing at the end of each semester by the professors with whom they have taken courses. These evaluations are kept on file in the Graduate Office and are available for students to read.
Grade of "Incomplete." The following regulations apply to students who receive the grade of "Incomplete" ("I") for any of their course work within the English Department:
- Students must make up the “I” within one calendar year, after which time, in accordance with University policy, the grade of “I” may not be changed. Individual faculty members, however, may establish a shorter time limit for making up the “I.” This shorter time period should be indicated on the back of the grade sheet along with the requirements for making up the incomplete.
- Teaching assistants or associates having more than three "I's" on their records will not be recommended for reappointment.
- Teaching assistants or associates having any "I's" on their records will not be recommended for summer employment.
The following appears in the current OSU Catalog: "This grade [I] is given to a student who satisfactorily completed the majority of the course work and whose work averaged “D” or better, but who has been unavoidably prevented from completing the remaining work of the course. The conditions, including appropriate time limits, for the removal of the “I” are indicated on the official class roll by the instructor. A condition that the student must repeat the course in order to remove the “I” is not permitted. The maximum time allowed for a student to remove an “I” is one calendar year. The dean of the student's college may recommend to the Office of the Registrar the adjustment of this period in exceptional circumstances. It is the responsibility of the student to satisfy the requirements stipulated by the instructor at the time the “I” is assigned; it is the responsibility of the instructor to initiate action to have the new grade entered as soon as possible after the student fulfills the requirement. The new grade does not result in the deletion of the “I” symbol from the transcript. Upon completion of the course requirements, a second entry is posted beside the original “I” on the transcript to show the final grade for the course. The incomplete grade which is not removed within the allotted period becomes a permanent incomplete."
Foreign Language Requirement
In order to fulfill the language requirement for the MA in English, students must demonstrate reading knowledge of one language by either passing a translation test or taking course work. Students may choose from among the following languages: French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, Old English, Russian, and Spanish. If a student uses Old English to fulfill the foreign language requirement, he or she may also count Old English courses on the Plan of Study. It is important that students complete their language requirement early in their course of study so that they may take advantage of relevant scholarship. The language requirement must be fulfilled prior to taking the MA Qualifying Examination.
Petition for Alternative Languages. Students may fulfill the foreign language requirement with languages other than those listed above only with approval by the Graduate Studies Committee of a petition from the student showing that another language better serves the purposes of the research and thesis proposed. This petition must have the support of the student's advisory committee.
Reading Knowledge: Translation Test. Reading knowledge may be demonstrated by passing a translation test. The test shall consist of a total of three 250-300 word passages in the foreign language, two from scholarly articles in the humanities and one from a primary literature text. For Latin, Greek, or Old English, the test will consist of three primary literature texts. With access to a dictionary, students must translate any two of the passages. The test must be completed within three hours.
Scheduling the Translation Test. Foreign language exams are arranged by the English Department Graduate Director. They are offered three times a year, at the beginning of the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Exact dates and the deadline for filing an intention to take the exams will be posted. The exam fee is $30 and must be paid by check or money order (payable to the English Department) prior to the exam date. Sample exams are available in the English Graduate Office.
Reading Knowledge: Course Work. Reading knowledge may be demonstrated by taking one 3-hour upper division undergraduate or one 3-hour graduate foreign language reading or literature course in which course instruction and readings are primarily in that language. Students must receive a grade of B or better in the specified course to fulfill the requirement.
MA Qualifying Examination
MA students take one five-hour qualifying examination that is administered on a single day. It is given each September and February, on the fourth Saturday of the semester. Students must submit a signed notice of intent to take the examination by the end of the first week of classes. The Notice of Intent will indicate the areas of study over which the student wishes to be examined. Students may elect no more than four areas, and they must take the exams on the Stillwater campus. No exams are offered during the summer.
Exam Areas. The ten subject areas for the MA Qualifying Examination are:
British Literature: Old English to 1660 (including Milton)
British Literature: 1660-1900
American Literature: Colonial to 1900
Literature in English post 1900
Literary Theory and Criticism
Linguistics
Composition and Rhetoric
Screen Studies
Technical Writing
Teaching English as a Second Language
Prerequisites. In order to take the MA Qualifying Examination, students must
- have fulfilled the foreign language requirement.
- have a grade point average of at least 3.0 on all graduate work taken beyond the baccalaureate degree. All courses carrying graduate credit, including transfer hours on the approved Plan of Study, will be calculated in this grade point average.
- have an approved Plan of Study on file with the Graduate College and with the English Department Graduate Director.
- submit an "Intent to Take Qualifying Examinations" form to the English Department Graduate Office three weeks before the examinations begin.
Exam Format. The MA Qualifying Examination will consist of three essay questions in each of the areas that have been selected on the notice of intent form. Students must respond to a total of four questions in at least three of the subject areas listed above. They may respond either to two questions in one area and one question in each of two additional areas, or to one question in each of four areas.
Preparation. The English Graduate Guidelines include reading lists for all areas. Students should be aware that the reading lists are suggested, not required. The English Graduate Office (308M) has copies of past exams on file and will make them available upon request. Students should consult with their adviser and advisory committee when preparing for the MA Qualifying Examination.
Questions. Exam questions are broad and general. They may mention major authors that appear on the reading lists, but students may choose among a number of authors in responding to a given question. Specific works are mentioned only as examples of possible approaches to the question and then only if they are on a reading list. Because students in the Technical Writing and TESL options take different exams, questions in these subject areas are general; they are not designed for students in the Technical Writing or TESL options.
Evaluation. Each question will be evaluated by three readers from the specific subject area covered by that section of the exam. Student anonymity will be maintained. If a student answers two questions in a single area, the readers in that area will evaluate each question separately. All readers evaluate exam questions individually before meeting as a committee to discuss student performances and provide a rating of "Pass with Distinction," "Pass," "Pass/Terminal MA," or "Fail" for each question. To be eligible for the MA in English, students must pass all four questions; these questions must be in at least three areas.
Notification of Results. The Graduate Director will notify students of the results of their exams no later than five weeks after they were taken. The Graduate Office will mail the results to the student's home address and send a copy of them to the student's adviser.
Retakes. Students may take the MA Qualifying Examination only twice. Students who fail one or more questions the first time must retake only the number of questions failed. When sitting for the exam a second time, students do not have to answer questions in the same area they did not pass at their first sitting; however, they must altogether pass four questions, and the retaken questions combined with those questions originally passed must be in at least three areas. Students are also allowed to retake the exam or parts of the exam in the next major semester in order to improve an original rating of "Pass/Terminal MA." Students retaking part of the exam will have two hours to answer one question, three hours to answer two questions, and four hours to answer three questions.
Appeals. Normally, a second failure on any section of the MA Qualifying Examination will result in termination of the student's work toward the degree. However, when course work has been of exceptionally high quality, a student may, after a second failure, petition the Graduate Studies Committee for permission to take the exam a third and final time. In order to petition, the student must have a grade point average of 3.50 or higher in graduate courses taken at OSU. In addition, the student's petition must be supported by favorable end-of-semester evaluations from at least three professors.
Thesis
The candidate for the MA degree prepares either a study embodying original research or a creative work for the six hours of thesis credit. It is possible for the student to convert a course paper of high quality into a thesis with additional research. Creative writing students present as their theses original works in poetry, prose fiction, or creative non-fiction. The thesis should be a serious effort of publishable quality.
Thesis Committee. Unless a student requests a change, the advisory committee serves as the thesis committee. Once constituted, a thesis committee may not be changed except for serious reasons stated in writing to the Graduate Director and then approved by the Graduate College.
Prospectus. MA candidates writing a thesis should submit a prospectus (approximately 1000 words) no later than the beginning of the first semester they register for thesis hours. The prospectus must be approved by the candidate's committee. Committee members must be notified in writing if an approved prospectus differs significantly from the submitted thesis (if, for example, the topic of the thesis changes or the authors or texts to be treated are altered or the number or character of the chapters changes). Students must provide a copy of the approved prospectus to the English Department Graduate Director.
Reading Procedure. At the time that the prospectus is approved, the candidate and the committee members should agree upon a reading procedure for the individual chapters. Matters to be discussed in reaching this agreement might include which chapters each member of the committee needs to see as they are completed by the candidate; whether individual committee members wish to see the chapters serially or all at once; and how much time committee members will need to finish reading a chapter or the entire thesis. Under no circumstances should a completed thesis be submitted to any committee member for reading less than two weeks before the defense.
Deadlines. Students submitting theses must adhere to deadlines established by the Graduate College and by the Department of English.
Style. The student must write the thesis according to the guidelines in the current Graduate College Style Manual. The Style Manual is available from the Graduate College or at: http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/download/misc.htm. A Graduate College staff member will be available for advice on formatting for binding and microfilming.
Defense Copy (Final Draft). The defense copy of the thesis should contain all of the chapters in a completed form and full documentation.
Final Copy. If as a result of the defense, revisions to the thesis are required, committee members will not sign the thesis until they are satisfied with the revisions.
Final Examination: Thesis Defense
A thesis defense will consist of a public, oral examination by the thesis committee. It will be no less than 45 minutes, but in many instances, it will be longer. The candidate submitting a research thesis will answer challenges to the thesis argument as well as questions on the literary and cultural tradition of the thesis subject. The candidate submitting a creative thesis will answer challenges to the aesthetic qualities of the work and questions on the theory and the tradition of the genre it represents. The thesis defense occurs after the student has submitted a complete draft of the thesis to all committee members.
Intent to Defend Form. Candidates will file a nonbinding Intent to Defend form with the Graduate Director within the first two weeks of the semester in which they expect to defend the thesis. Each member of the committee will sign this form before it is filed with the Graduate Director. If a student does not defend in the semester when the Intent to Defend form is filed, he or she should resubmit the form when he or she is prepared to defend.
Scheduling of Oral Defense. Under no circumstances should a completed thesis be submitted to any committee member for reading less than two weeks before the defense. The English Graduate Office must be notified one week before the oral defense of the day and time of the defense, and the title of the thesis. No thesis defense will be held during the summer.
Student Tenure
Students must complete all requirements for the MA degree within seven years from their first enrollment in classes for the MA program.
Length of Financial Support For Teaching Assistants
A teaching assistant who has not been placed on strict academic probation and who is making satisfactory progress toward the degree is eligible for financial support for a maximum of three years. A student who obtains an MA in English at OSU and then enters the PhD program is eligible for an additional four years of support.
If exceptional circumstances warrant, a student in the final year of financial support may petition the Head of the English Department for an additional year's support. Such exceptional cases will be judged on an individual basis and in light of Departmental policies and staffing needs.
Ineligibility for the MA Degree
The Graduate Director may upon proper cause declare a student ineligible for a degree from the English Department at Oklahoma State University. Upon determining that such cause exists, the Graduate Director will immediately notify the student's adviser, who will discuss the matter with the student and respond to the Graduate Director within fifteen working days. Should the Graduate Director still believe that proper cause exists, he or she will write a letter to the student indicating the reasons for the decision. The student may then appeal to the Graduate Studies Committee within ten working days for a hearing.
The Graduate Studies Committee will review the appeal and report its findings to the Graduate Director, who will notify the student. The student may then appeal that decision to the full Graduate Faculty of the English Department. The decision of that group shall end the Departmental appeal process.
Appeals and Petitions
All appeals involving grades or charges of academic dishonesty or misconduct must be directed to the OSU Academic Appeals Board. Contact the Executive Vice President's office (101 Whitehurst) for information and forms. Petitions involving teaching assistantships must be directed to the Department Head.
All other petitions or appeals must be directed in writing to the Graduate Director, who will then forward the petition to the appropriate body, usually one of the following: the Graduate Studies Committee (for special requests as described within the English Graduate Guidelines), the English Graduate Faculty (for exceptions to English Department policy), or the Graduate Faculty Council (for exceptions to OSU policy). Students are urged to discuss matters with their advisers and with the Graduate Director before making a formal petition or appeal.
If the Graduate Director does not act upon a student's written request within a reasonable amount of time, a student and/or adviser may appeal directly to the Department Head. If a student has exhausted all appeals procedures within the Department and is still not able to resolve the problem, he or she may appeal to the Graduate College.
English Department
College of Arts & Sciences
Oklahoma State University
205 Morrill Hall
Stillwater, OK 74078
Phone: 405-744-9474
For Information about English Programs: english.information@okstate.edu
Webmaster: engweb@okstate.edu
The MA in English at Oklahoma State University allows students to develop expertise in a variety of areas: British and American literature, Creative Writing, Literary Theory and Criticism, Screen Studies, Composition and Rhetoric, Technical Writing, Linguistics, and Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL). In consultation with their advisory committees, students devise an individualized curriculum that reflects their own intellectual interests and prepares them to enter a PhD program or to teach at the college level.
The MA in English consists of 30 credit hours, including six hours of thesis. In addition to these hours, students must demonstrate reading knowledge of a foreign language, pass the MA Qualifying Examination, and successfully defend a thesis. A description of the degree requirements and regulations appears below.
Students who wish to concentrate only in TESL or Technical Writing should consult the sections which describe the MA in English degree with options in those areas.
Summary Checklist:
By the end of the second full semester of enrollment, you should
- have chosen an adviser in your major area of study
- have chosen your advisory committee
- have met with your committee and discussed your Plan of Study
- have filed your Plan of Study
- taken ENGL 5013: Introduction to Graduate Studies
Before taking your MA Qualifying Examination, you must
- have fulfilled the foreign language requirement
- have maintained a GPA of 3.0 or above on all graduate course work
- have filed an approved Plan of Study with the Graduate College and English Graduate Office
- have submitted an "Intent to Take Qualifying Examination" form to the English Graduate Office at least three weeks before the examination
Before you are eligible to graduate, you must
- have filed a diploma application
- have submitted a revised Plan of Study, initialed by your adviser
- have submitted the defense copy (Final Draft) of your thesis by the Graduate College deadline
- have passed your oral defense (Final Examination) and turned in the signed form to the Graduate College
- have submitted the final copy of the thesis/dissertation in accordance with the format guidelines at http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/student/thesis/default.html
Graduate College Rules and Regulations
There are many rules and regulations affecting graduate enrollment, tenure, examinations, theses, and dissertations that are made by the Graduate Faculty of Oklahoma State University rather than the English Department. Among the rules students should familiarize themselves with are those governing academic dishonesty or misconduct, especially those dealing with plagiarism. It is the student's responsibility to become informed about all English Department, Graduate College, and University regulations.
The Oklahoma State University Catalog should be read closely by all those who are thinking about, or participating in, graduate studies in English at Oklahoma State University. Copies are available free to all incoming graduate students at 202 Whitehurst.
Adviser and Advisory Committee
All graduate students select an individual adviser and an advisory committee to guide them in completing their degrees.
Adviser. Students should choose an adviser by the end of their first semester of course work, but if this is not possible, students should select an adviser by the end of their first year of graduate study. An adviser of an MA student may be any associate or full member of the graduate faculty of the English Department; in most cases, the adviser has expertise in the subject matter area in which the student plans to write a thesis.
Advisory Committee. The advisory committee will normally consist of the student's major adviser as committee chair and at least two associate or full members of the English Department's graduate faculty.
Changes. To change an adviser or advisory committee, a student must request the change in writing to the English Graduate Director and provide reasons for the change. The Graduate Director will forward the request to the Graduate College for final approval.
Plan of Study
MA students must file a Plan of Study with the Graduate College before completing the 17th hour of graduate credit.
Planning Meeting. No later than the second full semester of enrollment and prior to enrolling for the third semester, students should schedule a meeting with their advisory committee. During that meeting, the student and advisory committee will discuss the student's preparation, professional goals, and plans for graduate study. The student and committee should agree upon a Plan of Study, the foreign language requirement, tentative plans for the MA Qualifying Examination, and the thesis.
Submitting the Plan of Study. Students may download a Plan of Study form from the Graduate College web site, or pick up a paper form from 308M. The student and committee will discuss the Plan of Study which the student completes in pen, informally. After the planning meeting, students will submit the hand-written form to the English Graduate Office. The Graduate Unit Assistant will prepare a final copy of this form and return it to the student, who will then obtain signatures from all members of the advisory committee. The student returns the signed form to the English Graduate Office for the Department Head’s signature. The English Graduate Office then processes the completed and signed form for delivery to 202 Whitehurst.
Changes. Changes to the Plan of Study can be made with the approval of the advisory committee and initialed by the adviser. A final, updated Plan of Study must be on file at the beginning of the semester in which the degree is to be conferred.
Ten-Year Rule. A final Plan of Study may not include any course more than ten years old at the time of actual graduation.
Checklist for Submitting a Plan of Study
- Minimum of 30 hours, including 6 hours of thesis, beyond baccalaureate degree
- At least 21 hours of course work at the 5000 or 6000 level at OSU
- Minimum of 16 hours in English
- No more than 9 hours of course work taken as special student or transferred from another institution
- All courses, including 4000 level, must be taken for graduate credit
- No course work may be used to complete requirements for another degree
- The Plan of Study must be signed by the adviser, committee members, and the Department Head
Course Requirements
The MA program consists of 30 credit hours. In order to provide the flexibility necessary for an individual student's emphasis in period or genre studies, creative writing, screen studies, linguistics, or composition/rhetoric, the department requires only one course of all general MA students, English 5013, Introduction to Graduate Studies. Students will complete an additional 21 credit hours of course work at the 5000 level (or above) and 6 credit hours for either a research or a creative writing thesis. The following requirements govern MA course work.
Introduction to Graduate Studies. English 5013, Introduction to Graduate Studies is required of all students during their first year in the master's program. Students who believe that they have already taken a course equivalent to English 5013 may petition the Graduate Director to have that requirement waived. The student's petition should include a letter asking for the waiver and containing reasons for the request, a copy of the syllabus from the previous course, and any papers or assignments done for that course. The Graduate Director will then pass the request to those professors teaching English 5013 for an evaluation and request a written recommendation. Upon receiving the recommendation, the Graduate Director will affirm or deny the petition and notify the student and the student's adviser. Each case will be judged on its own merits, regardless of whether the same course number at the same institution has been recommended as an equivalent course before.
Methods Course for Teaching Assistants. Teaching assistants must take an appropriate methodology course or courses in their first semester of teaching at Oklahoma State University. These hours may be counted as part of the total hours of course work.
Creative Writing Requirements. Creative writing students may take six to nine hours of workshops or directed study in creative writing and must take six hours of thesis. Fifteen to eighteen hours must consist of other appropriate and required departmental course offerings.
Suggested Literature Curriculum. In addition to other requirements, literature students are advised to take nine hours as a core on which to build further study of literature. These nine hours should be distributed as follows: three hours in literary theory; three hours in American literature; three hours in British literature. One of the literature courses should be pre-1800; the other should be post-1800.
Electives. Students choose the remaining hours of course work in consultation with their advisory committees. Course selection should take into account the student's thesis subject, professional goals, and preparation for the MA Qualifying Examination.
Required Hours at 5000/6000 Level. All MA students must complete at least 21 hours of course work at the 5000/6000 level; this 21 hours of course work may include six hours of credit for work on the thesis.
4000-Level Courses. Only those 4000-level classes marked by an asterisk in the OSU University Catalog are available for graduate credit. All graduate course work should include a research paper or other appropriate project. In the instance of a 4000-level course that may not require such a paper or project, the student should, with the consent of the instructor involved, arrange for such a paper or project to supplement the assigned work. Because 4000-level literature courses are designed primarily for undergraduates, the Department strongly suggests that all graduate courses be at the 5000/6000 level.
Transfer Hours. Students may transfer up to nine graduate hours from another university granting a Master's degree in English. A student's advisory committee shall determine the number of hours of transfer credit to be awarded. If a student uses the hours for a degree at the previous institution, the hours are not applicable to the MA degree at OSU.
Independent Study. Independent Study courses may be occasionally arranged with an instructor when no regular graduate course on the desired topic is available during the student's expected tenure. Each of the two course numbers (5210 and 6210) may be used for up to six hours credit per semester, and no more than nine hours total per course number. All students requesting an Independent Study course must hold a meeting with their advisory committee and receive approval by the members of the committee. Special forms must be used by those who wish to enroll in such courses. Available from the Graduate Director's office, these forms should be submitted no later than the end of the first week of graduate enrollment prior to the semester in which the independent study class is taken. A student who has completed the 17th graduate credit hour in a degree program but who does not have an approved plan of study on file in the Graduate College may not arrange an Independent Study course.
The Graduate Studies Committee will evaluate applications for independent study in accordance with the following criteria and procedure:
- Has the student's advisory committee approved the course?
- Has the student taken regularly offered courses related to the subject?
- Is the independent study unlikely to have a negative impact on enrollment in concurrent or immediately subsequent course offerings?
- Does the independent study fill a gap in the student’s curriculum? Or is the specific course content unlikely to be offered during the student's expected tenure?
- Are the text materials clearly listed?
- Is the work appropriate for the number of credit hours requested?
- Is the list of assignments and percentages awarded to each clearly explained?
- Is the schedule of conferences sufficiently specific?
If all eight questions may be answered affirmatively, the Graduate Director will send a written notice of acceptance to the faculty member, who will then inform the student.
If one or more questions cannot be answered affirmatively, the Graduate Director will contact the faculty member in an effort to clarify and/or resolve the problem(s). If no resolution can be reached, the Graduate Director will inform the faculty member of the denial and the reason(s) for the denial in writing. The faculty member will then inform the student.
End-of-Semester Evaluations. All graduate students will be evaluated in writing at the end of each semester by the professors with whom they have taken courses. These evaluations are kept on file in the Graduate Office and are available for students to read.
Grade of "Incomplete." The following regulations apply to students who receive the grade of "Incomplete" ("I") for any of their course work within the English Department:
- Students must make up the “I” within one calendar year, after which time, in accordance with University policy, the grade of “I” may not be changed. Individual faculty members, however, may establish a shorter time limit for making up the “I.” This shorter time period should be indicated on the back of the grade sheet along with the requirements for making up the incomplete.
- Teaching assistants or associates having more than three "I's" on their records will not be recommended for reappointment.
- Teaching assistants or associates having any "I's" on their records will not be recommended for summer employment.
The following appears in the current OSU Catalog: "This grade [I] is given to a student who satisfactorily completed the majority of the course work and whose work averaged “D” or better, but who has been unavoidably prevented from completing the remaining work of the course. The conditions, including appropriate time limits, for the removal of the “I” are indicated on the official class roll by the instructor. A condition that the student must repeat the course in order to remove the “I” is not permitted. The maximum time allowed for a student to remove an “I” is one calendar year. The dean of the student's college may recommend to the Office of the Registrar the adjustment of this period in exceptional circumstances. It is the responsibility of the student to satisfy the requirements stipulated by the instructor at the time the “I” is assigned; it is the responsibility of the instructor to initiate action to have the new grade entered as soon as possible after the student fulfills the requirement. The new grade does not result in the deletion of the “I” symbol from the transcript. Upon completion of the course requirements, a second entry is posted beside the original “I” on the transcript to show the final grade for the course. The incomplete grade which is not removed within the allotted period becomes a permanent incomplete."
Foreign Language Requirement
In order to fulfill the language requirement for the MA in English, students must demonstrate reading knowledge of one language by either passing a translation test or taking course work. Students may choose from among the following languages: French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, Old English, Russian, and Spanish. If a student uses Old English to fulfill the foreign language requirement, he or she may also count Old English courses on the Plan of Study. It is important that students complete their language requirement early in their course of study so that they may take advantage of relevant scholarship. The language requirement must be fulfilled prior to taking the MA Qualifying Examination.
Petition for Alternative Languages. Students may fulfill the foreign language requirement with languages other than those listed above only with approval by the Graduate Studies Committee of a petition from the student showing that another language better serves the purposes of the research and thesis proposed. This petition must have the support of the student's advisory committee.
Reading Knowledge: Translation Test. Reading knowledge may be demonstrated by passing a translation test. The test shall consist of a total of three 250-300 word passages in the foreign language, two from scholarly articles in the humanities and one from a primary literature text. For Latin, Greek, or Old English, the test will consist of three primary literature texts. With access to a dictionary, students must translate any two of the passages. The test must be completed within three hours.
Scheduling the Translation Test. Foreign language exams are arranged by the English Department Graduate Director. They are offered three times a year, at the beginning of the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Exact dates and the deadline for filing an intention to take the exams will be posted. The exam fee is $30 and must be paid by check or money order (payable to the English Department) prior to the exam date. Sample exams are available in the English Graduate Office.
Reading Knowledge: Course Work. Reading knowledge may be demonstrated by taking one 3-hour upper division undergraduate or one 3-hour graduate foreign language reading or literature course in which course instruction and readings are primarily in that language. Students must receive a grade of B or better in the specified course to fulfill the requirement.
MA Qualifying Examination
MA students take one five-hour qualifying examination that is administered on a single day. It is given each September and February, on the fourth Saturday of the semester. Students must submit a signed notice of intent to take the examination by the end of the first week of classes. The Notice of Intent will indicate the areas of study over which the student wishes to be examined. Students may elect no more than four areas, and they must take the exams on the Stillwater campus. No exams are offered during the summer.
Exam Areas. The ten subject areas for the MA Qualifying Examination are:
British Literature: Old English to 1660 (including Milton)
British Literature: 1660-1900
American Literature: Colonial to 1900
Literature in English post 1900
Literary Theory and Criticism
Linguistics
Composition and Rhetoric
Screen Studies
Technical Writing
Teaching English as a Second Language
Prerequisites. In order to take the MA Qualifying Examination, students must
- have fulfilled the foreign language requirement.
- have a grade point average of at least 3.0 on all graduate work taken beyond the baccalaureate degree. All courses carrying graduate credit, including transfer hours on the approved Plan of Study, will be calculated in this grade point average.
- have an approved Plan of Study on file with the Graduate College and with the English Department Graduate Director.
- submit an "Intent to Take Qualifying Examinations" form to the English Department Graduate Office three weeks before the examinations begin.
Exam Format. The MA Qualifying Examination will consist of three essay questions in each of the areas that have been selected on the notice of intent form. Students must respond to a total of four questions in at least three of the subject areas listed above. They may respond either to two questions in one area and one question in each of two additional areas, or to one question in each of four areas.
Preparation. The English Graduate Guidelines include reading lists for all areas. Students should be aware that the reading lists are suggested, not required. The English Graduate Office (308M) has copies of past exams on file and will make them available upon request. Students should consult with their adviser and advisory committee when preparing for the MA Qualifying Examination.
Questions. Exam questions are broad and general. They may mention major authors that appear on the reading lists, but students may choose among a number of authors in responding to a given question. Specific works are mentioned only as examples of possible approaches to the question and then only if they are on a reading list. Because students in the Technical Writing and TESL options take different exams, questions in these subject areas are general; they are not designed for students in the Technical Writing or TESL options.
Evaluation. Each question will be evaluated by three readers from the specific subject area covered by that section of the exam. Student anonymity will be maintained. If a student answers two questions in a single area, the readers in that area will evaluate each question separately. All readers evaluate exam questions individually before meeting as a committee to discuss student performances and provide a rating of "Pass with Distinction," "Pass," "Pass/Terminal MA," or "Fail" for each question. To be eligible for the MA in English, students must pass all four questions; these questions must be in at least three areas.
Notification of Results. The Graduate Director will notify students of the results of their exams no later than five weeks after they were taken. The Graduate Office will mail the results to the student's home address and send a copy of them to the student's adviser.
Retakes. Students may take the MA Qualifying Examination only twice. Students who fail one or more questions the first time must retake only the number of questions failed. When sitting for the exam a second time, students do not have to answer questions in the same area they did not pass at their first sitting; however, they must altogether pass four questions, and the retaken questions combined with those questions originally passed must be in at least three areas. Students are also allowed to retake the exam or parts of the exam in the next major semester in order to improve an original rating of "Pass/Terminal MA." Students retaking part of the exam will have two hours to answer one question, three hours to answer two questions, and four hours to answer three questions.
Appeals. Normally, a second failure on any section of the MA Qualifying Examination will result in termination of the student's work toward the degree. However, when course work has been of exceptionally high quality, a student may, after a second failure, petition the Graduate Studies Committee for permission to take the exam a third and final time. In order to petition, the student must have a grade point average of 3.50 or higher in graduate courses taken at OSU. In addition, the student's petition must be supported by favorable end-of-semester evaluations from at least three professors.
Thesis
The candidate for the MA degree prepares either a study embodying original research or a creative work for the six hours of thesis credit. It is possible for the student to convert a course paper of high quality into a thesis with additional research. Creative writing students present as their theses original works in poetry, prose fiction, or creative non-fiction. The thesis should be a serious effort of publishable quality.
Thesis Committee. Unless a student requests a change, the advisory committee serves as the thesis committee. Once constituted, a thesis committee may not be changed except for serious reasons stated in writing to the Graduate Director and then approved by the Graduate College.
Prospectus. MA candidates writing a thesis should submit a prospectus (approximately 1000 words) no later than the beginning of the first semester they register for thesis hours. The prospectus must be approved by the candidate's committee. Committee members must be notified in writing if an approved prospectus differs significantly from the submitted thesis (if, for example, the topic of the thesis changes or the authors or texts to be treated are altered or the number or character of the chapters changes). Students must provide a copy of the approved prospectus to the English Department Graduate Director.
Reading Procedure. At the time that the prospectus is approved, the candidate and the committee members should agree upon a reading procedure for the individual chapters. Matters to be discussed in reaching this agreement might include which chapters each member of the committee needs to see as they are completed by the candidate; whether individual committee members wish to see the chapters serially or all at once; and how much time committee members will need to finish reading a chapter or the entire thesis. Under no circumstances should a completed thesis be submitted to any committee member for reading less than two weeks before the defense.
Deadlines. Students submitting theses must adhere to deadlines established by the Graduate College and by the Department of English.
Style. The student must write the thesis according to the guidelines in the current Graduate College Style Manual. The Style Manual is available from the Graduate College or at: http://gradcollege.okstate.edu/download/misc.htm. A Graduate College staff member will be available for advice on formatting for binding and microfilming.
Defense Copy (Final Draft). The defense copy of the thesis should contain all of the chapters in a completed form and full documentation.
Final Copy. If as a result of the defense, revisions to the thesis are required, committee members will not sign the thesis until they are satisfied with the revisions.
Final Examination: Thesis Defense
A thesis defense will consist of a public, oral examination by the thesis committee. It will be no less than 45 minutes, but in many instances, it will be longer. The candidate submitting a research thesis will answer challenges to the thesis argument as well as questions on the literary and cultural tradition of the thesis subject. The candidate submitting a creative thesis will answer challenges to the aesthetic qualities of the work and questions on the theory and the tradition of the genre it represents. The thesis defense occurs after the student has submitted a complete draft of the thesis to all committee members.
Intent to Defend Form. Candidates will file a nonbinding Intent to Defend form with the Graduate Director within the first two weeks of the semester in which they expect to defend the thesis. Each member of the committee will sign this form before it is filed with the Graduate Director. If a student does not defend in the semester when the Intent to Defend form is filed, he or she should resubmit the form when he or she is prepared to defend.
Scheduling of Oral Defense. Under no circumstances should a completed thesis be submitted to any committee member for reading less than two weeks before the defense. The English Graduate Office must be notified one week before the oral defense of the day and time of the defense, and the title of the thesis. No thesis defense will be held during the summer.
Student Tenure
Students must complete all requirements for the MA degree within seven years from their first enrollment in classes for the MA program.
Length of Financial Support For Teaching Assistants
A teaching assistant who has not been placed on strict academic probation and who is making satisfactory progress toward the degree is eligible for financial support for a maximum of three years. A student who obtains an MA in English at OSU and then enters the PhD program is eligible for an additional four years of support.
If exceptional circumstances warrant, a student in the final year of financial support may petition the Head of the English Department for an additional year's support. Such exceptional cases will be judged on an individual basis and in light of Departmental policies and staffing needs.
Ineligibility for the MA Degree
The Graduate Director may upon proper cause declare a student ineligible for a degree from the English Department at Oklahoma State University. Upon determining that such cause exists, the Graduate Director will immediately notify the student's adviser, who will discuss the matter with the student and respond to the Graduate Director within fifteen working days. Should the Graduate Director still believe that proper cause exists, he or she will write a letter to the student indicating the reasons for the decision. The student may then appeal to the Graduate Studies Committee within ten working days for a hearing.
The Graduate Studies Committee will review the appeal and report its findings to the Graduate Director, who will notify the student. The student may then appeal that decision to the full Graduate Faculty of the English Department. The decision of that group shall end the Departmental appeal process.
Appeals and Petitions
All appeals involving grades or charges of academic dishonesty or misconduct must be directed to the OSU Academic Appeals Board. Contact the Executive Vice President's office (101 Whitehurst) for information and forms. Petitions involving teaching assistantships must be directed to the Department Head.
All other petitions or appeals must be directed in writing to the Graduate Director, who will then forward the petition to the appropriate body, usually one of the following: the Graduate Studies Committee (for special requests as described within the English Graduate Guidelines), the English Graduate Faculty (for exceptions to English Department policy), or the Graduate Faculty Council (for exceptions to OSU policy). Students are urged to discuss matters with their advisers and with the Graduate Director before making a formal petition or appeal.
If the Graduate Director does not act upon a student's written request within a reasonable amount of time, a student and/or adviser may appeal directly to the Department Head. If a student has exhausted all appeals procedures within the Department and is still not able to resolve the problem, he or she may appeal to the Graduate College.
English Department
College of Arts & Sciences
Oklahoma State University
205 Morrill Hall
Stillwater, OK 74078
Phone: 405-744-9474
For Information about English Programs: english.information@okstate.edu
Webmaster: engweb@okstate.edu
Summary Checklist
Graduate College Rules and Regulations
Adviser and Advisory Committee
Plan of Study
Course Requirements
Foreign Language Requirement
MA Qualifying Examination
Thesis
Final Examination: Thesis Defense
Student Tenure
Length of Financial Support For Teaching Assistants
Ineligibility for the MA Degree
Appeals and Petitions
MA Reading Lists