| DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH Acting Chair: Sue B. Walker (460-6146)
Professors: Dendinger, McDonald (Emeritus), Walker, White, Wilson (Emeritus)
Associate Professors: Beason, Brennan, Dorrill, Lally, McIver
Assistant Professors: Cohen, Hotchkiss, Juengel, Matheson, Payne, Wellington
Instructors: Leatherwood, Nowlin, Spain
The curriculum in the Department of English is designed to
serve two main purposes: first, to provide for all students those basic disciplines in
composition and rhetoric, in written communication, and in literature, which are essential
to a familiarity with the cultural past and to some understanding of the ferment in the
cultural present; second, to provide for those majoring in English a broad and intensive
study of the important American and British authors, identifying them with the mainstream
of literary movements and the historical background from which such movements grew.
The curriculum ensures the student a familiarity with the
tools and methods of scholarly endeavor. For the student interested in graduate study in
the field, it establishes a background adequate for continuing work and specialization. It
offers training for students who plan to teach English in the secondary schools or 2-year
colleges.
REQUIREMENTS FOR A
MAJOR IN ENGLISH
A minimum of 36 semester hours, exclusive of freshman English. The British survey courses
(EH 215-216) are required of all majors. The two American Literature Survey courses (EH
225 and 226) and the two World Literature courses (EH 235-236) may be used in fulfilling
the 36 hour minimum. Remaining hours must come from courses at the 300 level or above and
must include:
- Two courses in literature prior to 1660.
- Two courses in British or American literature from
1660-1900.
- Two courses in twentieth-century literature.
- One literary criticism course, EH 421 or 422.
- A minimum of three courses at the 400- level, in addition
to the 421-422 requirement..
Appropriate seminar and "Studies in" courses can
serve to fulfill these period requirements
REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAJOR IN ENGLISH WITH A CONCENTRATION IN
CREATIVE WRITING
A minimum of 36 semester hours in English, exclusive of freshman English. The two British
survey courses (215-216) are required. Remaining hours must include:
- Five creative writing courses.
- Five literature courses at the 300 level or above,
including an American novel course and a Shakespeare course. Appropriate seminar and
"Studies in" courses can serve to fulfill these requirements.
REQUIREMENTS FOR A
MINOR IN ENGLISH
A minimum of 21 semester hours in English, exclusive of freshman English. The minor
requires at least four courses at the 300 level or above.
GRADUATE STUDIES
The Master of Arts degree program in English is designed to meet the needs both of
students pursuing a terminal M.A. and those planning to work toward the Ph.D. and a career
in university teaching. The terminal M.A. serves such career tracks as junior college or
secondary-school teaching and writing or editing in the business or corporate community.
Creative writers find the degree meaningful in careers both in and out of the academic
community.
REQUIREMENTS FOR
ADMISSION
Students are admitted each semester. The following criteria supplement the Graduate School
criteria (see Categories of Admission):
REGULAR ADMISSION
- For the Literature Concentration, an undergraduate major in
English or at least 30 semester hours of course work in English beyond the freshman level.
For the Creative Writing Concentration, at least 15 semester hours of course work in
English beyond the freshman level.*
- A minimum GPA of 3.0 in junior- and senior-level courses
presented in fulfillment of requirement 1.
- A score of at least 500 on the Verbal subtest of the GRE
General Test.
- For applicants for whom English is a second language, a
TOEFL score of at least 535 and a personal statement of no more than 500 words in their
own handwriting outlining their interest in and goals for pursuing a master’s degree
in English, an exercise that must be acceptable to the English Department’s Graduate
Committee.
PROVISIONAL ADMISSION
- For the Literature Concentration, a minor in English or at
least 21 semester hours of course work in English beyond the freshman level, at least 12
of these hours in upper-division literature courses. Students lacking the literature
component can qualify by completing additional upper-division courses in literature. For
the Creative Writing Concentration, 15 semester hours of course work in English beyond the
freshman level.* Provisional Admission with fewer semesters hours than those stipulated
requires specific approval of the Department’s Graduate Committee.
- A minimum GPA of 2.50 in junior- and senior-level courses
presented in fulfillment of requirement 1.
- Applicants presenting a score of less than 500 on the
Verbal subtest of the GRE General Test must enter in the Provisional category. Applicants
may also be admitted provisionally without submitting a score, but one must be submitted
before the student can advance to Regular Status.
- Same as requirement 4 for Regular Admission.
Students admitted provisionally may be required to make up
deficiencies in their undergraduate course work in addition to the normal degree
requirements listed below.
*Students must specify their concentration at the time of
application and may not thereafter change concentrations without the specific approval of
the English Department’s Graduate Committee.
NON-DEGREE
ADMISSION
Applicants for non-degree status in English will normally be admitted only if they meet
regular admission standards for provisional admission. That is, they must have a 2.5 GPA
overall and in junior- and senior-level courses presented to meet the 21 hour (15 hours
for creative writing) course work in English requirement. Following admission, non-degree
students must have the permission of the department chair and the director of graduate
studies of the College for each course in which they wish to enroll. Enrollment will be on
a space available basis with preference being given to degree students. Non-degree
students must satisfy the same prerequisites as degree students to enroll in a course.
Non-degree students may not enroll in directed studies courses.
GRADUATE
ASSISTANTSHIPS
Graduate students holding assistantships in English are usually assigned tasks involving
research, tutoring, or editing. Awards are normally made for the academic year;
occasionally, assistantships become available for Spring Semester. Applications are taken
continuously; competition for appointments begins in May for the following year. See
Coordinator for information and application. (See also Bulletin section on Graduate
School, "Assistantships and Fellowships.")
REQUIREMENTS FOR
DEGREE
During the second semester in the program, each student must submit an individual plan of
study with regard to adequate coverage of British and American literature, literary
theory, language, development of writing skills, and the student’s individual needs
and objectives. The plan must be approved by the Coordinator of Graduate Studies in
English.
- Concentration in British and American
Literature
- A minimum of thirty-six semester hours’ credit is
required beyond the bachelor’s degree with a grade of "A" or "B".
At least twenty-seven of these hours must be in literature, to include EH 501, Intro to
Literary Theory, in the first year of course work. No more than twelve semester hours
selected from the 400-level English courses may be used to meet the requirement of a
minimum of thirty-six hours.
- Students may take a non-thesis degree or, upon departmental
approval, six semester hours’ credit of the required thirty-six will be granted upon
successful completion and defense of the thesis, thus leaving a minimum of thirty
hours’ credit to be accomplished in course work.
- An oral defense of the thesis will be required at least
four weeks prior to the anticipated graduation date. (For final submission of the thesis
to the Graduate School, see the Bulletin section on General Information.)
- At least one semester before graduation, both thesis and
non-thesis students must pass a written comprehensive examination, normally offered
between semesters, based on a uniform study guide suggesting representative works in the
field of literature and literary criticism. The study guide should be obtained from the
English Graduate Coordinator as soon as the student enrolls in the M.A. program. A student
who fails the examination may retake the failed sections after six months have elapsed
from the date of the first examination. The comprehensive examination may be taken only
twice; and must be passed in its entirety.
- Demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language is required
(see 4 below).
- Concentration in Creative Writing
- A minimum of thirty-six hours credit in English is required
beyond the bachelor’s degree with a grade of "A" or "B". This
concentration requires eighteen hours of courses in literature to include EH 501, Intro to
Literary Theory, in the first year of course work, twelve hours of courses in writing, and
six hours of credit for thesis, which will be granted on the successful completion and
defense of the thesis. No more than twelve semester hours selected from 400-level English
courses may be used to meet the requirement of thirty-six hours minimum.
- Students may concentrate on fiction, non-fiction, or poetry
writing.
- This concentration is offered only as a thesis degree. For
the thesis, a book-length work of fiction, non-fiction, or poetry is required.
- An oral defense of the thesis will be required at least
four weeks prior to the anticipated graduation date. (For final submission of the thesis
to the Graduate School, see the Bulletin section on General Information.)
- At least one semester before graduation, students must pass
a written comprehensive examination, normally offered between semesters, based on a
uniform study guide suggesting representative works in the field of literature and
literary criticism. The study guide should be obtained from the English Graduate
Coordinator as soon as the student enrolls in the M.A. program. A student who fails the
examination may retake the failed sections after six months have elapsed from the date of
the first examination. The comprehensive examination may be taken only twice; and must be
passed in its entirety.
- Demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language is required
(see 4 below).
- M.A. in English with Alabama Class-A
Professional Teaching Certification.
Students holding Class-B Professional Teaching Certification may, in many cases, complete
the regular graduate program in English with the literature emphasis in order to qualify
for Class-A certification. Most students with an undergraduate degree in education will
already have taken those education courses required for certification.
Upon admission, however, all students planning to pursue this certification must have
their transcripts reviewed by the records specialist in education in order to ascertain
whether the education requirements have been met or will require further course work in
education. Up to nine semester hours in education at the graduate level may be
incorporated into the literature emphasis as electives.
- All students pursuing the M.A. in English must demonstrate
a reading proficiency in one foreign language before registering for the comprehensive
exam. Those concentrating in literature may offer French, German, or Latin, and those
concentrating in creative writing may offer Spanish, French, German, or Latin. Foreign
nationals for whom English is not native may offer their native language. Credit in
reading courses in acceptable languages may not count toward the 36 hour credit
requirement for the M.A. in English.
Descriptions
of all English (EH) courses
College
of Arts and Sciences
|
