Graduate Policies and Procedures: MA
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Overview
The MA in English requires 36 graduate credit hours, distributed as described in the following sections. The 36 credit hours include a capstone project, either an independent study or a thesis.
Required Courses
All students must complete the following courses:
- ENGL 5014: Introduction to Literary Research (3 hours)
- ENGL 5024: Critical Theory in English Studies (3 hours)
- ENGL 5074: Digital Humanities (3 hours)
- Capstone Project: Independent Study (ENGL 5974, 3 hours) or Thesis (ENGL 5994, 6 hours)
Students with Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) must also complete these courses:
- ENGL 5054: Composition Pedagogy (3 hours)
- ENGL 5034: Practicum (3 hours)
- GRAD 5114: Contemporary Pedagogy (3 hours)
- GRAD 5124: Library Research Skills-English (1 hour)
In consultation with their faculty advisor and Director of Graduate Studies, students will select additional graduate courses to total 36 hours. These hours may include up to 6 hours of approved transfer courses from other universities or other departments; up to 6 hours of 4000-level courses approved for graduate study; and 3 hours of Independent Study in addition to the required Capstone Project. Students apply for 4000-level and Independent Study courses by means of forms submitted before the semester begins.
The master's degree offers an opportunity to develop broad competence--mastery--of the subject matter, methods, and theories of English Studies. Thus, some courses will fill gaps in historical periods, genres, theories, or methods based on the student's prior study. The master's degree also offers the opportunity to explore new areas of English Studies.
Transfer Courses
With the permission of the Director of Graduate Studies in English, students may transfer from other departments or other universities a maximum of 6 graduate credit hours. Students must complete the request form available from the graduate secretary or from this website (forms).
4000-Level Courses
With the permission of the faculty advisor and Director of Graduate Studies, students may choose up to 6 hours of advanced undergraduate courses approved for graduate study. See the Graduate Catalog for a list of approved courses. Enrollment in such courses is appropriate when they cover material not available through graduate courses but not as a substitute for graduate-level courses on similar topics. Students must complete the request form available from the graduate secretary or from this website (forms) at least two weeks before the semester begins.
Independent and Special Study Courses
With the approval of a graduate faculty member who directs the Independent Study and the Director of Graduate Studies, a graduate student may pursue a subject of study not covered by regular course offerings. Graduate students are limited to a maximum of two independent or special study courses (ENGL 5974: Independent Study, ENGL 5984: Special Study). Additional independent or special study courses may be taken but do not count toward the minimum hours required on the Plan of Study. This maximum includes the required capstone project when the student chooses the Independent Study option.
Students must complete the request form at least two weeks before the semester begins. The request includes a justification for why this course should substitute for a regular course, a bibliography, and a plan for meeting the requirements of graduate study.
Practicum
Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) receive academic credit for the ongoing training associated with teaching responsibilities by registering for the Practicum in Teaching College Composition (ENGL 5034) each semester. Successful completion of this course in the first semester results in a total of 3 hours of P/F credit counting toward the Plan of Study. GTAs will enroll in the Practicum each semester in which they hold a GTA position in order to maintain full-time student status of 12 hours of enrollment and to continue their development as teachers. Practicum hours beyond the first three do not count toward graduation requirements.
GRADUATE CERTIFICATES: Future Professoriate, Women's Studies, more
In conjunction with earning the MA, students may earn a 9-hour or 12-hour graduate certificate. Some attractive certificates for students in English are Preparing the Future Professoriate and Women?s Studies. Two courses from either certificate program may be used as the 6 hours of transfer courses permitted for the MA. For more information on the Future Professoriate certificate, see the Graduate School website. For more information on the Women's Studies certificate, see the Women's Studies website. For a list of certificates, see www.grads.vt.edu/academics/programs/certificates.html.
PLAN OF STUDY FORM
Download the Plan of Study form.
The Graduate School requires all students to complete a Plan of Study form before the end of their first year of study. In the Department of English, the Plan of Study form must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor and forwarded to the Director of Graduate Studies for approval by the end of March of the student’s first year of study. Forms are available from the graduate secretary or at the English graduate program website.
Once the Plan of Study has been submitted to the Graduate School, any change in it must be approved by the student's advisor, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate School. A form for requesting such changes is available from the graduate secretary or at the English graduate program website.
ACADEMIC CREDIT HOUR LOADS
According to university policy, Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) with Instructional Fee Scholarships must be enrolled for a minimum of twelve hours each semester.
Full-time students who do not hold an assistantship and who are not employed normally carry nine to twelve hours each semester. Part-time students may carry as few as three hours. As is the case with GTAs, students having Instructional Fee Scholarships must register for twelve hours per semester.
GRADE REQUIREMENTS
Minimum GPA
All GTAs must obtain a minimum 3.00 GPA in all course work in order to maintain their eligibility for financial assistance. A GPA of less than 3.0 in two consecutive semesters will result in academic suspension.
Students who do not hold an assistantship must obtain at least a 3.00 overall GPA in order to graduate. They must also obtain a 3.00 GPA in all courses used to fulfill the minimum requirements of the degree. All further courses that are listed on the approved Plan of Study must be completed with a grade of C or better. A GPA of less than 3.0 in two consecutive semesters will result in academic suspension.
Incomplete Grades
Incomplete grades may be given in the case of a medical or family emergency or some other exceptional circumstance that occurs when a substantial part of the course work has already been completed. The faculty member will then inform the Director of Graduate Studies, stating the reason for the incomplete grade. The Graduate School requires any incomplete grade to be removed by the end of the next semester in which the student is enrolled. As a courtesy to faculty, graduate students should arrange to complete the remaining course work at a time that is mutually convenient to themselves and the instructor. Grades of incomplete may jeopardize GTA reappointment.
ADVISING
The Director of Graduate Studies will assign an academic advisor to each graduate student in the first year of enrollment. This advisor will work with the student on course selection and plan of study and help the student decide whether to choose a thesis or independent study project. When the student selects a director for the capstone project, that faculty member will become the student’s academic advisor. At the end of the first year and each year thereafter until graduation, the advisor also submits an annual review to the Director of Graduate Studies, forwarded to the Graduate School.
The academic advisor must approve all requests for 4000-level courses or independent studies that substitute for regular courses as well as the Plan of Study.
First-year students should meet with the advisor at least once a semester to discuss these things:
First semester: The Plan of Study
The student and advisor will discuss the student's goals and prior coursework and select courses to create a coherent program.
Second semester: The Plan of Study and the capstone project: thesis or independent
study
The student and advisor will discuss the student’s goals and prior coursework and select courses to create a coherent program. They will also complete the Plan of Study form and submit it to the Director of Graduate Studies by the end of March.
Because the faculty advisor may not be the capstone project director, the conversations about this project are preliminary. Students should understand the different expectations for the two options and the types of inquiry that are appropriate. The advisor and student may discuss possible projects and directors. The director should be in place by the end of the student’s first year of study.
The faculty advisor may also discuss ways to enhance course performance, continuing graduate study after the master?s degree, career options, participation in professional activities, or other such topics that will help a student accomplish his or her goals for the master's degree in English.
ANNUAL REVIEWS
The Department of English and Graduate School require an annual review of each graduate student. The review consists of two parts: a self-assessment by the student and an assessment of the student by the faculty advisor.
As part of the completion of degree requirements, students are expected to develop their knowledge of recent trends in critical theory and traditional research methods and the ability to apply aspects of these foundational studies in their work. They should also develop their knowledge of the body of literature in English Studies and their competence in academic writing.
Review criteria include the following:
* Timely completion of degree requirements
* Timely completion of paperwork
* Course choices consistent with the goals of master's-level study
* Grades
In addition, students are encouraged to participate in the intellectual life and governance of the university by attending events and meetings or by accepting leadership roles; to develop their professional identities by joining appropriate academic organizations; to develop technical knowledge related to learning, research, teaching, and publishing; and to collaborate in research with faculty members when opportunities are available. All students are expected to adhere to the Virginia Tech Principles of Community.
CAPSTONE OPTIONS: INDEPENDENT STUDY OR THESIS
Capstone Revised Proposal Form
The capstone project allows students to develop and demonstrate the research and analytical skills achieved through the courses in the MA program and to contribute their own knowledge to a problem in English Studies. Such problems may be interpretive, pedagogical, textual and bibliographical, archival, or theoretical. Students may anticipate their projects early in the degree program, but the capstone project represents the culmination of study for the MA and the student’s most mature academic work. Thus, it is completed in the semester of graduation (or, in the case of summer graduations, in the spring preceding graduation).
Both the independent study and the thesis require substantial research. They also require students to position the current study within existing knowledge. Students must choose the topic and director by the end of their first year of study (or, for part-time students, at least two semesters before graduation).
Sample projects, both independent studies and theses, are available for review online. Theses are available through the Virginia Tech library in the ETD (Electronic Theses and Dissertations) database. Several independent study projects are available through the English Department website, graduate program division, or in hard copy from the graduate secretary. These samples will help students determine the expectations, scope, and possibilities for capstone projects.
Independent Study Option
The independent study offers 3 hours of credit toward the master?s degree. In it, a student may pursue work begun in a regular course, or the student may pursue a topic not available in regular courses. The independent study culminates in a substantial essay, on the model of the academic article or extensive literature review with critical analysis of the work reviewed. The estimated length is 25 pages. The independent study requires a faculty director and one additional reader from the graduate faculty.
Students may invite a graduate faculty member to direct the independent study and will discuss possible methods and directions with this director. Considering the advice of the director and the student, the Director of Graduate Studies will locate and appoint the second reader. Work on the independent study can be spaced throughout the student's remaining time in the program, but the student should actually register for Independent Study hours during the term in which the readers will approve it. For most students, this will be spring semester.
Thesis Option
The thesis offers 6 hours of credit toward the master’s degree. Compared with the independent study, the thesis is more ambitious, requires more thorough research, and is more substantial than the independent study essay. The length may reach or exceed 50 pages. One reason to choose a thesis for those students who hope to pursue a PhD is to do some preparatory work for a possible dissertation and to manage a project that exceeds the scope of a course paper or article. The thesis also invites and enables extended exploration of a significant problem. The thesis committee includes a faculty director and two additional readers from the graduate faculty. Students defend their theses before their thesis committee and the Director of Graduate Studies.
Policies and Procedures, Capstone Projects
1. Before registering for thesis or independent study hours, the student must complete a prospectus (to be written during the summer between the student’s first and second years) and meet with his or her project director and reader(s) to discuss it. A revised prospectus is then produced and approved by the project director, reader(s), and Director of Graduate Studies. The prospectus defines a problem for investigation and a research question. It also includes a bibliography.
2. The student should work out a schedule with the director and reader(s) at the outset of the research. Adequate time should be allowed for the committee to recommend changes in the project before the Graduate School deadlines for graduation. Mandatory meetings of the student with the whole committee include the following:
- Prospectus review and discussion. On the basis of the prospectus, the group will meet to discuss possibilities for development and to establish milestones and a schedule for reaching them. This meeting will take place by the end of the September before spring graduation. The student will then produce a revised prospectus to be approved by the director and reader(s) and submit it for approval to the Director of Graduate Studies by the end of the October before spring graduation.
- For theses: an oral defense of the completed project. This defense will include the Director of Graduate Studies.
Students should correspond or meet with the director frequently during development of the project. Communication after the first chapter or introduction is complete will help the student and director agree that the project is developing in the way they both intend. When the draft is complete and all readers have reviewed it, a meeting may be helpful to determine revisions necessary before the defense (thesis) or final submission.
3. An independent study paper must be approved by the director and reader. If these two faculty members disagree, the Director of Graduate Studies will judge whether the project is acceptable or requires additional work.
4. Independent study students should file a paper copy and an electronic copy with the graduate secretary.
5. Thesis students are required to submit the thesis to the Graduate School electronically. Directions are available at etd.vt.edu, and the Graduate School offers ETD workshops during the year (see www.grads.vt.edu). Theses are due no later than two weeks after the defense. For the student who wishes to graduate at the end of spring semester, the thesis must be submitted to the Graduate School ten calendar days before commencement.
Evaluation Criteria: Capstone Projects
In the capstone project, the student should demonstrate
- Ability to frame a problem and research question relevant to English Studies
- Knowledge of recent trends in critical theory and ability to apply relevant aspects of theory in their work
- Ability to use appropriate methods of inquiry and interpretation to answer the type of question asked in the study
- Knowledge of the scholarship related to the research question and ability to connect to existing studies
- Mature academic writing
- Using evidence and examples to develop the study
- Organizing information
- Interpreting significance
- Writing good prose
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Graduate Teaching Assistantships
Graduate Teaching Assistantships are available on a competitive basis. Students who are appointed as graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) fulfill their teaching responsibilities in first-year composition or in the Writing Center. They receive Instructional Fee Scholarships that pay tuition as well as stipends for teaching. Reappointment depends on satisfactory progress in meeting degree requirements as well as on evaluations by teaching mentors. First-year GTAs do not teach during their first semester of enrollment, but they do participate in a practicum and work with a mentor in preparation for teaching.
Students who are applying for admission may apply for a teaching fellowship by noting their interest in this kind of support on their admission paperwork. Admitted and enrolled students should inform the Director of Graduate Studies by February that they are interested in appointments for the following year.
DEPARTMENTAL AWARDS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
Caroline Pace Chermside Award: For the best independent study or thesis by a graduate student in English. Committee directors or readers nominate projects in early April each year. The Graduate Committee selects. Up to $1,000.
Richard Hoffman GTA Award: For superior teaching by a GTA. Selected in April each year by the Graduate Committee in consultation with the GTA advisors and Director of Composition. $250.
English Department Travel Grant: To support professional activities, such as presentations or readings at national and regional conferences, research, or professional development. Students submit a one-page proposal with details of the activity and its relationship to their academic or teaching goals to the Director of Graduate Studies for review by the Graduate Committee, which recommends appropriate projects to the department chair. Students must complete the university travel forms. Amount varies depending on funds available and the project budget; typically $150-300.
Students may also be eligible for university research and teaching awards. The Graduate Student Association (GSA) awards some travel funding, which can be used in conjunction with the department grant.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND COMMUNICATION
Graduate Committee and Student Representation
The Graduate Committee determines all policies governing the graduate program (subject to the approval of the department chair). Graduate students' interests and concerns are represented by the graduate student members of the Committee. These two representatives are elected by the graduate students. Students are advised to voice their questions, concerns, or complaints about the graduate program to their representatives on this committee.
Changes in policies affecting graduate students and graduate study are announced in the minutes of the Graduate Committee. These minutes are distributed through the email list, grad-announce.
Forms
Approvals for programs of study, changes to the Plan of Study, requests for independent study courses or 4000-level courses, and application for graduation are all recorded on department or university forms. Students are responsible for initiating this paperwork and for keeping the plans up to date. All of the forms have due dates.
Grad-Announce
All graduate students admitted to degree programs in English will be added to grad-announce, the listserv for announcements for graduate students (grad-announce@listserv.vt.edu).
Jump to:
- Degree Requirements
- Graduate Certificates
- Plan of Study
- Academic Credit Hour Loads
- Grade Requirements
- Advising
- Annual Reviews
- Capstone Options: Independent Study or Thesis
- Financial Assistance
- Departmental Awards for Graduate Students
- Administrative Procedures and Communication
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