MASTER OF ARTS: ENGLISH

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1 Master of Arts: English 1 MASTER OF ARTS: ENGLISH Master of Arts: English The Department of English offers the Master of Arts in English, which focuses on literary study, as well as two emphasis areas that allow students to concentrate their studies in a particular area: 1) Language and Literature, and 2) Manuscript, Print Culture, and Editing. Through courses in English and American literature, creative and expository writing, film, linguistics, composition/rhetoric, literary criticism, the history of books and print culture, as well as editing, these programs of study are designed to prepare students for teaching, research, and writing careers, for careers in editing, and for further study at the doctoral level. The 31-hour M.A. in English is designed for students desiring a general background in English and American literature and is strongly recommended for students planning further graduate study in English and/or American literature. The Language and Literature emphasis is designed for students who wish to combine graduate study of literature with the study of linguistics and/ or composition and rhetoric. This emphasis is recommended for students interested in teaching in community colleges or secondary schools and for students interested in pursuing the Ph.D. in composition and rhetoric or linguistics. The Manuscript, Print Culture, and Editing emphasis is designed for students who wish to combine the study of literature with the study of book history, print culture, and editing. This emphasis is recommended for students interested in editorial careers, offering several internship experiences in print and online media, and for students interesting in pursuing the Ph.D. in book history and print culture. Members of the graduate faculty are assigned as advisors to newly admitted M.A. students. New graduate students should meet with their advisors as soon as possible to prepare an official program of study. Admission The application process is competitive. Satisfying the admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. The applicant must hold: a B.A. in English, or a B.A. degree that includes at least 30 hours of sophomore-, junior- or senior-level English courses, or the equivalent. Applicants with fewer than 30 hours of undergraduate English courses may be admitted and assigned additional coursework as part of their program. These extra hours are added to the hours required for graduation. a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average in undergraduate work and a 3.0 average in undergraduate English coursework. In unusual circumstances, the graduate committee may consider applicants with lower grade-point averages. Applicants will be asked to submit the following materials with their online application: 1. Academic information, including institutions attended, degrees earned, GPA, foreign language experience, honors and awards, and relevant work experience 2. Writing sample that demonstrates the applicant's writing abilities in the humanities in up to 15 pages of recent academic prose (upload file) 3. Statement of purpose that describes the applicant s academic and professional objectives in an essay of words, discussing in detail their interest, research, and writing in their emphasis area (upload file) 4. Three letters of recommendation that evaluate the applicant's readiness for graduate study written by three professors or others who know the applicant's abilities and potential well (provide addresses and recommenders will receive instructions to upload letters) 5. GRE score of 60 percent or higher on the verbal aptitude section (submit official scores using code 6872) 6. Transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended (mail to UMKC Office of Admissions, 5100 Rockhill Road, 120 Administrative Center, 64110) 7. Graduate Teaching Assistantship application materials, if applying, including a word teaching statement addressing the applicant s interest in and qualifications for teaching, and an academic writing sample from an upper-level college course (upload files) Students may not take more than six hours of graduate credit in English before entering the program as a "fully admitted" student. Student Learning Outcomes Students graduating from this program will: Create sophisticated academic arguments that situate texts within aesthetic, social, and historical context. Produce work in dialogue with current and historical conversations in the field; Evaluate and engage methodological approaches appropriate to academic discourse; Develop and defend, both orally and in writing, their critical perspectives; Synthesize an understanding of interrelations across diverse fields of study; Demonstrate a broad grounding in the diversity of fields in English studies. Produce written work in a vivid, appropriate style that demonstrates mastery of mechanics and grammar.

2 2 Master of Arts: English Degree Requirements Students must earn 31 graduate credits to complete the M.A. in English. Of these credits, at least 15 hours must be at graduate level (courses numbered 5000 and above) and taught by a member of the graduate faculty and at least 9 hours must be in 5000-level seminars or other 5000-level courses which are not cross-listed with 400-level courses. Students must take ENGLISH 5500, ENGLISH 5547, and one hour of ENGLISH 5601, ENGLISH 5602, or ENGLISH 5603 for their "Culminating Experience," as is appropriate depending on the focus of their studies. Students must maintain a 3.0 (B) grade-point average to remain in the M.A. program and to complete the degree. By the time of graduation from the M.A. program, students must fulfill a foreign language requirement by satisfactorily completing (with a C or better) one year (two university semesters) of the same foreign language. Alternatively, the foreign language requirement may be satisfied by scoring a "C" on the final exam of the first-year, second-semester course in a foreign language. Previous undergraduate coursework may be used to satisfy this requirement. Old English may satisfy one semester of this requirement. Foreign language credits do not apply toward the 31-hour degree requirement, unless taken at the graduate level. Students must remain continuously enrolled, except in summer, for a minimum of 1 credit hour per semester. ENGLISH 5899 is the continuous enrollment course number. Students must complete a formal Program of Study and have it signed within a year after admission. A final Program of Study must be submitted and signed during the semester a student files to graduate. Students must complete all coursework within seven years. Students must take at least one course from five of the seven designated areas, including at least one course from areas I & II, one course from areas III & IV, and one course from areas V-VII: I. Criticism and Scholarship ENGLISH 447/5547 Theory and Criticism in English Studies 3 ENGLISH 5550G Graduate Seminar Literary Criticism 3 ENGLISH 5555G Graduate Seminar Literary Criticism 3 II. Language and Rhetoric ENGLISH 445/5545 History And Principles Of Rhetoric 3 ENGLISH 470 Introduction To Descriptive Linguistics 3 ENGLISH 5519 Teaching Writing: Theories, Histories, Contexts, Practices 3 ENGLISH 5550J Graduate Seminar: History Of The English Language 3 ENGLISH 5550M Graduate Seminar In Rhetoric And Composition 3 ENGLISH 5555J Graduate Seminar English Language 3 ENGLISH 5555M Graduate Seminar: Composition 3 III. Literature Through the Middle Ages ENGLISH 412/5512 Chaucer 3 ENGLISH 422/5522 Medieval Literature 3 ENGLISH 452/5552 Early English Drama 3 ENGLISH 5503 Old English 3 ENGLISH 5550A Graduate Seminar Medieval Literature I 3 ENGLISH 5555A Graduate Seminar Medieval Literature II 3 IV. Renaissance Literature ENGLISH 413/5513 Renaissance Literature I 3 ENGLISH 414/5514 Milton 3 ENGLISH 423/5523 Renaissance Literature II 3 ENGLISH 451/5551 Shakespeare Comedies And Histories 3 ENGLISH 452/5552 Early English Drama 3 ENGLISH 461/5561 Shakespeare Tragedies And Romances 3 ENGLISH 5550B Graduate Seminar Renaissance Literature I 3 ENGLISH 5555B Graduate Seminar Renaissance Literature II 3 V. Late 17th- and 18th-Century Literature

3 Master of Arts: English 3 ENGLISH 415/5515 Restoration And Early 18th-Century British Literature 3 ENGLISH 416/5516 The Romantic Period 3 ENGLISH 426/5526 The Victorian Period 3 ENGLISH 455/5556 Studies In The Novel ENGLISH 462/5562 Restoration And 18th-Century Drama 3 ENGLISH 5550C Graduate Seminar Neo-Classical Literature I 3 ENGLISH 5555C Graduate Seminar Neo-Classical Literature I 3 VI. Nineteenth-Century Literature ENGLISH 410/5510 Black Women Writers 2 3 ENGLISH 416/5516 The Romantic Period 1 3 ENGLISH 418/ th-Century American Literature 3 ENGLISH 426/5526 The Victorian Period 3 ENGLISH 440/5540 American Culture 2 3 ENGLISH 455/5556 Studies In The Novel ENGLISH 458/5558 Slave Narratives: Race, Gender, and Writing Freedom 3 ENGLISH 5550D Graduate Seminar 19th Century Literature I 3 ENGLISH 5550E Graduate Seminar American Literature I 3 ENGLISH 5555D Graduate Seminar In 19th-Century Literature II 3 VII. Twentieth-Century Literature ENGLISH 410/5510 Black Women Writers 2 3 ENGLISH 417/5517 Modern Poetry 3 ENGLISH 427/5527 Contemporary Poetry 3 ENGLISH 428/ th-Century American Literature 3 ENGLISH 440/5540 American Culture 2 3 ENGLISH 453/5553 Modern Drama, ENGLISH 454/5554 The Civil Rights Movement in African American Literature 3 ENGLISH 456/5546 From Field Shout to Hip Hop: African American Poetic Traditions 3 ENGLISH 457/5557 Stages Toward Freedom: African American Dramatic Traditions 3 ENGLISH 459/5559 African American Migrations in Literature 3 ENGLISH 463/5563 Contemporary Drama II 3 ENGLISH 465/5565 Studies In The Modern Novel 3 ENGLISH 468/5538 Women's Literature in Africa and the African Diaspora 3 ENGLISH 5550F Graduate Seminar Modern Literature I 3 ENGLISH 5555E Graduate Seminar American Literature II 3 ENGLISH 5555F Graduate Seminar In Modern Literature II Satisfies 18th- or 19th-Century requirement, depending on the content. Satisfies 19th- or 20th-Century requirement, depending on the content. Other courses in the catalog at the 400 or 500 level may satisfy an area requirement if the content is appropriate. Students who focus on Literature must complete ENGLISH 5601 on a topic related to the study of Literature. Language and Literature Emphasis If desired, a student may elect the Language and Literature Emphasis when obtaining the M.A. in English. At least 12 hours selected from the following list of courses are required: ENGLISH 445/5545 History And Principles Of Rhetoric 3 ENGLISH 447/5547 Theory and Criticism in English Studies 3 ENGLISH 470 Introduction To Descriptive Linguistics 3 ENGLISH 5519 Teaching Writing: Theories, Histories, Contexts, Practices 3 ENGLISH 5550G/5555G Graduate Seminar Literary Criticism 3 ENGLISH 5550J/5555J Graduate Seminar: History Of The English Language 3

4 4 Master of Arts: English ENGLISH 5550M/5555M Graduate Seminar In Rhetoric And Composition 3 ENGLISH 5550P Graduate Seminar: Sociolinguistics And Dialectology 3 Total Credits 31 For students interested in teaching in community colleges or secondary schools or in pursuing a Ph.D. in composition and rhetoric, ENGLISH 5519 is highly recommended. ENGLISH 5519 is required for graduate teaching assistants. In addition to the requirements for areas I & II, students must take at least one course from three of the five remaining areas (III-VII), including at least one course from areas III-IV and at least one course from areas V-VII. Students who focus on Language & Literature must complete ENGLISH 5602 on a topic related to the study of Language & Literature. Manuscript, Print Culture, and Editing Emphasis If desired, a student may elect the Manuscript, Print Culture, and Editing Emphasis when obtaining the M.A. in English. This emphasis examines the social, cultural, economic, and political history of the written word. It considers relationships among authors, editors, publishers, printers, illustrators, and booksellers as well as the reception of texts by readers, reviewers, and critics. In addition, it allows students to study the production of texts through the centuries while also gaining hands-on editing experience through internal and external publishing internships. Students will take a wide variety of courses covering a range of historical periods that have a significant emphasis on the history of reading, writing, and authorship as well as courses that focus on aspects of contemporary publishing and editing. This emphasis also follows the distribution requirements for the M.A. in English, and it requires that students take twelve (12) of the 31 required credit hours in courses that have been designated as ones fulfilling the goals of the emphasis in Manuscript, Print Culture, and Editing; some courses will always be so designated, including the following: ENGLISH 448 External Internship 1-3 ENGLISH 449A Publication Practicum 1-3 ENGLISH 449B Publication Practicum 3 ENGLISH 5501 Magazine Editing 3 ENGLISH 5533 Histories Of Writing, Reading, And Publishing 3 ENGLISH 5541 Girls And Print Culture 3 The following courses may also be used to fulfill the requirements for the emphasis in Manuscript, Print Culture, and Editing if approved by the Graduate Committee. Each semester, courses so designated will be listed in the Department of English course descriptions handout, available in the Department office and on the Department website: ENGLISH 5508 Harlem Renaissance 3 ENGLISH 5510 Black Women Writers 3 ENGLISH 5512 Chaucer 3 ENGLISH 5513 Renaissance Literature I 3 ENGLISH 5514 Milton 3 ENGLISH 5515 Restoration And Early 18th-Century British Literature 3 ENGLISH 5516 The Romantic Period 3 ENGLISH 5517 Modern Poetry 3 ENGLISH th-Century American Literature 3 ENGLISH 5522 Medieval Literature 3 ENGLISH 5523 Renaissance Literature II 3 ENGLISH 5526 The Victorian Period 3 ENGLISH 5527 Contemporary Poetry 3 ENGLISH th Century American Literature 3 ENGLISH 5531 Late 18th-Century British Literature 3 ENGLISH 5534 Postcolonial Literature 3 ENGLISH 5540 American Culture 3 ENGLISH 5545 History And Principles Of Rhetoric 3 ENGLISH 5550A Graduate Seminar Medieval Literature I 3 ENGLISH 5550B Graduate Seminar Renaissance Literature I 3

5 Master of Arts: English 5 ENGLISH 5550C Graduate Seminar Neo-Classical Literature I 3 ENGLISH 5550D Graduate Seminar 19th Century Literature I 3 ENGLISH 5550E Graduate Seminar American Literature I 3 ENGLISH 5550F Graduate Seminar Modern Literature I 3 ENGLISH 5550I Graduate Seminar In Dramatic Literature I 3 ENGLISH 5551 Shakespeare Comedies And Histories 3 ENGLISH 5552 Early English Drama 3 ENGLISH 5553 Modern Drama ENGLISH 5555A Graduate Seminar Medieval Literature II 3 ENGLISH 5555B Graduate Seminar Renaissance Literature II 3 ENGLISH 5555C Graduate Seminar Neo-Classical Literature I 3 ENGLISH 5555D Graduate Seminar In 19th-Century Literature II 3 ENGLISH 5555E Graduate Seminar American Literature II 3 ENGLISH 5555F Graduate Seminar In Modern Literature II 3 ENGLISH 5555I Graduate Seminar In Dramatic Literature II 3 ENGLISH 5556 Studies In The Novel ENGLISH 5561 Shakespeare:Tragedies And Romances 3 ENGLISH 5562 Restoration And 18th- Century Drama 3 ENGLISH 5563 Contemporary Drama 3 ENGLISH 5565 Studies In Modern Novel 3 Total Credits 31 New courses may receive the designation if approved by the Department of English s Graduate Committee. Students who elect the MPCE emphasis must complete ENGLISH 5603 on a topic related to the study of Manuscript, Print Culture, and Editing. Culminating Experience At the end of their M.A. course work (either in the last semester or the second to last semester), all M.A. students in English will revise a seminar paper (written in a previous course) under the guidance of a faculty mentor. The goal of the revisions will be to create a polished paper of about pages that could be the basis for a conference paper, a writing sample, or a publishable article. Students will enroll in and successfully complete one hour of ENGLISH 5601, ENGLISH 5602, or ENGLISH 5603 for their "Culminating Experience," as is appropriate depending on the focus of their studies. Enrollment is required in order to work on this final paper with their chosen faculty mentor. Final papers will be reviewed by a faculty committee that will rotate each academic year. The committee will consist of two assigned members of the graduate faculty appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies, who will work with the student's faculty mentor. Students will turn in their revised papers to their mentors and the review committee at least two weeks prior to the end of the semester. The mentor is responsible for arranging a meeting with the student and the review committee before the end of the semester in which the Culminating Experience is taken. After conducting a defense about the paper and providing feedback for the student, the mentor and the review committee will assign a grade of pass or fail. Students must complete the oral defense in order to pass. In addition to the department requirements above, graduate students in English must comply with the requirements listed in the General Graduate Academic Regulations and Information section of this catalog.

Bachelor of Arts in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies

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