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Department of English
Department Chair: Dr. David Neff The Program The Department of English offers the Master of Arts degree to students who are committed to the advanced study of language and literature. In their coursework, M.A. candidates can study the full range of periods in British and American literature, with individual emphasis on particular genres, major authors, and special topics, including critical theory and linguistics. Graduate English classes are typically small and conducted as seminars. In cooperation with the Department of Education, the Department of English also offers curriculum options leading to Class A Certification in English/Language Arts, Teaching English as a Second Language (P-12), and Reading (P-12). Students benefit from close interaction with an accessible, diverse graduate faculty and with other graduate students. There are currently fourteen full-time graduate faculty members, all of whom have excellent educational credentials, with doctoral degrees from such prestigious universities as Princeton, Chicago, Emory, Duke, Yale, and Johns Hopkins, among others. Graduate faculty members publish regularly in scholarly journals and at university presses. Their research interests include rhetoric and composition, gender studies, technical writing, women writers, linguistics and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), literary theory, and all chronological periods of British and American literature. The English Department is located in Morton Hall, one of the oldest and more architecturally intriguing buildings on campus, and offers the Master of Arts degree and several graduate certificates. TESOL Certificate Program: The Department offers an 18-hour certificate in TESOL for those who wish to teach English to speakers of other languages. The program is available to those who hold appropriate baccalaureate or advanced degrees. Students desiring to earn the TESOL certificate concurrently with the M.A. in English may do so by completing a minimum of 18 hours of graduate work in literature (EH) courses and 18 hours of graduate work in prescribed TESOL (EHL) courses. Graduate Certificate in Technical Communication: The Department offers a 15-hour certificate in technical communication. This program is available to those who hold appropriate baccalaureate or advanced degrees. Students pursuing graduate work in other disciplines may be eligible for this certificate, and may be able to apply some of that coursework to the certificate. Students who wish to earn the technical communication certificate concurrently with the M.A. in English may do so by completing a minimum of 18 hours of graduate work in literature, 9 hours of technical communication courses, and 6 hours of electives (to be determined by the Director of Business and Technical Writing). M.A. in English/Language Arts with Class A Teacher Certification: Students with Class B certification in English or in English/Language Arts may complete 24 hours of graduate coursework in English, with 9-12 hours of graduate courses in education for the M.A. with Class A certification. Fifth-Year Options for Class A Teacher Certification: Students with B.A. degrees who want to teach in the public school system but do not hold Class B certification may elect "Fifth-Year" options for the M.A. with Class A Certification in English/Language Arts, Teaching English as a Second Language (P-12), or Reading (P-12). Graduate students in English may choose thesis or non-thesis options. Those who choose the thesis option select twenty-four hours of graduate study (eight courses, with a minimum of six literature courses) and complete the degree with six hours of thesis research under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Those who choose the non-thesis option complete thirty-three hours (eleven courses, with a minimum of six literature courses). Students may establish qualifications for secondary school or community college teaching. Graduates have used the M.A. at UAH as the first year of study toward a Ph.D. degree elsewhere in preparation for teaching in four-year colleges and universities. Others are in non-teaching careers such as technical writing and editing, consulting and tutoring, public relations, and journalism. The Department offers a limited number of Graduate Teaching Assistantships that carry a stipend and payment of tuition and fees for courses toward a graduate degree. Graduate Teaching Assistants must carry nine credit hours of graduate coursework per semester and teach one course in Basic English per term or assist in the University Writing Center. Graduate Tuition Scholarships are also available. Admission Requirements The department follows the general requirements of
the School of Graduate Studies. For unconditional admission, a score
of 1500 on the Graduate Record Examination or 50 on the Miller Analogies
Test, plus an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better, is required. |
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