Search the Graduate POS Manual
- 1.1 Graduate Program Resources
- 1.2 Academic Information
- 1.3 Program Advisers, Major Professors, & POS Committees
- 1.4 Degree Progress, Planning, and Time Limits
- 1.5 Minors and Co-majors
- 1.6 Course Policies
- 1.7 Registration
- 1.8 Graduate Assistantships
- 1.9 Professional Travel Funding
- 1.10 Graduation
- 1.11 Graduate Faculty Members
- 2.1 About the MA programs
- 2.2 MA in English Degree Requirements
- 2.3 MA in Rhetoric, Composition, & Professional Communication Degree Requirements
- 2.4 MA in TESL/Applied Linguistics Degree Requirements
- 2.5 Minoring and Co-majoring in the MA Programs
- 2.6 The Program of Study Committee and the POSC Form (MA)
- 2.7 Guidelines for Thesis and Creative Component (MA)
- 3.1 About the MFA program
- 3.2 MFA in Creative Writing & Environment Degree Requirements
- 3.3 The Program of Study Committee and the POSC Form (MFA)
- 3.4 Minoring and Co-majoring in the MFA Program
- 3.5 Guidelines for Thesis (MFA)
- 4.1 About the Doctoral programs
- 4.2 PhD in Applied Linguistics and Technology (ALT)
- 4.3 PhD in Rhetoric and Professional Communication (RPC)
- 4.4 Minoring and Co-majoring in the PhD Programs
- 4.5 The Program of Study Committee and the POSC Form (PhD)
- 4.6 Preliminary examination requirements and ABD Status
Students admitted to graduate study for the MA in English choose one of two disciplinary specializations: Literature or Literature and the Teaching of Reading (LTR).
Students who choose the Literature specialization will cultivate broad expertise in English and American literature and its historical, cultural, and theoretical contexts.
Students interested in the Literature and the Teaching of Reading (LTR) specialization will cultivate a broad expertise in English and American literature and prepare to teach reading in middle schools and high schools. These students must be interviewed by Prof. Donna Niday (dniday@iastate.edu). Generally, only those students with current teaching licenses will qualify to specialize in LTR.
2.2.1 Degree Requirements
Requires 30 credits of coursework.
| Area of Coursework | Courses | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CORE COURSEWORK | 18 | |
| Teaching/Criticism/Bibliography | Choose one course from the following: Engl 521 Engl 522 Engl 546 | 3 |
| Literature Choose the appropriate number of credits from each of the following categories below. *Engl 523 can satisfy either the Literature course requirement (British or General) or a specialization requirement, but not both. Note: X courses may be used in the following 3 categories depending on the topic. | 3 cr. must be in literature before 1865 (523, 532, or 533; and 531, 538, 540, 541, 543, 545, 546 when appropriate) | 15 |
| • American Literature | Choose one course: Engl 532, 534 When appropriate: 531, 538, 539, 540, 541, 543, 545, 546, 562 | 3 |
| • British Literature | Choose one course: Engl 523, 533, 535 When appropriate: 531, 538, 539, 540, 541, 545, 546, 562 | 3 |
| • Graduate Literature Electives Include pre-1865 requirement in this section if not met above in American or British Literature requirement. | Choose three (3) courses from the following: Engl 521, 522, 523, 531, 532, 533, 534, 535, 538, 539, 540, 541, 543, 545, 546, 561, 590a, 595a Engl 521, 522, and 546 can only be used once to satisfy this requirement or the Teaching/Criticism/Bibliography requirement above, but not both. | 9 |
| AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION | 9 each | |
| Literature Three appropriate elective courses from English Department graduate offerings in any of the graduate majors. TAs may count 3 credits of Engl 500 or SpCm 513. With prior approval as a POS waiver/substitution, 3 credits of appropriate graduate Curriculum and Instruction (C I) coursework may be used. | Courses strongly recommended for students planning to teach include: Engl 503: Composition Theory Engl 521: Teaching of Literature and the Literature Curriculum | 9 |
| Literature & the Teaching of Reading Students interested in this specialization must be interviewed by Donna NIday (dniday@iastate.edu); generally, only those with current teaching licenses will qualify for this specialization. | C I 552: Assessment for Literacy and Learning C I 588: Supervised Tutoring in Reading One of the following: C I 553: Teaching Adolescent Readers with Reading Difficulties or C I 556: Integrating Technology into Literacy | 9 |
| INDEPENDENT RESEARCH | Engl 699: Thesis Research or Engl 599: Creative Component | 3 |
| TOTAL | 30 minimum |
2.2.2 Curricular Policies and Guidelines
Language requirement
The MA in English program does not have a foreign language requirement; however, students who intend to pursue a PhD should be aware that most PhD programs require demonstrable skill in one or two foreign languages.
2.2.3 Final Oral Defense of the Thesis or Creative Component (Final Oral Examination)
See the section on Graduation for more details and information on finishing up as well as resources with links to very helpful information.
2.2.4 Student Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes students in this program are expected to meet include:
- Expand knowledge related to the study of literature and film that includes a diversity of authors/directors, genres, theories, and cultural-historical contexts.
- Communicate research effectively through oral and written presentations.
- Conduct independent scholarship in ways that consistently demonstrate ethical practice and professionalism.
- For graduate students who receive a teaching assistantship, develop strategies for the effective teaching of undergraduate students.