University Catalog 2007-2008

University Catalog > College of Humanities and Social Sciences > English

English

Phone: 703-993-1160

Web: english.gmu.edu

Faculty

Professors: L. Brown, Cheuse, D'Andrea (Robinson Professor), Foster, Goodwin, Hodges, Jann, Klappert, Lathbury, Lowry, Nadeau, Pankey

Associate professors: Albanese, Amireh, Anderson, Atkinson, Burr, Clark, Foreman, Fuchs, Gallehr, Holisky, Jones, Kaplan (chair), Kaufmann, Keaney, Kuebrich, Matz, Mobley, Rutledge, Tichy, Trafton, Weinberger, Yadav, Yocom

Assistant professors: Eisner, Harvey, Hawk, Reid, Roan, Sample, Shutika, Zawacki

Term assistant professors: Berg, DeNys, King, Koch, Matthews, Michals, Miller, Nanian, Samuelian, Saunders, Scott, Taciuch, Thompson, Williams, Young

Term instructors: Beach, Raffel, Scolaro

Adjunct assistant professors: DeFazio, Dreisonstok, Fowler, Guss, Humbertson, Jacobs, Kuhta, Moody, Pabich, Redondo

Adjunct instructors: Cooper, Grogan-Barone, Gulshan, Holcomb, Johnston, McKinney

Course Work

The English Department offers all course work designated CL, ENGL, and LING in the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog.

Related Courses

Courses offered by other departments are occasionally cross-listed with English and given the ENGL course designator; such courses may be counted toward the English major.

Undergraduate Programs

English, BA

In addition to university-wide general education requirements and college-level requirements for the BA degree in CHSS, English majors must complete 30 credits (nine courses) in English beyond ENGL 302 with a minimum GPA of 2.00. Students must achieve a GPA of 2.00 in the courses counting toward the English major. The 30 credits are distributed as follows:

Students should consult with an English Department advisor to learn about ways in which the university-wide general education requirements can also satisfy college-level requirements or the English major. Graduating majors participate in assessment of the degree by preparing a dossier of writing completed in their upper-level courses.

Comparative Literature Emphasis

The English Department and the Modern and Classical Languages Department offer a BA in English with an emphasis in comparative literature. This program combines the study of literature in English with the study of one or more foreign literatures and with cross-cultural literary study. It requires 10 courses above ENGL 302, distributed as follows:

Students should consult with their advisor to design a program of study that best suits their particular interests and goals.

Writing-Intensive Requirement

The university requires all students to complete at least one course designated as "writing intensive" in their majors at the 300 level or above. Students majoring in English fulfill this requirement by successfully completing ENGL 325.

English in a Double Major

Students interested in designing a double major are encouraged to discuss their plans with their English advisor and the director of undergraduate programs in English.

Honors Program in English

To qualify for graduation with honors, students must complete the honors course sequence and receive a 3.50 GPA in all courses counted toward the major and, separately, a minimum 3.50 GPA in their honors courses. Honors courses may simultaneously satisfy concentration and distribution requirements in the major.

Students may satisfy the honors course sequence in several ways:

See the English Department for application procedures and other information.

Minor in English

A minor in English provides students with a sound introduction to the field of literary studies and allows them to select a set of courses to suit their individual interests. Prerequisites for the minor in English are the 3-credit university-wide general education requirement in literature and the 3-credit college level requirement in literature. To receive the minor, students must satisfactorily complete 18 credits above ENGL 302 with a minimum 2.00 GPA, distributed as follows: ENGL 325 (6 credits), three courses in a concentration listed under the English major or three courses that satisfy the core requirements for the major (9 credits), and an elective (3 credits).

The minor must be approved by the English Department undergraduate advisor before graduation. For policies governing all minors, see the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog.

Minor in Teaching English as a Second Language

The minor in teaching English as a second language (TESL) helps prepare undergraduate students to teach nonnative speakers of English in the United States or abroad. This course of study combines linguistic theory, second language acquisition theory, and ESL teaching methodology.

The minor in TESL may be pursued concurrently with any undergraduate major. English majors concentrating in linguistics can apply up to 9 credits in LING used for the major to the TESL minor. Students in the TESL minor must have approval from the director to register for the 500-level courses in the TESL program.

Students in the minor complete 18 credits of course work distributed as follows:

Other suitable elective courses may be applied to the minor with the prior approval of the director.

Interdisciplinary Minors

The department coordinates or co-coordinates the interdisciplinary minors in film and media studies, folklore and mythology, and linguistics. See the Interdisciplinary Minors section of this chapter for more information.

Undergraduates in Graduate Courses

The English Department permits qualified undergraduates to enroll in its graduate courses numbered 500 through 599, either for undergraduate or reserve graduate credit. See the department for details on how to enroll.

Teacher Licensure

Students who wish to become teachers should consult the College of Education and Human Development chapter and attend an information session early in their undergraduate career. For more information, call 703-993-2892, e-mail gseadmit@gmu.edu, or go to gse.gmu.edu.

Writing Center

The Writing Center offers one-on-one conferencing during all stages of the writing process. Conferences are free to all Mason students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Writing Center tutors, who are graduate teaching assistants in the English Department, have been trained in current methods of composition instruction. They can help clients overcome writing anxiety, develop organizational and revision skills, and learn useful strategies for editing their own work. Appointments should be made by calling 703-993-1200 or stopping by the center in Robinson Hall A, Room 116, to schedule a session.

Northern Virginia Writing Project

The Northern Virginia Writing Project (NVWP) is an in-service organization dedicated to improving the writing of Northern Virginia students, kindergarten through university level. Each summer, selected teachers attend an intensive five-week institute where they demonstrate successful teaching techniques, study research on the teaching of writing, and write. After the summer institute, participants return to their schools, colleges, and universities to lead workshops and in-service seminars for other teachers. NVWP is an affiliate of the National Writing Project and one of the seven sites of the Virginia Writing Project.

Accelerated Master's Program in Linguistics

Highly qualified undergraduates may apply to the accelerated master's degree program and obtain both a BA and an MA in English: Linguistics after satisfactory completion of 144 credits. Well-prepared undergraduates are encouraged to apply as they near completion of 90 credits. Satisfactory performance in LING 326 is a prerequisite for admission. Admitted students are able to use up to 6 graduate credits in partial fulfillment of requirements for the undergraduate degree. On completion and conferral of the undergraduate degree with satisfactory performance (3.00 in each course, grade of B or better) in graduate courses, students are given advanced standing in the master's program. All other master's degree requirements must be met. Interested students should contact the director of linguistics for details about the application process.

Graduate Programs

The English Department offers graduate programs in the study and practice of literature and writing, as well as course work in related fields such as folklore, film, and cultural studies. The MA in English (30 credits) provides concentrations in literature (including an optional track in cultural studies), professional writing and editing, the teaching of writing and literature, and linguistics. The department also offers a terminal degree, the MFA in creative writing (48 credits), with concentrations in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. In addition, the department offers a certificate in the teaching of English as a second language (TESL, 18 credits), a certificate in professional writing and editing (18 credits), and courses as part of the PhD in education.

English, MA

Admission Requirements

In addition to fulfilling admission requirements for graduate study, applicants must submit one copy of a 1,000-word analytical writing sample and two letters of recommendation. For those applying in literature, professional writing and editing, and the teaching of writing and literature, the writing sample should be an interpretive paper on a literary text. In addition to the writing sample, applicants must submit a goals statement of no more than 750 words. Applicants for the concentration in professional writing and editing must also submit two copies of a 10- to 15-page portfolio of their nonfiction work such as a technical or business report, essay, term paper, editing project, or any other material reflecting interests and skills in nonfiction writing.

Applicants may submit scores from the GRE when they believe those scores will lead to a clearer representation of their qualifications. Those with undergraduate majors in disciplines other than English are encouraged to apply, but they may be required to make up deficiencies before entering the program.

Degree Requirements

Students must successfully complete 30 credits in graduate English courses. One of the concentrations described below must be completed. Students must also demonstrate foreign language proficiency by course work equivalent to Mason's foreign language 210, or by passing a translation test administered by the department.

Concentration in Literature

Track in Cultural Studies

English students planning to apply to the PhD in Cultural Studies Program should pursue the literature concentration of the MA in English and make the following modifications to the above requirements:

Concentration in Professional Writing and Editing

Concentration in the Teaching of Writing and Literature

Concentration in Linguistics

The linguistics concentration of the MA in English combines courses in linguistics with courses in some related area of language study, such as teaching English as a second language, bilingual education, or foreign language teaching. The course of study is designed to prepare students for teaching in one of these fields or for doctoral work. The certificate in teaching English as a second language can be earned concurrently. Students pursuing the linguistics concentration must successfully complete 30 graduate credits, distributed as follows, and demonstrate foreign language proficiency (see above).

Creative Writing, MFA

The MFA Program has three concentrations: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Students should apply to only one concentration, although a student turned down by one concentration may subsequently apply to another or to that same concentration in a subsequent year.

Students interested in taking individual courses or in applying in the future to the MFA Program are welcome to apply to take classes as nondegree students; however, such enrollments are allowed only with the instructor's permission. Regular applicants to the MFA Program who are denied admission may not take courses as nondegree students. Students interested in taking a course as nondegree should submit a brief letter of introduction and a writing sample to the professor at least one week before the start of classes.

Admission Requirements

In addition to fulfilling admission requirements for graduate study, applicants must submit two letters of recommendation, one copy of a 1,000-word analytical writing sample, and a portfolio of original work. The analytical writing sample may be a paper written for an undergraduate class or any other work that gives evidence of advanced writing skills. For those applying to the MFA concentration in fiction, the portfolio should consist of up to 50 pages of fiction; at least two complete short stories are preferred. For those applying to the poetry concentration, the portfolio should consist of up to 20 pages of poetry. For those applying to the nonfiction concentration, the portfolio should consist of up to 50 pages of creative nonfiction.

Degree Requirements

Students must successfully complete 48 graduate credits, distributed as follows:

With the approval of the MFA faculty, the program director, and the dean, the number of credits required for an MFA may be reduced by a maximum of 18 credits on the basis of graduate course work before admission.

Students in poetry must pass a written MFA exam based on the authors they have chosen. The authors are selected in collaboration with the writing faculty any time after completing 12 credits of course work and before completing 32 credits. The exam must be completed at least one semester before the student registers for the final 3 credits of thesis.

Students in fiction and nonfiction must pass an MFA exam or complete an MFA project. Students who elect to take the MFA exam select, after the completion of 18 credits and with the approval of their faculty advisors, a list of authors and an area of emphasis (for example, the European novel). Students who elect to complete an MFA project (such as editing an anthology) must carry out the project under the direction of a faculty member and may register for ENGL 798 to fulfill this requirement. ENGL 798 may not be used to fulfill the literature requirement or as thesis preparation. The exam or project must be completed at least one semester before the student registers for the final 3 credits of thesis.

Students who have not completed the equivalent of Mason's foreign language 210 must do so or demonstrate proficiency by passing a translation test administered by the English Department.

Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language

The Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) certificate prepares students to teach nonnative speakers of English in the United States or abroad. Certificate courses fulfill, in part, requirements for an endorsement in English as a second language to the Virginia state teaching credential. Students who want to earn this endorsement should consult with an advisor.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must be admitted to graduate study or approved for graduate course enrollment as nondegree students. Students who initially enroll in the certificate program as nondegree must apply for admission to the graduate program no later than the second semester of study. When formal admission to graduate study is sought, applicants must submit one copy of an analytical writing sample of approximately 1,000 words, a goals statement, and two letters of recommendation.

The certificate may be pursued concurrently with any of several degree programs offered through the Graduate School of Education, the English Department, and the Modern and Classical Languages Department. Part of the course work toward the certificate may be applied toward degrees in those departments. Students enrolled in another graduate degree program who want to work for the certificate must apply to the English Department for admission into the certificate program.

Certificate Requirements

Students must complete six courses distributed as follows, earning a grade of 3.00 or better in each:

LING 520, 521, 522, 523, 525, and 582

Certificate in Professional Writing and Editing

This certificate provides graduate students with course work in nonfiction writing in specific genres, current writing practices and theories of writing in organizational settings, research methods in professional writing, and nonfiction literature.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must submit an analytical writing sample of at least 1,000 words, a goals statement, two letters of recommendation, and a portfolio of writing or editing. Applicants must be currently admitted to a graduate degree program or approved for enrollment as nondegree students. Because only 6 credits earned as a nondegree student may be applied to the certificate, students who initially take courses as nondegree should apply for admission before completing 6 credits of course work. Completion of course work is not in itself a guarantee of admission to the certificate program.

The certificate may be pursued concurrently with any of several degree programs in English and elsewhere in CHSS. Part of the course work toward the certificate may be applied to those degrees.

Certificate Requirements

Certificate candidates must complete 18 credits of English graduate courses, earning a grade of B or better in each, distributed as follows:

Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.00 in course work presented on the certificate application.