The Department of English offers an intensive, accelerated
combined degree program leading to both the B.A. and M.A. degrees
in five years of full-time study. Students who have been accepted
into the program take one graduate course each semester of their
junior and senior years; this course counts toward both the B.A.
and M.A. degrees. In the fifth year students take the remaining
seven graduate courses needed to complete the degree.
All of the English graduate courses at St. John’s are seminars
taught by research faculty who are committed to teaching and
mentoring graduate and undergraduate students. The English
Master's degree curriculum offers students the opportunity to
develop programs of study that meet their intellectual and
professional goals. Because there is only one required
foundational course (Modern Critical Theories), the program
provides flexibility for students seeking either broad exposure to
advanced English studies or more intensive concentrations in
specific fields. Among the areas of study featured in the
program are British and American literary history, creative writing
and composition studies, and interdisciplinary fields such as
gender studies and postcolonial studies. The English
department has especially strong numbers of faculty in American
studies, modernist studies, and writing and composition
studies. It also features excellent faculty in early modern,
eighteenth-century, and nineteenth-century British literary
studies.
The graduate program offers approximately 12 courses in the late
afternoon and evening each semester as well as several summer
classes. Most of these courses take place on the Queens
campus, but students can also take courses on the Manhattan campus
each semester. The Master’s program consists of 33 credit
hours, or 11 courses, including the option to write a 3-credit
Master’s
thesis in place of one course. In the final
semester of their coursework, all students submit a
portfolio of their graduate work. The portfolio consists
of three graduate course papers, including one extensively revised
paper, and a 10-page critical overview of the student's growth as a
reader, scholar, and writer. M.A. students are also
encouraged to participate in the annual St. John’s English graduate
student conference.
Complementing the graduate courses in the M.A. program are
opportunities for practical experience in tutoring, editing, and
research. A limited number of Graduate Assistantships are
available on a competitive basis to all qualified full-time
graduate applicants, while additional opportunities for tutoring
are available for all English graduate students. With the
2006 opening of the Institute for Writing Studies,
the graduate program in English features an exceptional new
environment for professional training and development in writing
instruction.
Entrance Requirements
Qualified undergraduate students who have completed their sophomore
year with a 3.0 cumulative average and a 3.5 for 12 or more credits
in English are encouraged to apply.
How to Apply
The process takes about 3-4 weeks. You may download an application, or
obtain one from the Graduate Office, St. John Hall, Rm. 135.
- Consult the most recent graduate bulletin to check your
eligibilty for the program.
- It is recommended that you make an appointment with the Chair
to discuss the suitability of the program for you (12 credits in
English as an undergraduate; and career and research
interests).
- Complete the top portion of the application. Be sure to include
email and a list of former undergraduate institutions you have
attended.
- Bring the application to the Registrar (Newman 106) in order to
print your transcript and have it certified.
- Bring the application and certified transcripts to the Dean's
office in St. John Hall, Rm. 135. The Dean will calculate your GPA
and forward it to the undergraduate Dean's office for review.
- The undergraduate Dean will review the application and forward
it to the English department chair.
- The English chair will review the application and make a
recommendation to the graduate Dean.
- The graduate Dean will then review all recommendations. He will
confirm whether each applicant meets the entrance requirements and
has enough cumulative credits, as well as credits available in the
major or electives for the twelve (12) graduate credits required as
an undergraduate. The Dean will inform applicants in writing of
their admission to the program.
Assistantships
A limited number of Graduate Assistantships are available on a
competitive basis to all qualified full-time graduate students.
Interested B.A./M.A. students should complete an English Master’s
program application, which includes a statement of purpose, a
writing sample, and three letters of recommendation, and submit
this application to the chair by March 1. The application
forms are available in the Graduate Office, St. John Hall, Rm.
135.
Department Contact
Stephen Sicari, Chair
St. John Hall B-16
(718) 990-6387
sicaris@stjohns.edu
Robert Fanuzzi, Assistant
Chair
DaSilva Hall, Room 310
(718) 390-4416
fanuzzir@stjohns.edu
Ms. Beverly Fields
Associate Dean
St. John’s Hall 135
(718) 990-6243
fieldsb@stjohns.edu
Undergraduate Admission
Contacts
Queens
Office of Admission
St. John’s University
8000 Utopia Parkway
Queens, NY 11439
1 (888) 9STJOHNS
admissions@stjohns.edu
Staten Island
Office of Admission
St. John’s University
300 Howard Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10301
(718) 390-4500
siadmhelp@stjohns.edu