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 our graduate courses are small, seminar-style gatherings
featuring close one-on-one contact between faculty and students.
The graduate program offers courses in the major periods
(medieval, early modern, restoration, Elizabethan, Victorian,
19th-century American, modern, and contemporary), plus many
interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary courses. The only required
course for B.A./M.A. students is ENG 803: Modern Critical Theories,
a course in literary theory. Students who wish to write
an optional thesis enroll in ENG 900, for 3 credits toward
their course requirements.
Instead of a comprehensive exam, B.A./M.A. students submit a
portfolio in their final semester. The portfolio consists of 3
revised course papers, and a 10-page critical overview of
the student's growth as a reader, scholar, and
writer.
The English department typically offers 9-10 graduate
courses a semester, one or two or which are offered on the Staten
Island campus. As of 2004, there were about 45 M.A. or
B.A./M.A. students enrolled in the program. All graduate
courses are open to both doctoral and master's students.
Assistantships
A limited number of Graduate Assistantships are available
on a competitive basis to all qualified full-time graduate
applicants. Interested students should submit to the Chair two
letters of recommendation from prior English faculty. All
applicants, with the exception of students already enrolled in the
BA./M.A program, must apply for Graduate Assistantships by
obtaining forms from the Graduate Office, St. John Hall, Rm.
135.
Requirements
Qualified undergraduate students who have completed their sophomore
year with a 3.0 cumulative average and a 3.5 for 12 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 may have
attended.
- Bring the application to the Registrar (Newman 106) where you
will print your transcript and get it certified by the
Registrar.
- Bring the application and certified transcipts 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.
- Remember: 4 courses completed as an undergraduate, fifth year
full time with portfolio due in the second semester.
More Information
If you have questions, feel free to email Dean Beverly Fields
at fieldsb@stjohns.edu.