Radford University
Graduate Catalog
for 1999-2000
ENGLISH
Rosemary Guruswamy, Chairperson
Graduate Faculty
Moira P. Baker, Scott R. Christianson, Grace Edwards, Kim Gainer, Joyce
Graham, Rosemary F. Guruswamy, Rita Kranidis, R. Parks Lanier, Jr., Timothy
Poland, Rita S. Riddle, Donald Samson, Jeffrey Saperstein, Donald Secreast,
Hilary Siebert, Jolanta W. Wawrzycka, Alexander Weiss, Paul W. Witkowsky.
GRADUATE PROGRAM
The graduate program in English, which leads to a Master of Arts or Master of Science degree, prepares students for teaching at the secondary and college levels; for further graduate study in pursuit of the doctoral degree; and for entry into various professions where critical thinking, communication skills, and writing are valued and employed.
Graduate study in English provides students with an opportunity to develop skills in literary scholarship and criticism through an intensive study of British and American literature. The program emphasizes independent research - using both print and electronic sources - and the writing of scholarly papers based on a critical understanding of literature's aesthetic and humanistic values and of its social, historical, and cultural significance. The program also offers students the opportunity to take courses and to pursue interests in contemporary critical theory, creative writing, technical writing, linguistics, and the teaching of English.
Completion of the Master of Arts or Master of Science degree normally
requires three or four semesters for full-time students.
(For more information, follow the link above to the department's
Home Page.)
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
An acceptable test score is required on either the Graduate Record Exam.
Students pursuing the Master of Science or Master of Arts degree in English must have earned a minimum of 21 semester hours of credit in English at the undergraduate level with a 2.75 GPA.
At the time of application to Graduate College, all applicants must submit a recent writing sample, e.g. a previously graded undergraduate paper, to:
Graduate Program Coordinator
Department of English
Box 6935
Radford University, Radford, VA 24142.
Applicants for Graduate Teaching Fellowships must submit an additional recommendation (in addition to the two required for graduate admission) and a statement of teaching philosophy to the Graduate Program Coordinator. Guidelines for this statement are available from the Coordinator.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
The student must maintain a B average.
No more than 20 percent of the total credit hours taken for graduate credit may be in 500-level courses. Enrollment in 500-level courses require upper division or graduate standing and must be taught by graduate faculty.
MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGLISH
Program Requirements - 30 hrs.
Required Courses - 9-12 hrs.
ENGL 600. Introduction to Literary Scholarship. - 3
ENGL 621. Principles of Literary Criticism.* - 3
ENGL 663. Linguistics.** - 3
ENGL 699. Research and Thesis - 6
Required area of study in either British or American Literature 9-15
hrs.
Free Electives 3-9 hrs.
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ENGLISH
Program Requirements - 33 hrs.
Required Courses - 9 hrs.
ENGL 600. Introduction to Literary Scholarship. - 3
ENGL 621. Principles of Literary Criticism* - 3
ENGL 663. Linguistics** - 3
Required area of study in British or American Literature 9-15 hrs.
Free Electives 12-18 hrs.
*ENGL 621 may be waived if a course in literary criticism was completed at the undergraduate level.
**ENGL 663 may be waived if a course in linguistics or history of the language was completed at the undergraduate level.
Note: ENGL 655 cannot be used as part of a student's program of studies leading to a Master's degree.
WRITTEN EXAMINATION REQUIRED OF BOTH DEGREES
The written examination will be administered by the director of the candidate's thesis/examination committee. For Master of Arts candidates, the members of the examination committee may be different from the members of the thesis committee, with the exception of the thesis director. The examination areas will be determined in consultation between the candidate and the examination committee members, drawing upon the candidate's program of study. The examination will consist of three essay questions, one submitted by each member of the candidate's committee. The candidate will choose the format of the examination (closed-book with two hours for each question, or open-book, with 48 hours for the entire examination).The examination must be completed at least two weeks prior to graduation. It is recommended that approval forms be requested at least five days in advance of the examination date.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE
Language Proficiency
The candidate must meet a foreign language reading proficiency requirement.
This may be accomplished in one of three ways: (1) completion, with a grade
of B or above, of twelve semester hours in a foreign language no earlier
than five years before admission to graduate studies; (2) completion, with
a grade of B or above, of French 210, German 210, Spanish 202, or Latin
201 or the equivalent transfer hours no earlier than five years before admission
to graduate studies; or (3) passing a reading proficiency exam administered
by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, on material chosen
by the foreign language examiner in consultation with the candidate's thesis
adviser. The requirement must be completed at least two weeks prior to graduation.
Forms are located in the Graduate College office.
THESIS PROPOSAL EXAMINATION
The candidate will submit a prospectus of the thesis to the committee. The committee will meet with the candidate to review and approve the prospectus; suggestions for changes in the prospectus are to be incorporated prior to its submission to the office of the dean of the Graduate College. The examination must be completed no later than two weeks before the end of the semester preceding the semester in which the student registers for thesis hours.
THESIS
The thesis will be written under the supervision of the candidate's committee. The committee must approve the thesis.
ORAL THESIS EXAMINATION
After the thesis has been completed but prior to its submission to the office of the dean of the Graduate College, the committee will meet with the candidate for an oral examination of one hour on the topic of the thesis. The examination must occur at least two weeks prior to graduation.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE
Oral Examination
An oral examination of not more than two hours, based primarily on the candidate's
program of study, shall be administered in the final semester of study and
at least two weeks prior to graduation. The questions for this examination
can both complement and vary from those posed for the written examination.
The oral examination will follow the written examination and cannot be taken
prior to the candidate's satisfactory completion of the written examination.
The two examinations can be scheduled either in consecutive semesters or
in the same semester. If the oral examination is not completed satisfactorily,
the candidate must retake the examination during a subsequent semester.
ENGLISH COURSES
ENGL 506. Advanced Technical Writing. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Teaches students to master the advanced technical writing skills required
to write professional reports, proposals, manuals and other communications
studied in the course. Individual and team-written projects assigned.
ENGL 507. Technical Editing. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Prepares students to analyze the readability of technical documents written
in the workplace (e.g., instructions, user manuals, abstracts, proposals),
and to deal with problems of correctness, consistency, clarity, organization
and rhetorical effectiveness of language and layout. Realistic weekly assignments
include excerpts from technical manuals, insurance and government documents,
instructions and reports.
ENGL 509. Advanced Fiction Writing. (3)
Three hours lecture.
For students wishing to develop potential in fiction writing. May be taken
twice for credit.
ENGL 510. Advanced Poetry Writing. (3)
Three hours lecture.
For students wishing to develop potential in poetry writing. May be taken
twice for credit.
ENGL 525. The Study of Adolescent Literature. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Course familiarizes students with classical and contemporary literature
whose audience is primarily adolescents. Students are led to understand
why teenage readers make the literature choices they do. The course helps
students develop a positive attitude toward this kind of literature and
understand why this kind of literature should have a place in the reading
program of adolescents. Course required to satisfy certification requirements
for English majors intending to teach at the secondary level.
ENG 546. Appalachian Folklore. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Study of mountain verbal lore of tales, ballads and sayings; non-verbal
or partially verbal lore of customs, games and rituals; material lore of
structure, designs and landscapes. Field collections and written analyses
required.
ENGL 547. Appalachian Literature. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Establishment of standards for identifying Appalachian literature; study
of selected works representative of the mountain culture.
ENGL 549. African-American Literature. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Familiarizes students with literature written by African-Americans. Scope
includes all genres and periods. Enables students to understand African-American
literature both in itself and within larger context of American literature
and culture.
ENGL 550. Tribal and Pan-Indian Literature. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Course is a comparative study of various tribal and pan-Indian literatures,
including traditional oral texts and transitional and contemporary works
in English by tribal and pan-Indian authors.
ENGL 564. The History of the English Language. (3)
Three hours lecture.
History and development of English language from its origins to present.
ENGL 590. Summer Workshop. (3)
Designed to give students concentrated study in a specialized area of English.
Graded as Pass/Fail. May be taken twice for credit.
ENGL 600. Introduction to Literary Scholarship. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Examination of tools and techniques essential to advanced literary study
and scholarship. Strongly recommended during the first semester of graduate
study.
ENGL 606. Technical and Business Writing. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing required (or permission of the instructor)
and fluency in written English.
Study of documents common in professional settings, including correspondence,
proposals, reports, instructions, and presentation materials; writing of
various documents, including an article on communication in the student's
field; and development of an effective professional writing style.
ENGL 611. Creative Writing. (3)
Three hours lecture and workshop.
Writing of fiction or poetry for a critical audience composed of the student's
instructor and classmates; studies in writing strategies and techniques.
May be taken twice for credit.
ENGL 621. Principles of Literary Criticism. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Examination of literary theories stated in major critical texts; emphasis
on principles underlying contemporary schools of criticism.
ENGL 631. Studies in Middle English Literature. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Close reading, largely in Middle English, of works best typifying developments
in English literature during the centuries after the Norman Conquest. With
a different subheading, may be taken twice for credit.
ENGL 633. Studies in English Renaissance. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Study of selected major authors or important topics of the English Renaissance.
With a different subheading, may be taken twice for credit.
ENGL 635. Studies in Restoration and 18th Century British Literature.
(3)
Three hours lecture.
Study of selected major British writers 1660-1789. With a different subheading,
may be taken twice for credit.
ENGL 637. Studies in 19th-Century British Literature. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Study of selected major figures and important topics of 19th century, with
attention to American and European cross-influences. With a different subheading,
may be taken twice for credit.
ENGL 639. Studies in 20th-Century Literature. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Study of selected major figures and important topics of 20th-century British
and American literature, with attention to other influences. With a different
subheading, may be taken twice for credit.
ENGL 644. Studies in American Literature I (to 1861). (3)
Three hours lecture.
Study of selected authors and important topics of American literature prior
to 1861. With a different subheading, may be taken twice for credit.
ENGL 645. Studies in American Literature II (since 1861). (3)
Three hours lecture.
Study of selected authors and important topics of American literature since
1861. With a different subheading, may be taken twice for credit.
ENGL 648. Studies in Oral and Written Literature of Appalachia. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Study of specified genre of oral or written Appalachian literature, or a
combination of genres from both types to show cross influences. Genre selections,
which vary from term to term, include folktale or ballad in oral literature,
or perhaps a combination of ballad and poetry. With a different subheading,
may be taken twice for credit.
ENGL 651. Teaching Expository Writing. (3)
Prerequisite: Appointment as a Graduate Assistant in the English
Department.
Introduction to ideas about learning, composition and the process of writing;
reading of selected texts on the theory and practice of teaching writing;
survey of selected teaching strategies; preparation of course descriptions
and syllabi; writing; and model teaching.
ENGL 653. Studies in Women's Literature. (3)
Three hours lecture.
A study of the distinctive literary heritage shared by women writers in
England and North America; course designed to ground students in feminist
literary critical theories and practices (including feminist applications
of psychoanalytic, Marxist, deconstructive and new historicist theories).
ENGL 655. Practicum in the Teaching of Expository Writing. (3)
Prerequisite: Appointment as a second-year Graduate Teaching Fellow
and completion of 18 hours of graduate work.
Application of current theory, research and practice of composition to actual
classroom setting; participants work closely with faculty mentors who assist
them in designing and implementing their writing courses and in assessing
classroom practice. Can be repeated once for credit; cannot be included
as part of a student's program of studies leading to a master's degree.
ENGL 663. Linguistics. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Introduction to development of the scientific description of modern English
through a study of structural linguistics and generative transformational
grammar. Designed to facilitate the application of linguistics to the teaching
of English grammar.
ENGL 680. Special Topics in English. (3)
Three hours lecture.
Study of a topic in composition, creative writing, literary criticism, rhetoric,
literature, language, linguistics or folklore. With a different subheading,
may be taken twice for credit.
ENGL 698. Directed Study. (1-4)
Prerequisite: Approval of the adviser and department chair.
See Directed Study
ENGL 699. Research and Thesis. (1-6)
Hours and credits to be arranged with the approval of the dean of the Graduate
College.
See Thesis.
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