Master of Arts Program

MA in English / Literature

Qualified students holding a bachelor’s degree are eligible for admission to the program. An undergraduate major in English is desirable for admission. All applicants should submit a sample of their critical writing (10-20 pages), as well as GRE general test scores. Those wishing to enter the MA program with a specialization in creative writing should so indicate on the front page of the application and should submit together with a sample of their critical writing a portfolio of their creative work (not more than 50 pages of fiction or 25 pages of verse).

The application deadline for fall admission to the MA, whether or not the student wishes to be considered for financial aid, is Feb. 15. The application deadline for spring admission to the MA, whether or not the student wishes to be considered for financial aid, is Nov. 15. All applicants for the MA should go to the website gradschool.binghamton.edu/graduate/Gradapp.html in order to enter an online application.

The master of arts in English is granted on satisfactory completion of the following requirements.

Courses

In consultation with the director of graduate programs, the student plans a program of at least 10 graded courses (40 credit hours):

one literature course before 1800;

one literature course before 1900;

two additional literature courses in any period after 1800;

one course in literary theory;

five electives approved by the director of graduate programs.

In their first semester, students who are appointed as teaching assistants and who have no previous teaching experience are required to take ENG 589, The Teaching of College English, which will count as one of their electives.

Students normally take no more than two appropriate courses in other departments and no more than two courses from the same faculty member. Students who wish to take independent study courses must seek the consent of a faculty member who is willing to direct the independent study. Students are limited to two independent study courses as part of their program.

Students who wish to apply for doctoral programs are advised to plan a curriculum that emphasizes the development of a broad knowledge of English and American literature, although some specialization in a single field may be appropriate. The student must maintain at least a 3.0 average to remain in the program: more than one C grade normally requires dismissal. A student not in residence must register each semester to remain in good standing.

Foreign Language

All MA candidates must demonstrate a reading knowledge of at least one foreign language. Such competence may be demonstrated in any one of four ways:

Evidence of the student having passed a certified translation examination in a graduate program at some other institution.

Presenting transcript evidence of at least three years (six semesters) of college-level study of a single foreign language (fourth- and fifth-year high school study in the same language counts as two semesters each) with a grade average of B or better, completed no more than five years before admission to the MA program at Binghamton University.

Successful completion of a graduate course in a foreign language or of a graduate course in comparative literature in which a significant portion of the work is done in a foreign language.

Successful completion of a graduate proficiency workshop and examination (TRIP 707).

Thesis (MA in Literature)

Students may wish to write a master’s thesis. Such students must submit to the graduate director a plan that shows adequate preparation for their proposed thesis, a brief prospectus of the proposed investigation and a signed approval from the faculty member with whom the student wishes to work. The thesis is a substantial (50-75 pages) piece of original research or criticism. Only students whose thesis plan has been approved may register for ENG 599, Master’s Thesis; ENG 599 may be taken twice for credit, and it may be used for as many as two of the four electives required for the degree. When the thesis has been approved by the faculty adviser, the director of graduate programs appoints a qualified second reader to review it. Theses must conform to the Graduate School requirements, as outlined in the Faculty and Student Graduate Degree Handbook. Students may plan a course of study that does not include the writing of a thesis.

MA in English / Creative Writing

In addition to meeting the requirements for admission to the English Department’s Master of Arts program (i.e., GRE general test scores, transcripts, recommendations and a critical writing sample), students wishing to enroll in this program must also submit a substantial portfolio of their work in fiction or poetry (not more than 50 pages of fiction or 25 pages of verse), along with a critical writing sample of 10-20 pages. On completion of the following requirements, students in this program receive the MA in English/creative writing:

Courses

one literature course before 1800;

one literature course before 1900;

two additional literature courses in any period after 1800;

two workshops or tutorials in the writing of fiction or poetry;

ENG 599, Thesis, for four credits;

three electives, one of which may be taken outside the department in a related art.

Students must maintain at least a B average to remain in the program; more than one C grade normally requires dismissal. A student not in residence must register each semester to remain in good standing.

Foreign Language

All MA candidates in English/creative writing must demonstrate a reading knowledge of at least one foreign language. Such competence may be demonstrated in any one of four ways:

Evidence of the student having passed a certified translation examination in a graduate program at some other institution.

Presenting transcript evidence of at least three years (six semesters) of college-level study of a single foreign language (fourth- and fifth-year high school study in the same language counts as two semesters each) with a grade average of B or better, completed no more than five years before admission to the MA program at Binghamton University.

Successful completion of a graduate course in a foreign language or of a graduate course in comparative literature in which a significant portion of the work is done in a foreign language.

Successful completion of a graduate proficiency workshop and examination (TRIP 707).

MA Creative Thesis

At the conclusion of their coursework, students must submit to the director of creative writing a collection of poems, a collection of stories or a novel. The director of creative writing constitutes a panel of at least two professors who evaluate this thesis. The thesis is the most important requirement for the MA in English/creative writing; it must be of substantial length and publishable quality, and it must conform to the Graduate School requirements for a thesis, as outlined in the Graduate School Student Handbook.

Master of Arts in Teaching and Master of Science in Education

The English Department cooperates with the program in education, which offers both the MAT (master of arts in teaching) degree, Grades 7-12, in English Adolescence Education, and the MSEd (master of science in education) degree in Adolescence Education in English.

The MAT degree program is for those with an undergraduate degree in English who are seeking provisional certification to teach English in grades 7-12. The MSEd degree program is for those who already hold provisional certification to teach in New York state, and leads to permanent certification in New York state to teach English in grades 7-12. Requirements for these degrees are listed in this publication in the section on the School of Education and Human Development.

Inquiries about these programs should be directed to the Program in Education, School of Education and Human Development, Binghamton University, PO Box 6000, Binghamton, New York 13902-6000.