School of Liberal Arts

Departmental E-mail: english [at] iupui [dot] edu

Departmental URL: http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/english/

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

Degrees Offered

Master of Arts, Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Lan­guage, Certificate in Professional Editing, Certificate in Teaching Writing

Program Information

IUPUI’s graduate English program has been designed to prepare students for careers in the analysis and production of “texts.” To this end, the program covers issues and skills in reading and writing, in the richest sense of these words, to prepare students to address these issues and to teach these skills. Graduates of the program should be prepared for such careers as teaching writing and literature; teaching English as a second language; and writing for business, government, and other professions.

In contrast to traditional M.A. programs, which place heavy emphasis on literary history, the IUPUI program focuses on the application of English studies to contemporary situations and problems.  Because of IUPUI’s urban, nonresidential setting, its English graduate program will strive, in its curriculum and scheduling, to meet the special needs of part-time, nonresidential students.

Special Departmental Requirements

(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)

Master of Arts Degree

Admission Requirements

1. Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree from an ac­credited college or university, with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 grading scale in the student’s undergraduate major, documented by an official transcript. Applicants are normally expected to have been English majors, but admission will be considered also for those who otherwise demonstrate the competency necessary for suc­cessful graduate work in English.
2. Applicants must have taken the Graduate Record Examina­tion (GRE) General Test; preference is given to those who have earned a score of 600 in at least one of the three areas. Applicants seeking financial support are encouraged to take the examination by December of the year prior to admis­sion.
3. Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation.

Foreign Language Requirements

None, but M.A. students continuing on for the Ph.D. are encouraged to validate their reading proficiency in a foreign language according to University Graduate School standards.

Grades

M.A. students must maintain a 3.0 (B) grade point average.

Course Requirements

Students may select one of the two options outlined below after consulting with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) in English and/or other faculty advisors in English. Students will then submit a brief written statement to the DGS that presents a rationale for their choice. As can be seen in the following outline of the two alternative courses of study, students who choose not to write a thesis will be required to take eight additional credit hours of course work, for a total of 40 credit hours.

Thesis Option:

• Required Courses: Students must take two of the program’s three core courses for a total of 8 credit hours.
• Electives: Students choose six courses in consultation with a faculty advisor for a total of 24 credit hours.  These 24 hours may include a third core course and up to 8 credit hours of Internship.
• Required: MA thesis. 4 Credit hours. 
• Total: 36 Credit hours

Non-thesis Option:

• Required Courses: Students must take two of the program’s three core courses for a total of 8 credit hours
• Electives: Students choose eight courses in consultation with a faculty advisor for a total of 32 credit hours. These 32 credit hours may include a third core course and up to 8 credit hours of Internship.
• Total: 40 credit hours

The three core courses, which carry 4 credit hours each, provide an introduction to three major areas in the discipline of English: language (G500 Introduction to the English Language), writing (W509 Introduction to Writing and Literacy Studies), and literature ( L506 Introduction to Methods of Criticism and Research).  All students are required to take two of the three core courses, preferably at the beginning of the graduate program.
Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL).

The Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) is a six-course, 21-credit program. The five required courses include ENG G500, G541, and LING L535, as well as LING L532 and L534. The elective course can be chosen from ENG G625, G652, and LING T600; other English courses and courses in other departments relevant to TESL are acceptable with approval from the director. An emphasis in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) can be earned by taking LING T600 as the elective course and completing the practicum in an ESP setting. For more information about the certificate, contact Professor Julie Belz (jbelz@iupui.edu) or visit the IUPUI TESOL Web site at http://tesol.iupui.edu.

Certificate in Professional Editing

See the separate entry for “Certificate in Professional Editing” in the University Graduate Bulletin for more information.

Graduate Certificate in Teaching Writing

The Graduate Certificate in Teaching Writing is a 20-hour program of study for certified middle school or high school teachers, part-time university writing faculty and lecturers in other disciplines, and M.A. students interested in earning a certificate in writing to enhance their professional teaching careers. Major topics include theories and methods of teaching writing; understanding linguistic diversity; uses of technology in writing; social aspects of writing development; non-fiction writ­ing; writing assessment; and teacher research. The Certificate requires completion of five graduate courses consisting of one core course and four elective courses.

Graduate credits earned can be applied toward the M.A. in English upon acceptance into the M.A.  For more information, contact Professor Kim Brian Lovejoy (274-2120).