Master of Arts in English and Writing Studies
The Master of Arts in English and Writing Studies is designed for students interested in pursuing advanced studies in the related fields of applied linguistics and teaching English as a second language, literature, composition and rhetoric, as well as English pedagogy and public and professional writing.
With its firm grounding in theory, research, and pedagogy, the M.A. in English and Writing Studies prepares students to excel as scholars, as writers, and as teachers of writing, literature, and English as a second language. The mission of the graduate program is to engage students in an exploration of how written and spoken texts work rhetorically and stylistically, as well as how historical, cultural, and social conditions affect the ways in which speakers, writers, and readers construct meaning. In addition, the program provides students with a strong foundation for pursuing a Ph.D. degree. The M.A. enables students, whatever their career path, to become socially committed, rhetorically flexible scholars, teachers and writers, well-prepared to make significant contributions in their chosen fields and communities, both local and global.
The Graduate Committee, under the leadership of the graduate coordinators, has general supervision of the program and the work of students. Students are required to consult regularly with the graduate coordinators for advising. Petitions for waiver of requirements must be approved by the graduate coordinators and the Dean of Graduate Studies when appropriate.
Admission to the Program
The Graduate Committee cannot act on applications until they have been reviewed by the Office of Admissions and Student Recruitment and have met university admissions requirements. Please check the MA in English and Writing Studies website and/or the office of Graduate Studies for the specific schedule of application due dates for each year. The program admits students in both Fall and Spring semesters.
A student who meets all entrance requirements except one or more course prerequisites or the minimum grade requirements may be admitted to the program as a conditionally classified graduate student. Conditionally classified students must fulfill certain conditions (such as taking or retaking prerequisite courses) within a specified period of time. Prerequisite courses are not be counted toward the units required for the master's degree.
The specific requirements for admission as a classified graduate student in the English Department are:
- Typically, a grade point average of 3.0 ("B") in all undergraduate upper-division courses. However, a student’s undergraduate GPA or score on a test does not always predict their potential for success and should not exclude them from consideration. Therefore, the MA in English and Writing Studies takes a holistic approach to the admissions process, considering a broad range of candidate qualities, including a student’s personal attributes, past experiences, and future goals, and how those might contribute to a good fit with our program and its values and objectives. Moreover, we do not require or consider GRE scores for admission.
- For applicants who do not possess a bachelor’s degree from a postsecondary institution in a country where English is the principal language of instruction, the program suggests a minimum score of 575 (computer-based score of 233 or internet-based score of 90) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or a minimum score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), in order to be successful. If an applicant does not meet that score, they may request an interview for individual assessment.
- Two letters of recommendation supporting the student's application. Letters should be from people able to make relevant comments on the student's likely success in English and Writing Studies with a Concentration in Composition and Rhetoric; Literature; Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language; Pedagogy; or Public and Professional Writing.
- A one-page personal statement giving a sense of who the student is and their particular interests and goals in pursuing a graduate degree. See the M.A. in English and Writing Studies website for potential prompts and tips for writing the personal statement.
- A 5-10 page writing sample that showcases the student's ability to think critically and articulate their ideas in writing.
The M.A. in English and Writing Studies welcomes all applicants regardless of previous field of study or work. To ensure students are prepared for the rigor of graduate work in English and Writing Studies, students may be admitted "conditionally." Students who do not have an undergraduate degree in a relevant field, such as English, Linguistics, Literature, Rhetoric/Composition, TESL, Creative Writing, or Writing Studies, may take prerequisite coursework to prepare them for the program. These prerequisite courses are specified at the time of admission by the graduate coordinator and can be taken by students as they begin the MA program.
Advancement to Candidacy
To be advanced to candidacy, the student must have:
- Achieved classified status;
- Completed at least 12 units of coursework required by the program with a grade point average of at least 3.0 ("B");
- Filed a program plan approved by the Graduate Coordinator.
Requirements for Graduation
- A minimum of 30 semester units of acceptable graduate-level coursework (5000-level and 6000-level) in the formal program, with no fewer than 22 units completed at CSUSB and no fewer than 24 units completed in 6000-level courses.
- Advancement to candidacy;
- A grade point average of at least 3.0 ("B") in all graduate coursework fulfilling the requirements of the student's concentration, and grades of "C" (2.0) or better in all courses in the program;
- For students in all concentrations, demonstrated minimal competence in a language other than English at the level of a world language 1112 course given by the Department of World Languages and Literatures. Can be fulfilled by one of the following, but note that courses taken to fulfill the language requirement cannot be applied toward any graduate degree unit requirements:
- One year of college course work (with a grade of A, B, C, or CR) studying a language other than English,
- Passage of a language competency exam, such as one administered by the Department of World Languages and Literatures, in a language other than English at a level of Intermediate (ACTFL Stage 2) or above or equivalent.
- Bilingual or conversational fluency in a language other than English.
- The graduation writing requirement is met upon successful completion of the thesis or comprehensive examination;
- The program must be completed within a seven-year period. No more than seven years may elapse between the time of registration for the earliest course listed on the program and the completion of all requirements for the degree. Students who have taken any required or elective course that expires because it exceeds this seven-year limitation will be required to retake the course or its equivalent as designated by the graduate coordinator, regardless of the grade originally earned. Petitions to waive this requirement will not be approved.
Note: Students interested in pursuing dual concentrations should contact their graduate coordinator about dual concentration requirements.
Degree Requirements (30 units)
Before enrolling in courses, students should consult the course descriptions for course prerequisites.
| ENG 6000 | Critical Approaches to Literature | 3 |
| ENG 6090 | Cultures of Research in English & Writing Studies | 3 |
| ENG 6120 | Contemporary Composition and Discourse Theory | 3 |
| ENG 6150 | Discourse, Cognition, and Society | 3 |
| ENG 6620 | Sites of Praxis | 3 |
| Culminating Experience (3) | 3 | |
| Concentration (12) | ||
| Students must satisfy the requirements of one of the concentrations listed below | 12 | |
| Total Units | 30 | |
Culminating Experience (3 units)
Students select either the Thesis Option or the Comprehensive Examination Option. Successful completion of either option satisfies the graduation writing requirement.
Thesis Option (3 units)
| ENG 6973 | Thesis | 3 |
Students electing the Thesis option must select from among two thesis project models (A or B) and are required to complete a thesis project appropriate to their concentration: applied linguistics and teaching English as a second language; composition and rhetoric; literature; pedagogy; or public and professional writing. Dual concentration students may devise a project in either of their concentrations. Students in the public and professional writing concentration or pedagogy concentration must choose the thesis option.
A. Traditional Thesis
The first thesis model option is a traditional thesis: an independent project that demonstrates mastery of both the subject matter and the written discourse of the discipline and results in an original manuscript of approximately 60 pre-formatted pages plus bibliography.
To pursue this option, students develop an acceptable thesis project and prepare a 1000-word proposal in accordance with program guidelines.
To develop a thesis proposal for this project and obtain approval of it, students carry out the following steps:
- Gain the support of a committee of two English Department faculty members (the thesis reading committee).
- Submit the Thesis Proposal to the coordinator of the student's concentration(s) for approval.
The student will then be given a permit to add ENG 6973 to complete the thesis.
B. Professional Paper
The second thesis model option is a professional paper that demonstrates mastery of both the subject matter and the written discourse of the discipline, and results in an original manuscript of approximately 30 pre-formatted pages plus bibliography. Depending on the student's chosen concentration and project and after consultation with faculty readers, this professional paper will take the form of one of the following:
- Academic Journal Article
- Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Article
- Policy Paper
- Public or Professional Piece
To pursue this option, students develop an acceptable thesis project from work begun in one of the M.A. program seminar classes and prepare a 1000-word thesis proposal that: a) announces the project and purpose, and explains how the work contributes to the field; b) identifies an appropriate professional venue to which this work might be submitted.
To develop a thesis proposal for this project and obtain approval of it, students carry out the following steps:
- Gain the support of a committee of two English Department faculty members (the thesis reading committee).
- Submit the Thesis Proposal to the coordinator of the student's concentration(s) for approval.
The student will then be given a permit to add ENG 6973 to complete the thesis. After completion of the thesis the student will present his or her work at a department colloquium.
Comprehensive Examination Option (3 units)
| ENG 6983 | Comprehensive Exam Preparation and Completion | 3 |
| ENG 6980 | English Comprehensive Examination | 0 |
Students electing the Comprehensive Examination Option must take the examination no earlier than in the last semester of program coursework. There is no comprehensive exam option for the public and professional writing concentration or for the pedagogy concentration.
Students must declare their intent to take the examination at least one semester in advance and register for ENG 6983 and ENG 6980. The comprehensive examination is offered twice yearly, once in fall semester and once in spring semester.
The reading committees for the comprehensive examination in each concentration will be established annually by the graduate program, and will consist of two English Department faculty members and the graduate coordinator responsible for each concentration.
The comprehensive examination involves two take-home essay questions related to the student’s concentration(s). The examination will be graded pass/fail, and students have the option of revising a non-passing exam based on feedback. If the revised exam still does not pass, they may re-take the exam once with new questions. Candidates who re-take the examination must do so within one calendar year.
Concentrations (12 units)
Students cannot count any courses completed for a bachelor's degree toward the MA program.
Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Concentration (12 units)
(Program Code: EWAL)
Before enrolling in courses, students should consult the course descriptions for course prerequisites.
| ENG 6190 | Multilingualism and Second Language Acquisition | 3 |
| ENG 6260 | TESL Methods | 3 |
| Choose three units from: | 3 | |
| Grammar and Discourse | ||
| Sociolinguistics | ||
| Phonetics and Phonology | ||
| Studies in Language and Linguistics | ||
| Special Topics in Applied Linguistics & TESL | ||
| One 3-unit course from another concentration in the M.A. program. | 3 | |
| Total Units | 12 | |
Composition and Rhetoric Concentration (12 units)
(Program Code: EWCR)
Before enrolling in courses, students should consult the course descriptions for course prerequisites.
| ENG 6330 | Seminar in Rhetorics | 3 |
| or ENG 6340 | Seminar in Literacy Studies | |
| ENG 6580 | Multimodal Writing and the Public Sphere | 3 |
| Choose three units from: | 3 | |
| Writing Center Studies | ||
| Approaches to Teaching Writing | ||
| Seminar in Public and Professional Discourses | ||
| Seminar in Teaching Writing | ||
| One 3-unit course from another concentration in the M.A. program. | 3 | |
| Total Units | 12 | |
Literature Concentration (12 units)
(Program Code: EWLT)
Before enrolling in courses, students should consult the course descriptions for course prerequisites.
| Choose six units from: | 6 | |
| Seminar in a Literary Period | ||
| Seminar in a Literary Genre | ||
| Seminar in a Literary Theory | ||
| Seminar in a Literary Topic | ||
| Choose three units from: | 3 | |
| Literary and Cultural Criticism in the Public Sphere | ||
| Approaches to Teaching College-Level English Literature | ||
| Approaches to Teaching Imaginative Writing | ||
| One 3-unit course from another concentration in the M.A. program. | 3 | |
| Total Units | 12 | |
Pedagogy Concentration (12 units)
(Program Code: EWPD)
Before enrolling in courses, students should consult the course descriptions for course prerequisites.
| Choose 12 units from the following (only 3 units may be 5000-level): | 12 | |
| Teaching English in the Secondary Schools | ||
| Creative Writing in the Secondary Classroom | ||
| Community-Based Writing | ||
| Multilingualism and Second Language Acquisition | ||
| Approaches to Teaching Imaginative Writing | ||
| TESL Methods | ||
| Writing Center Studies | ||
| Seminar in Teaching Writing | ||
| Approaches to Teaching College-Level English Literature | ||
| Approaches to Teaching Writing | ||
| Seminar in English and Writing Studies Pedagogies | ||
| Total Units | 12 | |
Public and Professional Writing Concentration (12 units)
(Program Code: EWPP)
Before enrolling in courses, students should consult the course descriptions for course prerequisites.
| ENG 6580 | Multimodal Writing and the Public Sphere | 3 |
| Choose nine units from the following (only 3 units may be 5000-level): | 9 | |
| Literary and Cultural Criticism in the Public Sphere | ||
| Grammar and Discourse | ||
| Creative Nonfiction | ||
| Literary Production I | ||
| Literary Production II | ||
| Seminar in Public and Professional Discourses | ||
| Seminar in Rhetorics | ||
| Seminar in Literacy Studies | ||
| Total Units | 12 | |