Policies and Procedures The following policies and procedures apply to the English M.A. (Literature, Composition, and Creative Writing—loosely termed the "Literature Option"). See "Catalogue Information" for prerequisites, admissions requirements, and degree requirements in the TESOL option.  Admission Although most graduate students in our program earned their undergraduate degrees in English, applicants with different backgrounds are welcome to seek admission to the program on a conditional basis while they supplement their prior literary studies with additional undergraduate courses.   In addition to sending the completed University Application and transcripts to Graduate Admissions, applicants should send a 250-word statement of purpose and at least one letter of recommendation directly to the English Department Graduate Committee. Creative Writing applicants should also send a writing sample to the Committee (approximately 10 pages). Please note that a minimum 3.0 GPA in English is desirable to admission to our program. There is no GRE requirement. Financial Aid CSUEB offers numerous forms of financial support for graduate students. Students should be aware that eligibility for and availability of financial support may be affected by student status, financial need, unit load, and grade point average. Most need-based programs determine financial eligibility and need through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid; the form may be obtained at the Office of Financial Aid, Warren Hall, room 545. A full-time graduate load is 8 units of 6000 level courses or 12 units of 4000 level courses, and the graduate student should maintain a 3.0 GPA. For more information about financial aid, the graduate student should contact the Office of Financial Aid, the Office of Graduate Programs, the Career Development Center, and other specialized resources such as the FUNDFINDER database in Warren Hall, room 408. Teaching Opportunities If students are interested in teaching and plan to complete their M.A. within two years, they should enroll in English 6750, seminar in Theory and Practice of Composition, in the fall quarter of their first year. (TESOL students take the course in spring of their first year.) After completing this seminar satisfactorily, students are eligible to participate in an internship program (English 6608) in winter or spring of their first year, and then to apply to teach in the undergraduate basic writing program (the 801, 2, 3 series) their second year. Students may teach in this program only if they are making satisfactory progress towards their degree. For additional details, contact the Department's Coordinator of Composition, Alison Warriner. A number of community colleges offer teaching internships to students working on their degrees. See the Graduate Advisors for more information. Classification in the Program A student is normally admitted to the program in English as a "Conditionally Classified Graduate" student. To be a "Classified Graduate," the student must pass ENGL 6001 with a grade of "A" or "B" and satisfy the University Writing Skills requirement. In addition, there may be other conditions to be met if the student has been admitted with deficiencies. Maintenance of Classified Standing A student must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in all courses taken in the approved program of study both at CSUEB and at any other college or university to maintain classified standing. Advancement to Candidacy To Advance to Candidacy for the M.A. in English, a student must satisfy the department's M.A. Foreign Language Requirement and complete 20 quarter-units of graduate coursework (including ENGL 6001) acceptable for the M.A. Foreign Language Requirement To fulfill the Foreign Language Requirement, a student must complete one year of college-level foreign language instruction with a passing grade, or pass the department's foreign language translation examination. For information on the examination, See Professor E.J. Murphy. Thesis and Exit Examinations The thesis is optional. A student who wants to write a thesis (or its equivalent in fiction or poetry) must find a professor with expertise in the proposed topic and a willingness to work with the student. The student must enroll in English 6910 (University Thesis) for no fewer than 1 and no more than 9 quarter-units, to be determined by the student's Graduate Thesis Advisor. (Note: University Thesis units will turn into F's if the thesis is not completed within 5 years.) The student must comply with the thesis instructions of the Department of English as well as those in the University Thesis Writing Guide, available online or in WA 859. Students who elect to write a thesis must also complete one exit examination in a different field from their thesis field. Others must complete two exit examinations. Reading lists for the exit examinations are available on the website under "Reading Lists." Students should consult an appropriate advisor early in the process of reading for the exam. Examinations last three hours. The first section consists of short answer questions. The second and third sections consist of essay questions ranging broadly over the period or area being covered. For more on the department exit examinations, see one of the following faculty members: Medieval: Zelda Boyd, E. James Murphy, Debra Barrett-Graves Renaissance: Debra Barrett-Graves, E. James Murphy 18th-Century British: Jake Fuchs, Eve Lynch 19th-Century British: Eve Lynch, Zelda Boyd, Eileen Barrett 20th-Century British: Eileen Barrett, Eve Lynch American Literature before 1900: Dennis Chester, Jacqueline Doyle, Peggy Lant 20th-Century American Literature: Dennis Chester, Jacqueline Doyle, Eileen Barrett, Peggy Lant African-American Literature: Dennis Chester Composition: Alison Warriner, Margaret Rustick Graduate students who fail to pass an exit examination after two attempts must petition the Graduate Committee for a review of their status in the program and plans for completion. Degree Requirements In order to graduate a student must complete, with a GPA of 3.0 or above, 45 quarter-units of credit approved by a graduate advisor. At least 28 of the 45 quarter units must be in English courses numbered 6000-6999 other than 6900 (Independent Study), 6910 (University Thesis), and the 6500 series of TESOL courses. The remaining quarter units (up to 17) may be taken in any combination of English courses numbered 4000-4999 or 6000-6999, including 6900, 6910, and the 6500 sequence. ENGL 6001 must be completed with a B or above. In addition students must satisfy the University Writing Skills requirement, the department's Foreign Language Requirement, and complete two departmental exit examinations (or a thesis and one exit examination). See Catalogue Information for further details. Graduation To apply formally to graduate, the M.A. candidate must submit a "Candidate for Degree" card during the Add/Drop period in the quarter before the planned quarter of graduation. The student should also initiate a "Major Check" with one of the following graduate advisors: Literature emphasis: Jacqueline Doyle, Eve Lynch, Debra Barrett-Graves Composition emphasis: Alison Warriner, Margaret Rustick Creative Writing emphasis: Steve Gutierrez, Susan Gubernat "Major Check" forms and M.A. questionnaires are available in the main office.