Graduate Programs

Flexible

EFL offers the M.A. in English with three areas of emphasis: Literature, Rhetoric and Composition, and Teaching English as a Second Language.  Each student selects two areas of specialization, according to the following schema (those studying literature have the option of selecting two areas within literary studies): Rhet/Comp and TESL, Literature and Rhet/Comp, Literature and TESL, Double Literature.

Learning By Doing

After completing prerequisite coursework, all students are eligible to apply for a Teaching Associateship in the department’s writing programs. Working as a TA can serve as an invaluable source of professional experience for those seeking to become college composition instructors. Other opportunities for professional development include the summer teaching programs in China sponsored by EFL faculty and the annual Graduate Symposium.

Future-Oriented

Many graduates of our program have used their training for professional advancement in K-12 education careers, while others have found positions teaching in community colleges, in the composition programs of four-year universities in the area, and at universities overseas. Of course, graduates of the program have also pursued careers in fields of nonacademic writing, from editorial work to public relations and technical writing. Some students use the program to prepare themselves for doctoral studies, and superlative students may petition the graduate committee for the opportunity to write a thesis under the guidance of a graduate faculty member.

We look forward to having you join our community of scholars!

The MA in English

MA students in English choose among three options or areas of emphasis:

  • Literature.  The Lit option includes the study of English, American, "Ethnic" and World literature in various time periods; genre courses covering poetry, fiction, and drama; and support courses emphasizing research and teaching methodologies. Students completing this option have successfully pursued careers in high school and postsecondary teaching in community college and university settings, continued on to doctoral studies, and advanced in career fields requiring advanced proficiency in writing, research, and analysis.
  • Rhetoric and Composition.  The Rhet/Comp option includes study of the history of rhetoric, modern rhetorical theory, composition theory, and composition pedagogy.  Students who complete this option will be highly qualified to teach writing in high school, community college, or university settings and will have sufficient background and depth to pursue doctoral study, if they so desire.
  • Teaching English as a Second Language.  The TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) option focuses on the study of second language acquisition theories and practical approaches to the teaching of English to speakers of other languages.  This option is for those who would like to teach ESL at a junior college, university, or a language school.  Students interested in working with English Language Learners in the K-12 system will also benefit from TESL studies.  Finally, completing this option will make students highly qualified for teaching English as a Foreign Language overseas.

For all three options, students work with their advisors to tailor their course of study to their own interests and needs within a degree requirement of 45-49 units.  Elective units may be taken in an approved area outside English, and a limited amount of work may be transferred from other universities.  Small classes encourage individualized attention from the instructors.  For the convenience of students, classes are normally scheduled in the late afternoons and early evenings.  Study culminates with a master’s degree thesis or master’s degree comprehensive examination in the students’ areas of emphasis.

Admission to the program

Applicants to the English M.A. Program should have an undergraduate record of language and literature studies at an accredited institution showing strength in upper-division courses.  Those whose undergraduate major was other than English or whose grade-point-average is below 3.0 (“B”) may, at the discretion of the English graduate committee, be admitted on the condition that specified deficiencies in undergraduate preparation be corrected. (A portion of such study may, at the option of the graduate coordinator, be counted towards meeting the degree requirement of 45-49 units.)  Applicants whose first language is other than English are required to have passed the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL, IBT) with a minimum score of 100.