The Graduate Program in English at Radford University

 

GRADUATE STUDIES IN ENGLISH

The graduate program in English leads to a Master of Arts or Master of Science and prepares students for:

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Teaching at the secondary and community college levels

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Further graduate study in pursuit of the doctoral degree 

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Entry into various professions where critical thinking, communication skills and writing are valued and employed. 

For students who choose the literature option, graduate study in English provides an opportunity to develop skills in literary scholarship and criticism through an intensive study of British and American literature.  The program emphasizes independent research—using both print and electronic sources—and the writing of scholarly papers based on a critical understanding of literature’s aesthetic and humanistic values and of its social, historical and cultural significance.  The program also offers students the opportunity to take courses and to pursue interests in contemporary critical theory, creative writing, technical writing, linguistics and the teaching of English

Students who choose the English education option may receive the M.S. degree with initial teacher licensure or add an M.A. or M.S. endorsement to an existing license.

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Formal requirements for the M.A. and M.S. degrees:

For the M.A.:

24 hours of coursework
6 hours of ENGL 699, Research and Thesis
Comprehensive written examination
Thesis defense
Reading proficiency in a foreign language

For the M.S.:

33 hours of coursework
Comprehensive written and oral examinations

Core courses required of all students:

  • English 600, Introduction to Literary Scholarship
  • English 621, Principles of Literary Criticism (may be replaced by an elective if a course in literary criticism was taken as an undergraduate)
  • English 663, Linguistics (may be replaced by an elective if a course in linguistics or the history of the English language was taken as an undergraduate). 
     

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Courses required for the literature option (M.A. and M.S.):

  • 9-15 hours of courses in British or American literature
  • Elective courses up to 24 hours (M.A.) or 33 hours (M.S.)
     

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Courses required for the English education option without initial licensure (M.A. and M.S.):

  • ENGL 502, Teaching Writing (may be replaced by an elective if an equivalent course was taken as an undergraduate)
  • ENGL 563, Grammar and Language for Teachers (may be replaced by an elective if an equivalent course was taken as an undergraduate)
  • ENGL 629, Critical Approaches to Teaching Literature
  • EDEF 606, Educational Research
  • Elective courses up to 24 hours (M.A.) or 33 hours (M.S.)
     

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Courses required for the English education option with initial licensure (M.S.):

  • ENGL 502, Teaching Writing (may be replaced by an elective if an equivalent course was taken as an undergraduate)
  • ENGL 563, Grammar and Language for Teachers (may be replaced by an elective if an equivalent course was taken as an undergraduate)
  • ENGL 525, Adolescent Literature or ENGL 629, Critical Approaches to Teaching Literature
  • EDEF 606, Educational Research
  • A 600-level Educational Technology (EDET) course satisfying licensure requirements
  • EDUC 640, Internship in Teaching (6 hours)
     
  • Supporting courses not for graduate credit (required if not completed before entering the graduate program):
     
    • EDUC 309, Foundations of Education
    • EDSP 362, Current Trends in Education of Exceptional Individuals
    • EDRD 416. Content Reading and Literacy
    • EDUC 441, Field Experience, Grades 6-12
    • ENGL 426, Teaching English in the High School (2 hours, taken in the same semester as EDUC 441)
    • ENGL 428, Planning and Teaching Seminar (1 hour, taken in the same semester as EDUC 640)
       
  • Elective courses if appropriate, up to 33 hours

GRADUATE COURSES:

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ENGL 500 Teaching Writing:  Theories and Practices

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ENGL 506 Advanced Technical Writing

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ENGL 507 Technical Editing

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ENGL 525 The Study of Adolescent Literature

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ENGL 563 Grammar and Language for Teachers

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ENGL 600 Introduction to Literary Scholarship

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ENGL 606 Technical and Business Writing 

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ENGL 611 Creative Writing 

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ENGL 621 Principles of Literary Criticism 

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ENGL 629 Critical Approaches to Teaching Literature

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ENGL 631 Studies in Middle English Literature 

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ENGL 633 Studies in English Renaissance 

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ENGL 635 Studies in Restoration and 18th Century British Literature 

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ENGL 637 Studies in 19th-Century British Literature 

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ENGL 639 Studies in 20th-Century Literature 

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ENGL 644 Studies in American Literature I (to 1861) 

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ENGL 645 Studies in American Literature II (since 1861) 

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ENGL 648 Studies in Oral and Written Literature of Appalachia 

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ENGL 651 Teaching Expository Writing 

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ENGL 653 Studies in Women's Literature 

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ENGL 655 Practicum in the Teaching of Expository Writing 

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ENGL 663 Linguistics 

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ENGL 680 Special Topics in English 

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ENGL 698 Directed Study 

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ENGL 699 Research and Thesis 

Admission requirements, M.A. and M.S.:

  • A minimum of 21 semester hours of undergraduate English courses, preferably with a G.P.A. (overall and in English) of 2.7 or higher
  • GRE scores, preferably with scores of 500 or higher on the verbal section and 4.5 or higher on the analytical section

GRADUATE TEACHING FELLOWSHIPS:

The Graduate Fellow Teaching (GTF) Program offers English Department graduate students the opportunity to learn how to teach composition at the college level by working closely with faculty mentors and with each other.  Mentors serve as models for GTFs by demonstrating strategies for designing courses, introducing freshmen to the process of writing, responding to student work, and making the classroom a place of active learning.

GTFs share ideas and experiences with each other and with faculty members in workshops, meetings, and classes. (GTFs are required to take ENGL 651, Teaching Expository Writing, during their first semester in the program.)  They teach their own classes while working with their mentors to develop their own style of teaching.

The GTF program is designed to be a two-year sequence, in which students teach one section of freshman composition each semester the first year and two sections each semester the second year.  The stipend is $8000 for the first year and $8700 for the second year, in addition to a waiver of the out-of-state portion of tuition for students from outside Virginia.

Applying for a Graduate Teaching Fellowship:

In addition to materials required for admission to the graduate program, the committee that selects Graduate Teaching Fellows requires two additional documents:

  1. A letter of reference from someone who can recommend you specifically for a Graduate Teaching Fellowship.

  2. An essay of 3-4 pages reflecting on the teaching of writing to first-year college students and responding to the following questions:

Becoming an effective teacher draws on the skills involved in being a successful student, but it also requires the ability to communicate those skills to others.  Using the following questions as a starting point, discuss why you feel that you could be an effective teacher of writing at the college level:

·         How would you describe the ways that you learned to write?

·         What courses in writing did you take at the high school and college level?

·         How would you describe your writing methods and habits?

·         If you have been in situations in which you took a leadership or teaching role with people your age or younger,  describe those situations and reflect on your responses to them.

·         If you have been in situations in which you engaged in public speaking or other kinds of public performance, describe those situations and reflect on their possible relevance to your teaching.

·         What personal strengths do you think you would bring to teaching?

·         What weaknesses might you need to overcome in order to be an effective teacher?

GTFs are awarded each spring for the following academic year, and are normally renewable for a second year.  The deadline for GTF applications (including all application and supporting material) is March 1 each year.

The employment record of the Graduate Teaching Fellows who have graduated from our program is excellent.  Questions regarding the responsibilities and objectives of Graduate Teaching Fellows can be addressed directly to Dr. Frank Napolitano, the Coordinator of the GTF Program.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS:

In addition to Graduate Teaching Fellowships, the Department has a limited number of non-teaching Graduate Assistantships available for work in the Department and in the Learning Assistance and Resource Center (LARC) on campus.  The stipend for GAs is $8000 a year.

APPLYING FOR ADMISSION TO THE GRADUATE PROGRAM:

Application forms (including an online form) and instructions can be found at

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In addition to the application forms, the following materials must be submitted to Ms. Sharon Gunter at the College of Graduate and Professional Education, Box 6928, Radford University, Radford, VA 25142:

  • Two recommendations, preferably including letters or statements of support
     
  • GRE scores
     
  • A sample of academic expository writing, e.g. a copy of a paper written for an undergraduate class.

There is no fixed deadline for applications, except for GTF applications, which must be received by March 1 each year.

Contacts:

For information about the application process, contact:

Ms. Sharon Gunter
Graduate College, Box 6928
Lucas Hall
Radford University
Radford, VA 24142
(540) 831-5431
E-mail: sgunter@radford.edu

For information about graduate studies in English or about applying for a Graduate Teaching Fellowship, contact:

Dr. Paul Witkowsky
Department of English, Box 6935
Radford University
Radford, VA 24142
(540) 831-5628
E-mail: english@radford.edu

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