California State University
Channel Islands
PROGRAM PROPOSAL
Proposed Name of Degree/Credential: / Masters Degree in EnglishFaculty Proposing New Program: / Jacquelyn Kilpatrick
Renny Christopher
Brad Monsma
Bob Mayberry
Joan Peters
Mary Adler
Julia Balén
Review and Approval:
Signature of Proposer:______
1. Curriculum Committee Approval:Curriculum Chair: / Date:
2. Academic Senate Approval:
Chair, Academic Senate: / Date:
3. Administration Approval:
President (or designee): / Date:
1. Definition of the Proposed Degree Major Program
Abstract:
The Masters Degree in English at CSUCI is designed to provide the necessary background for students preparing to further their post-baccalaureate education, for students who plan to teach at community colleges, and/or for secondary school teachers who wish to enhance their teaching. The proposed program will provide a core of knowledge plus specialized knowledge in Literature or in Composition and Rhetoric.
Proposed Catalog Description:
The Masters Degree Program in English is structured with a set of core courses taken by all CSUCI English graduate students. Students choose one of two options to complete their study, the Literature Specialization or the Composition and Rhetoric Specialization. These differ in their course requirements and purposes. Both specializations prepare students for continued work toward a doctoral degree, for teaching at the community college level, and for advancement as a secondary teacher. The M.A. in English prepares students for careers in editing, writing, journalism, criticism, politics, public information, advertising, and a variety of options in the corporate world.
Admission
For admission, students must have a baccalaureate in English from an accredited institution or permission of the program chair, have maintained a grade point average of 3.0 for the last 60 semester units (90 quarter units), and have a writing sample approved by the English Graduate Advisor. Non-native speakers of English should submit TOEFL scores (Test of English as a Foreign Language).
1a. Name of the campus submitting the request, the full and exact designation (degree terminology) for the proposed degree major program, and academic year of intended implementation.
Campus - California State University Channel Islands
Degree – Master of Arts Degree in English
Options:
Literature Specialization
Composition and Rhetoric Specialization
Implementation – 2008-2009
1b. Name of the department, departments, division or other unit of the campus that would offer the proposed degree major program. Identify the unit that will have primary responsibility.
The English Program, which is part of the Division of Academic Affairs, will have primary responsibility for the degree program.
1c. Name, title, and rank of the individual(s) primarily responsible for drafting the proposed degree major program.
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California State University
Channel Islands
Jacquelyn Kilpatrick, Ph.D
Professor and Chair of English
Renny Christopher, Ph.D.
Professor of English
Interim Associate Vice President of Faculty Affairs
Brad Monsma, Ph.D.
Professor of English
Bob Mayberry, Ph.D., M.F.A.
Associate Professor of English
Composition Coordinator
Joan Peters, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English
Mary Adler, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of English
Secondary Education Specialist
Julia Balén, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of English
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California State University
Channel Islands
1d. Objectives of the proposed degree major program.
The English program at CSUCI has several goals, the primary of which is meeting the philosophical, educational and cultural objectives of the university mission statement. Within this overarching goal, the program stresses interdisciplinarity and the multicultural, global perspectives which are the hallmark of Channel Islands programs. Students develop their abilities to think critically and creatively, and to use the methodology of the discipline to engage in the study of literature and writing. The M.A. in English will prepare students for further study and for entry into a variety of professional fields. A major goal of the program is to fill the need of students who wish to teach at the community college level as well as those who currently teach at those institutions and in secondary schools.
English Graduate Student Learning Objectives
Literature Specialization
Students will be able to:
1. Produce well articulated written and oral literary discussion;
2. Examine texts, issues or problems in the discipline from multiple perspectives (Multicultural, interdisciplinary, international, experiential, theoretical and/or educational);
3. Critically interpret and analyze original texts (written, visual and electronic);
4. Effectively use and evaluate current scholarship in the field (literary analysis, linguistics applied research, critical theory);
5. Demonstrate a knowledge of literary genres, movements, and representative texts;
6. Demonstrate an understanding of how the field of literary studies relates/ can relate to other disciplines;
7. Reflect substantively on their growth and goals, with an accurate perception of their performance in the program;
8. Gain appropriate preparation to pursue further study and/or a variety of professional paths.
English Graduate Student Learning Objectives
Composition and Rhetoric Specialization
Students will be able to:
1. Express themselves effectively in writing and speech;
2. Examine texts, issues or problems in the discipline from multiple perspectives (Multicultural, interdisciplinary, international, experiential, theoretical and/or educational);
3. Effectively use and evaluate current scholarship in the field (linguistic studies, applied research, pedagogical theory);
4. Demonstrate a knowledge of the history of the discipline;
5. Demonstrate an understanding of how the field of composition/rhetoric relates to and is constructed by other disciplines;
6. Reflect substantively on their growth and goals, with an accurate perception of their performance in the program;
7. Gain appropriate preparation to pursue further study and/or a variety of professional paths.
1e. Total number of units required for the major. List of all courses, by catalog number, title, and units of credit, to be specifically required for a major under the proposed degree program. Identify those new courses that are (1) needed to initiate the program and (2) needed during the first two years after implementation. Include proposed catalog descriptions of all new courses.
ENGL 646, ENGL 649, ENGL 698 and ENGL 699 will be implemented in the second year. All other courses in this section will be implemented in the first year.
Total units required for the Degree: 36 Units
Required Core Courses: (12 units)
ENGL 601: Critical Theory Seminar (4)
ENGL 602: Seminar in Language Structure (4)
ENGL 603: Seminar in Contemporary World Literature (4)
Required Courses in Literature Specialization: (24 units)
ENGL 620: History of Literary Movements (4)
16 units of literature courses at the 600 level
ENGL 698: Thesis: Literature Specialization (4)
Required Courses in Composition and Rhetoric Specialization: (24 units)
ENGL 640: Seminar in Composition Theory and Practice (4)
ENGL 641: Seminar in Composition Methods for Non-traditional Students (4)
ENGL 699: Thesis: Composition and Rhetoric Specialization (4)
Electives: (choose 12 units from the following)
ENGL 646: Teaching Practicum (1-4) <second year implementation>
ENGL 647: Seminar in Assessment Methods (4)
ENGL 648: Writing as Cultural Practice and Social Change (4)
ENGL 649: Rhetorical Analysis (4) <second year implementation>
Plus one 600-level or approved 400-level English course
Catalog Descriptions for Required Courses:
ENGL 601: Critical Theory Seminar (4)
Investigation of the development and current state of various schools of theory. Application to literary, scholarly, student and institutional texts. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 602: Seminar in Language Structure (4)
Study of the structure of English from a linguistic perspective, with application to stylistics and literary form. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 603: Seminar in Contemporary World Literature (4)
Introduction to representative works by a range of contemporary authors from around the world. Using selected novels, short stories, and poems published over the past fifty years, students will examine the interplay of literature, politics, and cultures. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 620: History of Literary Movements (4)
Study of major literary movements in relation to their social, historical, and philosophical contexts. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 640: Seminar in Composition Theory and Practice (4)
Introduction to the many theories of composition, their various applications to the classroom and the ways in which practice shapes theory. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 641: Seminar in Composition Methods for Non-traditional Students (4)
Preparation of students to teach composition to students of various backgrounds and needs. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 698: Thesis: Literature Specialization (4)
The thesis is the culminating, directed research project in which the student will produce a substantial study of an author, a major literary work, a literary form or movement. Evidence of scholarly research, creative thinking, good analytic writing, and mastery of a significant topic is necessary for successful completion. Prerequisites: completion of all required M.A. core courses and History of Literary Movements (ENGL 620). Can be taken concurrently with electives. Advancement to candidacy requires approval of a formal program of study by the English Graduate Committee and completion of 12 units with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
ENGL 699: Thesis: Composition and Rhetoric Specialization (4)
The culminating project of the MA program is an opportunity for students to contribute to the on-going disciplinary conversation and reflect on how discourse in composition and rhetoric has transformed their teaching and/or scholarship. Prerequisites: completion of all required composition/rhetoric courses. Can be taken concurrently with electives. Advancement to candidacy requires approval of a formal program of study by the English Graduate Committee and completion of 12 units with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
1f. List of elective courses, by catalog number, title, and units of credit that can be used to satisfy requirements for the major. Identify those new courses that are (1) needed to initiate the program and (2) needed during the first two years after implementation. Include proposed catalog descriptions of all new courses.
ELECTIVE COURSES
Implementation in First Year:
ENGL 647: Seminar in Assessment Methods (4)
ENGL 648: Writing, Knowledge and Culture (4)
ENGL 661: Seminar in Author(s) (4)
ENGL 667: Seminar in Genre Literatures (4).
ENGL 668: Seminar in Literature and Culture (4)
ENGL 669: Graduate Tutor Training Workshop (4)
ENGL 680: Independent Study (1-4)
ELECTIVE COURSES
Implementation in Second Year:
ENGL 646: Teaching Practicum (1-4)
ENGL 649: Rhetorical Analysis (4)
ENGL 662: Seminar in the Novel (4)
ENGL 663: Seminar in Nonfiction (4)
ENGL 664: Seminar in Drama/Dramatic Literature (4)
ENGL 665: Seminar in Poetry (4)
ENGL 666: Seminar in the Short Story (4)
Elective Course Catalog Descriptions:
ENGL 646: Teaching Practicum (1-4)
Practice in teaching composition under the supervision of mentors; students will assist in composition classes, observe their mentors, discuss class planning, and finally teach several class periods in succession. Students will also be involved in assessment/team grading, course design, textbook selection, and peer evaluation. Prerequisites: ENGL 540: Seminar in Composition Theory and Practice and admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 647: Seminar in Assessment Methods (4)
Investigation of various forms of assessment (including primary trait and holistic scoring, surveys, self-assessment, student-generated criteria) and practice in developing appropriate methods for classrooms and programs. Students will participate in the composition program's team grading sessions. Prerequisites: Seminar in Composition Theory and Practice and admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 648: English 648: Writing as Cultural Practice and Social Change(4)
An exploration of the power of writing to develop social and cultural identity as well as to engender conflict. Students will take a critical literacy perspective to think through the implications of a democratic approach to writing instruction. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 649: Workshop in Rhetorical Analysis (4)
Drawing upon theories of rhetoric, students will take a rhetorical approach to understanding texts, including literary, scholarly, student, and institutional (syllabi, assignments, official documents, etc.). Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 661: Seminar in Author(s) (4)
In-depth reading and discussion of the work produced by one or more authors. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 662: Seminar in the Novel (4)
Focused study of the novel from its epistolary beginnings, through its modernist and post modernist transformations, to its contemporary forms. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 663: Seminar in Nonfiction (4)
An examination of major prose forms from literarily significant classics to contemporary essays, memoirs, reflections, and biography. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 664: Seminar in Drama/Dramatic Literature (4)
In-depth reading and discussion of selected works of dramatic literature, including but not limited to stage plays. Attendance at performances and/or films may be required. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 665: Seminar in Poetry (4)
Analysis of poetics. May focus on particular periods or genres of poetry. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 666: Seminar in the Short Story (4)
In-depth reading and discussion of selected short stories. Students will also write short stories and share them with the class. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 667: Seminar in Genre Literatures (4)
Focus on a particular genre of literature such as Science Fiction or Detective Fiction. Emphasis on cultural context as well as textual analysis. Variable topics. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 668: Seminar in Literature and Culture (4)
Study of literature in its relation to culture, focusing on literature as a cultural institution, related to the construction of individual identity and the dissemination and critique of values. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 669: Graduate Tutor Training Workshop (4)
Application of learning theories and writing processes to the tutorial conference. Required of students hired as tutor/consultants in Writing Center. Prerequisite: admission to the Masters Degree in English program.
ENGL 680: Independent Study (1-4)
Independent exploration of a topic or the work of an author. The student will work with a member of the English faculty in devising and executing the study and any papers or projects necessary. Prerequisites: permission of instructor and admission to the Masters Degree in English program.