M.A. in English, with Emphasis in Composition and Rhetoric

The M.A. in English, with Emphasis in Composition and Rhetoric, is a 30-hour degree designed to augment an undergraduate English major or to prepare for study at the doctoral level.

• Admission
• Advisement
• Curriculum
• Comprehensive Exam
• Thesis
• Fellowships
• Assistantships
• Professional Opportunities
  -- At USC
  -- After USC

Admission

Applicants for admission to the M.A. program must have completed a minimum of 24 semester hours of upper-division undergraduate courses in English or an appropriate related discipline, with grades indicating ability for successful graduate work.

Applicants should submit directly to The Graduate School

• online application forms,
• at least two letters of recommendation from teachers familiar with your academic achievement,
• transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions, and
• satisfactory scores on the GRE general test and subject test.
  
  Successful applicants to the M.A. program typically have GRE verbal scores at or above the 75th percentile and an undergraduate GPA of 3.00 or better.

You should send directly to the Department of English, attention Graduate Studies (address at left)

• a sample of academic writing (approximately 8-10 pages) and
• a statement of purpose.

Your application is not complete until all materials are received by the Graduate School and the Department. Admission decisions are based on all parts of an application, with especially close attention given to writing samples.

Application deadlines are January 30 for those wishing to be considered for fellowships or assistantships and April 15 for all others.

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Advisement

Prior to registering for classes each semester, you should make an appointment to talk with your advisor. New M.A. students may rely on Noreen Doughty, graduate student coordinator, or Graduate Director Holly Crocker, director of graduate studies, for advisement. Within the first two semesters, students are asked to identify an advisor among faculty members in their area of concentration. This advisor will help you plan and file a program of study.

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Curriculum

• 6 hours : ENGL 790 and 791
• 6 hours from the following courses: ENGL 690*(see workshop restrictions below), 792, 793, 794, 795, 890
• 6 hours of English and/or American literature, 700-800* level
• 9 hours of electives (must be approved by the Composition and Rhetoric Committee)
• 3-hour written comprehensive exam
• 3 hours of ENGL 799, thesis writing
• reading knowledge of a foreign language

See also Course Descriptions, Residency, Language Competence, Time Limits for Degrees, and Frequently Asked Questions.

*Neither ENGL 701A and 701B nore more than one workshop course can be counted in the 30 hours of classroom credits; students wishing to emphasize technical writing should consult the graduate director about special conditions.

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Comprehensive Exam

When you have amassed 30 graduate credit hours in this M.A. program, you must take the comprehensive exam. At the beginning of the semester in which you plan to take the exam, notify the Director of Graduate Studies in writing of your intention to do so. The exam consists of two sections, one on composition, the other on rhetoric. You will choose one of three questions in each part and respond to it in 90 minutes (a total of 3 hours). Two of three graders must pass your responses. You have two opportunities to pass this exam.

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Thesis

The M.A. thesis is an essay of approximately 50-80 pages that makes a defensible contribution to scholarship on a figure, text, movement, problem, or current questions in Composition and Rhetoric. It must conform to standards set by The Graduate School. Your thesis director will supervise your ENGL 799 (thesis) hours, and your essay will be read by one other faculty member in your area.

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Fellowships

A limited number of fellowships are available from The Graduate Schooland the College of Liberal Arts. Applicants to this M.A. program are eligible for these fellowships if nominated by the Department of English. The selection process for nominees begins January 30 with awards announced mid-March.

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Assistantships

The Department of English offers several types of assistantships:

• teaching assistantships,
• editorial assistantships,
• instructional assistantships, and
• research assistantships.

Based on information provided in applications completed by January 30, prospective students will automatically be considered for an appropriate assistantship. (For example, teaching assistantships are available only to students who have successfully completed 18 hours of graduate work in English.)

All assistantships confer in-state tuition status, as well as a stipend and tuition supplement whose amounts vary with the type of assistantship. Students awarded an assistantship by the Department of English are expected to

• carry no incompletes;
• earn no more than one grade below B during their academic career;
• perform assigned duties in a satisfactory manner;
• maintain a GPA of 3.5; and
• make steady progress toward the degree.
  

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Professional Opportunities

At USC

• Opportunities to gain writing center experience in the College of Liberal Arts or in satellite writing centers in Engineering and Business.

• Opportunities to gain specialized teaching experience. See “Doing the Write Thing” in our online newsletter and the Split-P Soup site.

• Opportunities to present papers at major conferences such as the Conference on College Composition and Communication and the annual conference of the National Council of Teachers of English.

• Modest financial support for travel to conferences at which you are a presenter.

• Eligibility for recognition and awards from The Graduate School (especially for presentations at Graduate Student Day).

After USC

Graduates with this M.A. degree have found satisfying careers as teachers or writing center administrators in community colleges, as grant writers or technical writers, as editors or corporate communication managers in business and industry, and as communication specialists in or consultants for government agencies and nonprofit organizations. For help with career options you should use the resources on campus like

• University Career Center
• College of Arts and Scinces career Development Program

Many graduates apply for admission to Ph.D. programs at this or other major research universities. Although admission to one of USC's doctoral programs in English is not guaranteed after earning the M.A., some students continue graduate work here.

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