WESTFIELD STATE
COLLEGE

MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGLISH
WITH INITIAL LICENSURE OR PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE PROGRAMS

Nationally Accredited

Westfield State College
Division of Graduate and Continuing Education
577 Western Avenue
Westfield MA 01086-1630
Phone: 413-572-8020
Fax: 413:572-5227
www.wsc.ma.edu/dgce

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:



WSC offers a choice of four degree programs tailored to fit your professional needs.

  • M.A. in English with Initial Licensure
  • M.A. in English with Professional Licensure
  • 12-Credit Program for Professional Licensure
  • M.A. in English


    • M.A. IN ENGLISH WITH INITIAL LICENSURE:


    Through this 34-Credit program, students earn Initial Licensure to teach at the middle school or secondary level. After receiving a strong pedagogical foundation, students engage in a 6-Credit practicum as student teachers. Graduates who receive Initial Licensure along with their M.A. degree can return to WSC to receive Professional Licensure through only 12 credits of additional coursework.


    M.A. IN ENGLISH WITH PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE:


    Designed for students who have already earned Initial Licensure, this 34-Credit track allows students to earn Professional Licensure to teach at the middle school or secondary level.


    18-CREDIT PROGRAM FOR PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE:


    Students who have already earned Initial Licensure and an M.A. in English (or a master's degree in another field and equivalent preparation in English) may earn their Professional Licensure by fulfilling an 18-credit requirement.


    M.A. IN ENGLISH:


    The 34-Credit M.A. in English program prepares students for advanced graduate studies in English at the doctorate level; for professional studies (law, business, administration; and for work in related fields (communications, public relations, publishing, human resources). The program culminates in a 1-credit pre-capstone and 3-credit capstone experience in which students work with a graduate faculty member to produce a research-based scholarly essay about a topic of their interest.


    PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:


    The licensure master's programs combine courses in both literary studies and pedagogical studies.

    LITERARY STUDIES


    The coursework for literature classes features advanced studies in American, British and Global literature, as well as special interest areas such as women writers, Queer Studies, and specific genres and literary movements. Conducted in a seminar setting, courses allow for dynamic interactions among students and professors. Our program also provides students with a firm base in practical methodology along with a strong foundation in literary criticism, research and scholarship.
    Although literature courses are distinct from pedagogical courses, professors recognize the needs of current and aspiring teachers; therefore, literature courses often incorporate discussions relevant to pedagogical concerns.


    PEDAGOGICAL STUDIES


    Pedagogical courses at WSC help students to master licensure competency standards through the understanding of frameworks-based curricula and assessment practices. However, WSC offers more than just text-book knowledge of a teacher’s many practices. Courses combine philosophically stimulating discussion with a concern for real-world applications -- strategies and methods that can be easily applied to the classroom. While the Education Department offers pedagogical courses that cover a broad range of topics for teachers of all disciplines, the English Department offers several pedagogical courses geared specifically to the unique concerns of English teachers. A focus on writing, rhetoric, the literary canon, and issues of diversity in the classroom helps graduate students to grow as capable, well-rounded teachers of English.


    THE FACULTY AT WSC:

    All of our graduate faculty members hold doctorate degrees and full-time positions. Dedicated and enthusiastic about their subject matter, they encourage students to strengthen their abilities to think critically, write analytically and rhetorically, and function professionally. Because our program is small, professors offer personal guidance and support for each graduate student. Students who need to complete a capstone for their degree program will have the opportunity to pursue research under the guidance of faculty experts with strong research records.


    COURSE AVAILABILITY:

    The scheduling of our graduate courses in the evening makes the M.A. in English accessible for students who are employed during the day. For the convenience of our students, we offer courses during the academic year and in the summer; each semester, students have the choice of two literary courses and one pedagogical course.


    AFFORDABILITY:

    WSC strives to make education affordable. The current 2009 rates for tuition/ instructional fees are $210 per credit for in-state Graduate students and $220 per credit for out-of-state Graduate students. (Graduate-level courses are typically 3-credit courses).


    ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

    1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
    2. 18 Credits in English above composition*
    3. B (3.0) or better average in English courses
    4. 2.8 overall GPA
    5. GRE verbal scores in the top 50% or Miller Analogies Test raw score above 50
    6. A writing sample, preferably a literary essay

    *Students may be required to fulfill undergraduate prerequisites as determined by the Graduate Advisor.

    REQUIREMENTS for the M.A. in ENGLISH
    with INITIAL LICENSURE:(currently updating information)

    1.Prerequisites:

    2. Requirements: 39 credits

    Students seeking licensure for English in the Middle School must also take EDUC 321 The Middle School and its Students.

    3. Foreign Language Competence
    Competence in one foreign language (e.g., French, German, Italian, Spanish) is required. This competence may be demonstrated in one of these ways by the end of the M.A. program:

    REQUIREMENTS FOR M.A. in ENGLISH
    with PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE

    1. Prerequisite: Initial Licensure in English

    2. Requirements: 33 credits

    3. Foreign Language Competence

    (As described under 3 above)

    REQUIREMENTS FOR 18-CREDIT PROGRAM
    for PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE

    1. Prerequisite:

    • MA in English or master's degree in another field and equivalent preparation in English
    • Initial Licensure in English

    2. Requirements: 18 credits

    • ENGL 539 Advanced Methods of Teaching English
    • ENGL 609 Contemporary Issues in English
    • Four 600-level English Graduate Classes*
      *Students must take ENGL 608 Theories of Literary Criticism if they haven't had a class in literary theory during an earlier degree

    REQUIREMENTS FOR M.A. in ENGLISH
    for Those Not Seeking Licensure

    Requirements: 33 credits

    A. Course Work: 30 Credits

    • ENGL 608 Theories of Literary Criticism
    • one 600-level course in American Literature
    • one 600-level course in British Literature
    • 15 additional credits at the 600 level
    • 6 additional credits at either the 500 or 600 level

    B. ENGL 647 Research Folio 3 Credits
    Required as a capstone experience in formal writing and research on scholarly topics at the end of the master’s program. Students work independently with a graduate faculty member who advises and supervises the candidate’s preparation of research folio materials. After choosing the area and focus of research, the candidate presents a folio that includes a scholarly essay of publishable quality, a 150-word abstract of the essay, an explanation of the critical approach applied to the text, and an annotated bibliography. Suggested length of the essay is 20 pages or 5,000 words. The folio is evalutated by the faculty supervisor, graduate adviser, and the English Department Chair; the essay is then read in a public forum as provided.

    For students who have not had such a course as undergraduates, History of the English Language or The Structure of Modern English must be included in their program.

    (Up to 6 graduate credits may be taken in a related discipline (such as history). Written permission from the English Department Chair or Graduate Advisor must be obtained before taking these credits.)

    C. Foreign Language Competence

    (As described under 3 above)

    If you have any questions about the M.A. in English program, please call or e-mail the English Graduate Advisor, Dr. Marilyn Sandidge (572-5666) msandidge@wsc.ma.edu, or the English Department office (572-5330).

    ADMISSION PROCESS

    To apply, you are required to submit:
    1. An application (obtained from the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education).
    2. Official transcript(s) of a bachelor's degree (including all transcripts of course work leading to the bachelor's degree) from an accredited college or university, and any course credits you wish considered for transfer (maximum 6 credits).
    3. Three letters of recommendation from professional sources.
    4. Official scores of the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or the Graduate Record Exam General Test (GRE): scores older than five yearars are not valid.
    5. A writing sample, preferably a literary essay.

    Send application materials to:

    DIVISION OF GRADUATE AND CONTINUING EDUCATION
    ATTENTION: ADMISSIONS
    WESTFIELD STATE COLLEGE
    WESTFIELD, MA 01086-1630

    Applications are not considered complete until all required credentials are received, and no admission decision may be made until the application is complete.

    Admission to the College is granted without regard to race, color, sex, religion or national origin.

    Page last updated 11/12/09

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