Total units required for MA: 30
Program Description
The M.A. in English is recommended for students preparing to teach at the community college level, for high school teachers seeking to advance their understanding of literature and literary theory, and for those whose objective is to pursue a Ph.D. in literature.
In general, the M.A. degree seeks to enhance students’ skills in: critical reading; the analysis of language, ideas, and the formal attributes of texts; knowledge of and creative engagement with the disciplinary fields of English Literature and Creative Writing; and independent research.
The degree also offers preparation for students who aspire to teach English abroad, and to pursue career opportunities in fields such as journalism, law, public relations and marketing, civil service, event planning, business administration, school administration, nonprofit management, librarian and information sciences, publishing, editing and copyediting, screenwriting and playwriting, freelance writing, and arts administration, to name only some of the fields in which our M.A. graduates have found gainful employment.
Because many graduate students work during the day, most graduate courses are scheduled for late afternoon and evening hours.
Admission Requirements
Admission as a classified graduate student in English requires:
For: All Applicants to the MA in English
- a baccalaureate degree;
- a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all university-level coursework, or a 3.0 GPA in courses in the English major on the transcript from the degree-granting institution;
- a minimum of 27 units of upper division courses in English;
- (for foreign students from non-English speaking countries) a TOEFL score of 600 or higher (or a score of 250 or higher on the Computerized TOEFL) and a score of 5 on the Test of Written English;
- a minimum of fifteen units of upper-division coursework in literature; and
- at least one course must primarily address British literature, and at least one course must primarily address American literature.
Application Materials Required by the English Department for All Applicants
In addition to the materials that must be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies as outlined in "Application Materials Required by the University" (below), students must also send additional material by the application deadline.
Before submitting the materials, please check with the English Department website (http//www.csus.edu/engl/) for updates and specific deadlines.
Please include the following as part of the supplemental application:
- Personal statement of no more than 300-500 words. The personal statement should discuss the applicant's interest in the program that he or she has chosen and the experiences (academic and non-academic) that have shaped this interest and prepared the applicant for graduate work in this field.
- Three confidentially submitted recommendation forms (found on the department website) for all students (including students having graduated from Sacramento State and students having graduated from other institutions). Students having graduated from universities other than Sacramento State must also provide formal letters from their three recommenders in addition to the completed recommendation forms.
- Students having graduated from any institution other than Sacramento State must send, directly to the English Department, an official copy of all transcripts from each institution of higher education that they have attended.
- A completed Department of English Supplemental Application found on the University's online application for admission.
The Graduate Coordinator will screen all applicants according to these requirements and a ranking system devised by the English Department. Applicants with deficiencies in these admission requirements, such as can be removed by specified additional preparation, will be ranked accordingly, but may be admitted with conditionally classified graduate status. Any deficiencies will be noted on a written response from the Graduate Coordinator to the student's admission application.
Application Materials Required by the University
In addition to any materials sent directly to the English Department, all prospective graduate students, including Sacramento State graduates, must file the following with the Office of Graduate Studies, River Front Center 215, (916) 278-6470:
- an online application for admission;
- one set of official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, other than California State University, Sacramento; and
- TOEFL scores, if applicable.
Note: For materials that must be sent as part of the supplemental application, see "Application Materials Required by the English Department," as listed above.
Applicants are accepted as long as room for new students exists, or until the deadline passes. Applicants should file as early as possible.
For more admissions-related information and application deadlines, please visit the Office of Graduate Studies website.
Minimum Units and Grade Requirements for the Degree
Units required for the MA: 30
Minimum Cumulative GPA: 3.0. No units with a grade lower and "C" may apply towards the degree.
Advancement to Candidacy
Each student must file an application for Advancement to Candidacy (ATC), indicating a proposed program of graduate study. This procedure should begin as soon as the classified graduate student has:
- removed any deficiencies in his or her admission requirements;
- completed at least 12 units of 200-level English courses in the Master's Degree program, with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0; and
- taken a Graduate Writing Intensive (GWI) course in his or her discipline within the first two semesters of coursework at Sacramento State.
ATC forms are available on the Office of Graduate Studies website. The student fills out the form after planning a degree program in consultation with an English faculty advisor. The completed form is then returned to the Office of Graduate Studies for approval.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses (4 Units) | ||
| ENGL 200A | Methods and Materials of Literary Research 1 | 4 |
| Electives (24 Units) | ||
| Select 24 units of electives from the elective lists below. | 24 | |
| Graduate-level Literature and Creative-Writing Course List | ||
| Select at least 16 units and up to 24 units from the following: | ||
Any ENGL 230-series course | ||
Any ENGL 240-series course | ||
Any ENGL 250-series course | ||
Any ENGL 260-series course | ||
Any ENGL 280-series course | ||
ENGL 265 | ||
| Undergraduate Literature and Creative-Writing Course List | ||
| No more than 4 units from the following may be applied to the elective units: | ||
Any ENGL 130-series course | ||
Any ENGL 140-series course | ||
Any ENGL 141-series course | ||
Any ENGL 145-series course | ||
Any ENGL 150-series course | ||
ENGL 155 | ||
Any ENGL 165-series course | ||
Any ENGL 170-series course | ||
Any ENGL 180-series course | ||
Any ENGL 185-series course | ||
Any ENGL 190-series course | ||
| Graduate-level Courses in Composition, Rhetoric and Professional Writing and TESOL List | ||
| No more than 4 units from the following may be applied to the elective units: | ||
Any ENGL 220-series course | ||
| Culminating Requirement (2 Units) 2 | ||
| ENGL 500 | Culminating Experience 2 | 2 |
| Total Units | 30 | |
- 1
ENGL 200A is required of all students in the English M.A. In order to satisfy the Graduation Writing Requirement (GWAR) and advance to candidacy, students must receive a grade of B or higher in ENGL 200A. For more information on this requirement and possible equivalencies, please visit: http://www.csus.edu/gradstudies/currentstudents/gwar.html.
- 2
All English M.A. students complete the degree with a two-unit culminating experience: ENGL 500. The culminating experience for students in the English MA is a comprehensive exam in the form of a portfolio (see ENGL 500: Frequently Asked Questions) for more information on the portfolio exam.