English Literature, M.A.

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Christopher Loots, Ph.D., Program Head
914-674-7423
cloots@mercy.edu

Program also offered fully online

Purpose

The Master of Arts in English Literature program at Mercy College offers a rigorous and accessible learning opportunity for those with teaching and/or scholarly aspirations, as well as for those who hope to enrich their intellectual and creative lives. Students in the program learn advanced methodologies of literary criticism while engaging with major authors and writers from British, American, and other traditions. Graduates of this 30-credit program are qualified to apply to most full-time community college English faculty openings, and to teach as an adjunct at most four-year colleges. The degree may also be a stepping stone to a PhD.

Objectives

Students will be exposed to a broad range of major genres, authors and texts from diverse cultural and historical traditions. Students will develop their writing, critical thinking and information literacy skills through seminar discussions and the submission of essays and research papers. The English Literature program seeks to develop independent and creative thinkers who are culturally literate and effective communicators, prepared to pursue careers inside and outside academe.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs):

By the end of the program students are expected to be able to:

Demonstrate critical thinking and interpretive skills reflecting knowledge and comprehension of important British literary texts.
Demonstrate critical thinking and interpretive skills reflecting knowledge and comprehension of important American literary text.
Demonstrate critical thinking and interpretive skills reflecting an awareness of theoretical trends and criticism.
Demonstrate knowledge of some of the literary traditions, and/or cultural situations, and /or historical eras from which the literature referenced in SLO1, SLO2, and SLO3 emerged.
Create original research topics, research primary and secondary sources on those topics using digital databases, and produce writings on those topics which demonstrate clear grammatical prose and accurate style.

Admission Requirements

Please refer to the general requirements for admission and matriculation in the Graduate Admissions section.

Program Requirements

Baccalaureate transcript, either:
1. B.A. or B.S. in English or a humanities discipline (minimum of 15 credits in English Literature beyond basic composition and literature) with an average GPA of 3.0 or better in the major field.
2. B.A. or B.S. in a related subject area with a minor (minimum of 15-credits) in English Literature or a humanities discipline with an average GPA of 3.0 in the student’s major and minor fields. OR
3. B.A. or B.S. in another discipline demonstrating the potential to succeed in a graduate program. Such students are encouraged to speak to their readiness and reasons for pursuing the M.A. degree in a statement-of- purpose essay.
Two letters of reference indicating personal and professional qualifications for graduate study.
Statement-of-purpose essay or a scholarly paper.
Once an applicant has submitted all required credentials, the completed application will be evaluated by a committee consisting of the program director and two faculty members.

Curriculum

The degree requires 30 credits and may be completed in two and a half years by students taking six credits (two courses) per semester. Students may complete the degree at a faster pace by also taking summer-session courses. Part-time students may take up to six years to complete the program. Currently the program is offered entirely online, as our student body is primarily national and international.

Course Distribution:

Candidates for the Master of Arts in English Literature will be required to follow the following guidelines:

Theory and Practice of Literary Criticism^(cc) (ENGL 500 ) Credit(s): 3
One course, Writing and Literary Forms Group (ENGL 505 -ENGL 510 , ENGL 517 ) Credit(s): 3
One course, Literature Group 1 (ENGL 521 -ENGL 540 ) Credit(s): 3
One course, Literature Group 2 (ENGL 541 -ENGL 560 ) Credit(s): 3
One additional course, Literature Group 1 or 2 (ENGL 521 -ENGL 560 ) Credit(s): 3
Four elective courses, (ENGL 505 -598) Credit(s): 12
Master’s Thesis Tutorial (ENGL 599 ) Credit(s): 3

Total Credits: 30

Student progress in acquiring the range of knowledge in the field and the skills outlined above will be measured in the following ways:

Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to continue in the program. Performance in individual courses will be measured by the students successfully completing the requirements for each course at a grade of B or better.
In the semester before commencing their thesis (their last semester), students will be asked to take a comprehensive written examination prepared and administered by the graduate faculty in English Literature.
Students will be asked to write a substantial research paper (25 pages), which will be suitable for submission to a professional journal, under the guidance of a mentor, which will be reviewed by a thesis committee comprised of the graduate faculty.

Comprehensive Examination

Successful completion of a four-hour written comprehensive essay examination is required of all students. The examination is prepared and reviewed by the program faculty. The examination will be based on the course offerings presented during the students’ tenure in the program.

Thesis

The Master of Arts Degree requires a thesis focused on original research from which an essay of approximately 25 pages in the MLA Style will be developed. The master’s thesis essay should be on an original research topic. Proposed topics for thesis research must be submitted to and approved by a mentor selected by the student from the program faculty. Topics for the thesis may be developed from a research paper or project submitted by the student in one of his or her previous courses. The mentor will assess the suitability and viability of the topic, guide the student’s research, and oversee the student’s progress during the process of writing the thesis. A polished draft of the paper will be reviewed by a Master’s Thesis committee comprised of the mentor and a second reader from the faculty. The committee may have some revisions to suggest before a final draft of the thesis may be submitted as part of the student’s degree requirements.

Transfer Credits

Graduate courses taken at other institutions prior to admission at Mercy College may, if pertinent to the plan of study, may be credited to the graduate degree. Permission to transfer credits must be requested at the time of admission and official transcripts and course descriptions must be submitted to the program head for evaluation. Transfer credit is limited to six semester hours of credit for courses taken within the last five years in which the student has received a grade of B or better and is not recorded as part of the GPA. No transfer credit can substitute for the program’s designated “core course” which is currently ENGL 500 .

Course Load

In order to be designated as full-time a student must take nine credits (three courses) per semester. The English MA program, however, recommends six credits per semester as the preferred course-load, except for students who need to maintain full-time status or who need to complete the degree at an accelerated pace. Students may also take just three credits per semester, but this load does not qualify for financial aid. No students may exceed nine credits per semester. Courses are offered during the fall, spring, and summer semesters

Maintenance of Matriculation

It is expected that students will fulfill the requirements for their graduate degree by registering over successive semesters, excluding the summer sessions which are optional. Registration is accomplished by either enrolling in classes or maintaining matriculation. The Maintenance of Matriculation fee for students in the program not taking courses during a fall or spring semester is $100 per session and is processed as a registration.

Students who have not maintained matriculation and wish to return to their program within one year after their last course will be charged the Maintaining Matriculation fee of $100 for each missed session. Maintenance of matriculation without attending classes is limited to one year. Activated U.S. Military Reservists are not required to pay the Maintenance of Matriculation fee.

Capstone (ENGL 599) Advisement

It is expected that students in the Capstone course, ENGL 599 , shall make satisfactory progress during the semester in which they are enrolled. Students who do not complete the Capstone requirement during that semester will be given one subsequent term to complete their work. The Maintaining Matriculation registration must be completed for this subsequent term if no other courses are taken. After this period, a Capstone Continuation fee (equal to the cost of one graduate credit) will be charged for each additional term required to complete the project. Students can only register for Capstone Continuation for two terms.

A student’s degree will not be released until all Maintaining Matriculation and Capstone Continuation registration and fees are recorded appropriately on a student’s record.

Maintenance of Good Academic Standing

The cumulative GPA for both good academic standing and degree conferral is a 3.0. Grades are subject to review by the faculty advisor and program director at the end of each term. If the academic average falls below 3.0 the student will be placed on academic probation.

Academic Probation

All students who have a cumulative GPA of below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. If a student will not be able to achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 within a reasonable time, the student will be dismissed from the program. If a student receives a grade of F or FW in any course the student may be subject to dismissal from the college.

For all students on probation, future registrations must be reviewed and approved by the Director of the student’s pro gram as well as the school dean.

In all subsequent terms in which the student is on probation the student is required to achieve a term GPA of 3.0 or better. If the 3.0 or higher is not achieved the student will be dismissed. Students who receive a grade of less than B may be required to repeat the course. Students will be allowed to repeat a course only once.

Time Limit

Students attending the program continuously from the date of their acceptance will be able to complete the degree requirements in two and one half years. Students will be required to complete their degree requirements within six years of entering the program. (Note: Students seeking permanent New York State Certification in Secondary Education will be under a time constraint to complete the program within five ears or less.)

Online Learning

Mercy Online offers students an accessible and convenient way to learn. No matter where students are located, they may take courses, or even entire degrees, on the College’s online campus. At Mercy College, there is no distinction between the expectations of traditionally taught classes and online classes. Mercy Online currently offers more than forty undergraduate and graduate degrees entirely online. Students also may satisfy their General Education curriculum requirements online. Learn more about Mercy Online at www.mercy.edu/mercyonline.