Program Overview

Department of English and Comparative Literature

The Department of English and Comparative Literature at San José State University offers a Master of Arts in English program.

Master of Arts in English

The Master of Arts in English program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in English literature, language, and pedagogy.

Admission Requirements

• To be admitted to the program, students must have completed a bachelor's degree in English or a related field.
• Students with fewer than 24 units may be admitted to Conditional Standing, but they will need to complete the required number of units and achieve the required grade point average before they can take graduate-level classes or begin work toward the 30-unit M.A. program.
• Students must apply online through Cal State Apply for Graduate Admissions and submit transcripts and a writing sample.

Program Requirements

• The program requires 30 units of coursework, including English 201 (Materials and Methods of Literary Research) and English 297 (Comprehensive Exam Prep).
• Students must also demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language, which can be satisfied by completing two semesters of an approved university-level foreign language course or by taking an examination offered by the World Languages Department.
• The comprehensive examination is a written exam that tests critical skills and knowledge of literary history, literary theory, and rhetoric.

Comprehensive Examination

• The comprehensive examination is given in two parts: a timed in-class exam and a take-home exam.
• Students must sign up in advance for the take-home exam and specify the three areas they wish to be examined in.
• Reading lists and sample questions are available online.

Thesis Option

• Students may choose to write a six-unit thesis as part of their 30-unit program (Plan A) or take their entire 30 units in coursework (Plan B).
• If students choose to write a thesis, they must submit a strong proposal and follow the Department's M.A. Thesis Guidelines.

Financial Aid

• General information on financial aid is available from the Financial Aid office.
• The English department offers no scholarships or fellowships, but students may apply for Graduate Assistant or Teaching Associate positions.

Teaching Associate Positions

• Newly admitted students and continuing students are invited to apply for Graduate Assistant and Teaching Associate positions.
• Students who are appointed as Teaching Associates will teach composition classes under the guidance of the T.A. coordinator.

Program Planning

• Students should take English 201 as early as possible in their program.
• Students who are interested in being Teaching Associates should take English 259 (Rhetoric and Composition) as soon as possible.
• Students should choose their electives according to their strengths and interests, keeping in mind the comprehensive exam requirements.

Time to Completion

• The program typically takes at least two years to complete, but students may take longer if they take classes part-time.
• Students must complete all degree requirements within seven years.

Grade Point Average

• Students must have a 3.0 grade point average to secure and maintain candidacy.
• Grades of C count toward the M.A., but they must be balanced by a like number of A grades.

Transfer Units

• With the approval of the M.A. Advisor, students may earn up to six units of graduate credit in another English M.A. program or in SJSU graduate courses taken through Open University.

Advancement to Candidacy

• Students are advanced to candidacy when they file their official 30-unit program with the M.A. Advisor.
• Students must file their program early in the semester before the semester in which they plan to graduate.

Graduation Requirements

• At the start of the semester in which they plan to graduate, students must file an Application for Award of the Master's Degree and pay the graduation fee.
• Students must check with the M.A. Advisor to ensure all paperwork is in order and all requirements will be completed by the end of the semester.

Continuous Enrollment

• As per University policy, all students are required to be continuously enrolled until they complete the culminating experience (i.e., pass the comprehensive exams and finish the thesis, in the case of Plan A option).
• Students who have completed program requirements but have not yet completed the culminating experience must enroll in a 1-unit UNVS or departmental 1290R to maintain continuous enrollment.