2006-2008 Catalog of Courses

Department of English Language and Literature

College of Humanities and Fine Arts

www.uni.edu/english

Staff:

J. Copeland, Head. K. Baughman, G. Cawelti, J. Davis, R. Dunham, S. Gaies, S. Gladden, V. Gotera, T. Gregersen, J. Husband, M. Janopoulos, J. Klinkowitz, A. Lamberti, J. Lewty, C. MacGillivray, A. Meier, J. Milambiling, P. Mvuyekure, A. Myles, J. O'Loughlin, N. Price, C. Roberts, S. Rochette, J. Swan, J. Swope, G. Tracey, K. Tracey, R. Utz, J. Wang.

The Department of English Language and Literature offers the following graduate programs.  Specific requirements for these programs are listed within this Department of English Language and Literature section in the following order:

Graduate Majors (M.A.)

English

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

TESOL/Modern Languages (also listed in Department of Modern Languages)

Master of Arts Degree Programs

Major in English

The M.A. Major in English is available on the thesis and non-thesis options, and degree applicants choose one of three emphases (see below). The thesis option requires a minimum of 30-36 semester hours, depending on the emphasis chosen; the non-thesis option requires a minimum of 30-33 semester hours, depending on the emphasis chosen. A minimum of 15 hours of 200-level course work is required for each option.

The Graduate Record Examination (General Test) is not required for admission to the program.

The three emphases are the following:

1. Literature Emphasis, minimum 30 semester hours -- available on both thesis and non-thesis options;
2. Creative Writing Emphasis, minimum 36 semester hours -- available on thesis option only; and
3. Teaching English in Secondary Schools-Middle/Junior High and Senior High (TESS), minimum 33 semester hours -- available on non-thesis option only.

Graduate students are required to prepare a program of study which is subject to the approval of a faculty committee. The departmental committee may require an applicant to complete course work in addition to the minimum hours specified for the selected option and emphasis. Directions for preparing a program of study are available from the English Graduate Coordinator.

Successful completion of a final written and oral comprehensive examination is required for both the thesis and non-thesis options. In addition, students pursuing the non-thesis option are required to submit a Graduate Student Portfolio and complete an approved research paper. See the English Graduate Coordinator for details.

Native speakers of English must demonstrate proficiency in another language by earning at least a C grade in a second-semester, college-level course or by passing a specially designed examination. Course work taken to satisfy this foreign language requirement does not count toward the number of hours required for completion of the degree major.

For full admission, non-native English speakers must have achieved a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 600 (paper-based)/250 (computer-based), or the equivalent, in order to demonstrate their proficiency in English. A student may be required to take additional English language improvement courses at the discretion of the English Graduate Faculty. Work taken to satisfy the language proficiency requirement does not count toward the minimum of 30 to 36 semester hours required to complete the selected emphasis.

Effective July 1, 2003, individuals teaching in Iowa community colleges are no longer required to hold state issued teaching licenses. However, graduate course work in postsecondary education, such as the courses in the Professional Core B, may strengthen one's qualifications for teaching at a community college. Contact individual colleges to determine the requirements for teaching appointments at each institution.

Literature Emphasis:

Available on both the thesis and non-thesis option.

Creative Writing Emphasis:

Available on the thesis option only.

The required thesis shall consist of a collection of short stories, a novel, a collection of poems, or a book-length poem. Critical apparati - such as prologue, introduction, epilogue, notes, bibliography -- are not required within the thesis. Both a formal oral defense of the thesis and a public reading of selected portions of the thesis are required.

Teaching English in the Secondary Schools--

Middle/Junior High and Senior High (TESS) Emphasis:

Available on the non-thesis option only.

Teacher licensure is a prerequisite for completing the program approval process for this emphasis. Also prerequisite is the following undergraduate course work: one course in TESOL/Applied Linguistics; one course in advanced writing; two courses in British literature; one course in American literature; one course in modern or ethnic literature; one course in young adult literature; one course in the teaching of writing; and 620:190.

No more than 3 hours of prerequisite courses can be applied to the minimum hours required for this emphasis. Further deficiencies must be made up in addition to the required courses listed below. Students who have not taken all the prerequisite work should consult at once with the English Graduate Coordinator in order to plan appropriate course work.

*Students who have not completed 280:138 in English are required to take 620:297 for 1 hour. A student who has completed any of the required courses at the undergraduate level may elect other departmental graduate level courses to complete the required minimum total of 33 hours.

Major in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

This major is available on the thesis and non-thesis options, and requires a minimum of 33 semester hours. The thesis option includes 6 hours of 630:299 Research; the non-thesis option requires an approved research paper. A minimum of 15 hours of 200-level course work is required for either option.

The Graduate Record Examination (General Test) is not required for admission to the program.

Successful completion of a final written comprehensive examination is required for boththesis andnon-thesis options, as specified by the TESOL/Applied Linguistics faculty. See the TESOL Graduate Coordinator for details.

All students who have not had the following courses, or the equivalent, must include these courses as part of their graduate major:

TESOL/Applied Linguistics: 630:125 or 630:130; 630:154; 630:160.

Students are required to meet with their advisors for a program approval interview. Students should complete this interview during the first semester of their course work. The department may require a student to complete course work in addition to the minimum of 33 semester hours required for a master's degree. In such cases, these hours will be specified at the time of the interview.

Native speakers of English must demonstrate proficiency in another language by earning at least a C grade in a second-semester, college-level course or by passing a specially designed examination. International students must have achieved a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 600 (paper-based)/250 (computer-based), or the equivalent, in order to demonstrate their proficiency in English. An international student may be required to take additional English language improvement courses at the discretion of the TESOL/Applied Linguistics faculty. Work taken to satisfy the language proficiency requirement does not count toward the 33 semester hours required to complete the major program.

Students who wish state licensure to teach should request information concerning licensure requirements from the Director of Teacher Education, University of Northern Iowa, or from the Department of Education in the state in which they plan to teach.

Major in TESOL/Modern Languages

This major is offered cooperatively by the Department of English Language and Literature and the Department of Modern Languages, and is under the jurisdiction and supervision of the heads of these two departments.

This major is available on the non-thesis option only. A minimum of 33 semester hours is required, including a minimum of 18 hours at the 200-level. An approved research paper is also required. The student who has not completed 7x0:101 and either 630:125 or 630:130 (or the equivalent) before entering the master's degree program must add these courses to the requirements listed below. There is no separate modern language requirement.

The Graduate Record Examination (General Test) is not required for admission to the program.

Successful completion of a final written comprehensive examination is required for this M.A. major, as specified by the TESOL/Applied Linguistics and Modern Language faculties. See the TESOL Graduate Coordinator for details.

French Emphasis:

German Emphasis:

Spanish Emphasis:

*700:190 is required for a teaching endorsement in Modern Languages; 700:190 has a required corequisite 7xx:191 (2

hours), which cannot count toward an M.A. degree.

Note: International students must have achieved a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 600 (paper-based)/250 (computer-based), or the equivalent, in order to demonstrate their proficiency in English.  An international student may be required to take additional English language development courses at the discretion of the TESOL/Applied Linguistics faculty.

Students who wish state licensure to teach should request information concerning licensure requirements from the Director of Teacher Education, University of Northern Iowa, or from the Department of Education in the state in which they plan to teach.