Oklahoma State University

1061

English The Department of English prides itself on the diversity of its course offerings and on its small lecture and discussion classes. The department offers a full range of courses in seven areas: literature, creative writing, screen studies, linguistics, teaching English as a second language, rhetoric and professional writing. The number of students in any English class rarely exceeds 30; and in first-year composition the enrollment limit is 19. The maximum number of students in a graduate- level class is 12. An undergraduate English major may select from five options: the traditional literature-based option emphasizes literary appreciation and analysis and allows ample opportunity for discussion, independent thinking and writing. English majors can also add a teaching certificate to this option by completing the required education courses as electives. The creative writing option includes fiction writing, poetry writing and creative nonfiction, with emphasis on interactive workshop classes in which students hone their skills. The third option, screen studies, focuses on the study of the history, theory and aesthetics of cinema, television and new media. And the fourth option, professional writing, is for majors who seek careers in which their writing skills will be applied to the task of generating and exchanging ideas in professional settings. The fifth option is a pre-law track for students planning to go into the legal professions. Many English majors pursue careers directly related to their major, such as those in teaching, editing or publishing, or they may decide to go to graduate school in order to teach in a college or university. Other students find that an English major is excellent preparation for law school or for careers in the ministry, government, business, counseling, social work or library science. The Department of English actively participates in the University Honors Program. Students who qualify for Honors are eligible to enroll in restricted courses and to write a Senior Honors Thesis. The department offers Honors courses at all levels, including an Honors seminar on a different topic each year. A Bachelor of Arts in English requires 45 hours of lower- and upper- division English courses. An English minor requires 18 hours of English, at least nine of which must be upper-division (These hours do not include Freshman Composition.). The department also offers a minor in Linguistics. Undergraduate Programs

Graduate Programs The Department of English offers programs leading to the Master of Arts, Master of Fine Arts and the Doctor of Philosophy. Master’s students may choose among four programs: Master of Arts in English; Master of Arts in professional writing; and Master of Arts in teaching English as a second language (TESL); and the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. In consultation with their advisory committees, both master's and doctoral students have considerable flexibility in designing a degree that meets their own interests and professional goals. Students may take courses in creative writing, screen studies, professional writing, composition and rhetoric, TESL, linguistics, literary theory, and all periods of British and American literature. The diversity of choices and the flexibility of the program prepare students to meet the demands of a changing academic marketplace. Admission Requirements Students seeking admission to the graduate program in English must be accepted by the Graduate College and by the departmental admission committee. In addition to the application and transcripts required by the Graduate College, students must submit to the Department of English graduate coordinator a statement of purpose; letters of recommendation; and a writing sample or the Graduate Record Examination general and subject area scores. Non-native speakers of English must submit scores on all subtests of the TOEFL iBT or IELTS. For fall admission, the early decision deadline is January 15; the final deadline is March 1. The deadline for spring admission is October 15. Prerequisites are listed under each degree below. Teaching Opportunities Depending on their levels of experience and areas of emphasis, graduate teaching assistants may tutor in the Writing Center, serve as discussion leaders for selected large lecture classes, or teach their own sections of freshman composition, composition for international students, technical writing, creative writing, screen studies or literature. All teaching assistants are required to take an appropriate pedagogy course during their first year of teaching. The Master of Arts Degree The MA in English allows students to develop expertise in a variety of areas: literature written in English, creative writing, literary theory and criticism, screen studies, composition and rhetoric, professional writing, linguistics and TESL. In consultation with their advisory committees, students devise an individualized curriculum that reflects their own intellectual interests and prepares them to enter a doctoral program or to teach at the college level. The degree programs in TESL and professional writing prepare teachers for the bilingual classroom and professional writers for industry. Prerequisites include a baccalaureate degree with an English major, or at least 24 hours in English (excluding freshman composition). Successful applicants usually have a minimum grade-point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale, particularly in English courses. The MA in English consists of 30 credit hours, including six hours of thesis. In addition to these hours, students must demonstrate reading knowledge of a foreign language, pass the MA qualifying examination, and pass an oral defense of the thesis. The thesis is a work of original research prepared with the guidance of the student's advisory committee. Creative writing students may present as their theses original works in

Degree Programs • English, BA (p. 1065) • English: Creative Writing, BA (p. 1068) • English: Pre-Law, BA (p. 1070) • English: Professional Writing, BA (p. 1073) • English: Screen Studies, BA (p. 1075) Minors

• English (ENGL), Minor (p. 1064) • Linguistics (LING), Minor (p. 1077) Certificates • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TEOL), Undergraduate Certificate (p. 1078)