Humanities (M.A.)
Humanities: Teaching Licensure in Secondary English (M.A.)
This program responds to a need of many men and women, already trained in a specialized field, for intellectual enrichment. The program attracts both students who seek to deepen their undergraduate study in the humanities and students who have developed an interest in the humanities while pursuing a career in another field.
The curriculum permits students to shape interdisciplinary programs that ensure broad education while providing for the pursuit of specialized work. For example, the professional teacher may seek state endorsement in a special area as well as earn a master’s degree. Or an accountant seeking a few technical courses may combine these with the enrichment of the Humanities degree requirements.
An insight into the interrelationship of ideas from the humanities, the history of the sciences, and the value of the arts serves not only to develop personal intellectual growth, but also sharpens judgment in professional, civic, and interpersonal decision making.
As part of the program, students will complete Humanities Seminars, Focus Courses, and a Master’s Project.
Humanities Seminars examine the history and development of Western ideas and provide a basis for discussing fundamental questions and ideas that have shaped the past and continue in the present. The principal purpose of the seminar requirement is to establish a sense of the historical foundation of the humanities and to introduce the methodology of various disciplines. In addition, the seminars encourage a sharpening of communication skills through discussion of major ideas and written assignments. The scope of a seminar course fits one of three divisions of the history of Western ideas: classical/medieval; 15th century through 18th century; or 19th century through 21st century.
Focus Courses emphasize an interdisciplinary approach to the humanist ideas and stress the interrelationships of the disciplines involved. Focus Courses are distinguished from the seminars in that they may center upon either a limited area of concentration or a particular application of ideas to an interpretation of the world in which we live. Students should refer to graduate courses in English for additional options.
The Master’s Project is an independent, interdisciplinary report that demonstrates the student’s ability to integrate materials from various disciplines, support independent conclusions, and communicate the results in writing. Unlike the traditional master’s thesis, which emphasizes original research and the use of primary sources within a single discipline, the Master’s Project must demonstrate an ability to relate material from at least two fields of study. Examples of interdisciplinary projects might be a study of the influence of a technological problem on public policy, drawing on materials in science, sociology, and ethics; or an examination of special problems in the aging process based upon history, psychology, and literature.
An individual advisory committee is responsible for guiding the student through each phase of the Master’s Project. This includes the approval of both an initial proposal and the final product. A formal initial proposal must be approved before a student begins work on a project. The proposal must include a statement and discussion of purpose, the methodology to be used, and a projection of the final product.
Admission Requirements: In addition to the Universitywide requirements for graduate admission, the applicant must present the following:
Nondegree Admission: Students wishing to enroll in limited coursework may do so as nondegree students. It is restricted to a total of 9 credits and two consecutive semesters. A nondegree student may apply for degree candidacy upon successful completion of one Humanities Seminar or contemporary Focus Course and fulfillment of all admission requirements.
Transfer Credit: A maximum of 6 semester credits of transferred graduate credits may be applied toward the degree, if approved by the School dean and the registrar.
30 credits
This program provides continued intellectual growth in literature and related fields, as well as the professional preparation for licensure and a career in teaching secondary school English.
Admission Requirements: In addition to the Universitywide requirements for graduate admission, the applicant must present the following:
Students in this program must seek admission to the teacher licensure program and apply for student teaching. See graduate Education section for admission requirements and procedures.
Nondegree Admission: Students wishing to enroll in limited coursework may do so as nondegree students. It is restricted to a total of 9 credits and two consecutive semesters. A nondegree student may apply for degree candidacy upon successful completion of one Humanities Seminar or contemporary Focus Course and fulfillment of all admission requirements.
36 credits