Introduction *

The Graduate Program Director *

Graduate English Student Status *

Non-Degree (GN) Student Status *

Student Responsibilities *

Graduate Assistantship Information *

Course Requirements for the M.A. in English *

The Registration Process *

Forms On File At The Office Of Graduate Studies *

Guidelines for Writing the M.A. Thesis in Literature *

Guidelines for Writing the M.A. Thesis in Writing *

Graduate Colloquium *

Graduation *

Annual Spring Writer's Conference *

The Writing Center *

David and Lorraine Cheng Library *

Library Telephone Numbers *

English Department Extension List *

Department Extensions & Locations *

Map *

Legend *

Sample Applications on File *

The Graduate Program in English offers concentrations in both literature and writing. The literature concentration provides students with an advanced education in English and American literature. Literature students extend their knowledge of specific genres and major authors while exploring the social, historical, and political dimensions of literary production. Students receive a solid foundation in the theory and practice of literary criticism, the history of the English language, modern linguistics, techniques of composition, and critical and creative writing. The writing concentration provides students with the practical skills necessary to develop their own writing. Students receive training in several modes of writing: poetry, the short story, non fiction, drama, and screenwriting. Students are encouraged to explore both the process and the product of composition, developing a greater sense of the craft and outcome of effective writing.

The program is large enough to offer a full range of graduate seminars and to provide students with flexibility in scheduling. It is also small enough to provide a sense of community and a high level of faculty-student engagement. Students may also register for independent study, a project whose topic they develop, research, and write about under the guidance of a faculty advisor. The graduate program culminates in the writing of a thesis - a substantial piece of creative writing or literary analysis - which students present at a graduate colloquium.

The department sponsors various readings throughout the semester as well as a writer’s conference every spring, which brings to campus internationally known writers and experts in pedagogy and literary analysis. Students have the opportunity to participate in a series of workshops and to attend lectures. Previous distinguished visitors have included Edward Albee, Norman Mailer, Diane Wakoski, Joyce Carol Oates, Kurt Vonnegut, Allen Ginsberg, Joseph Brodsky, John Ciardi, Judith Ortiz Cofer, and Yusef Komunyaka.

• Dr. Linda Hamalian is the Director of the Graduate Program.
• She can be contacted by calling (973)720-3056 or by email at hamalianl@wpunj.edu.
• Her office hours vary by semester, so you should call to schedule an appointment with her.
• When leaving a message, include a telephone number or an email address so that she can return the call.
• Her office is room 220 on the second floor of the Atrium.
• When you meet her for advisement, bring the Master Schedule and have an idea of the classes that you want to take.
• It is important to see Dr. Hamalian in order to discuss your course of study. You should meet with her in order to keep on track for a timely graduation.
• Dr. Hamalian will be able to direct you towards professors who have specialized in a particular genre of writing, or a specific area of literature.

A full time graduate student has been formally admitted and is registered for 9 or more credits.

A part time graduate student has been formally admitted and is registered for less than 9 credits.

A matriculated graduate student has completed her/his application and has been accepted by the English department into the M.A. program.

A non-degree graduate student has earned a baccalaureate degree or higher, and does not necessarily wish to pursue a degree program.

A post master’s graduate student has earned an M.A. degree. Students are allowed to earn up to thirty (30) credits.

A non-degree student is a graduate student who has earned a baccalaureate degree or higher, and does not necessarily wish to pursue a degree program.

Admission on a non-degree basis does not imply eligibility for matriculation. Non-degree credits do not necessarily qualify toward fulfillment of the M.A. degree. In order that all credits count toward the M.A. degree, apply as an incoming student before 9 credits are completed, or three courses.

To enroll as a non-degree student, present proof of an undergraduate degree to the Office of Graduate Studies. An official transcript must also be sent to the Office of Graduate Studies.

Students with a B.A. are allowed to take a total of 3 graduate courses or 9 graduate credits as "non-degree" students, whichever is less.

The 9-credit limit does not include undergraduate courses needed for eligibility for matriculation into the Graduate Program in English.

While the Graduate Program Director and other faculty will help in any manner possible, graduate students are responsible for complying with all policies, regulations and procedures outlined in this handbook and in the most recent graduate catalogue.

Each semester the Registrar publishes the Master Schedule of course offerings. The Master Schedule is published two to three weeks before the end of each semester. The English Department sends a copy of the Master Schedule to newly matriculated students. After the first semester, students can find Master Schedules stacked in the Student Center, in the English Department office (Atrium 216), in the Library, and in the Office of Graduate Studies in Raubinger Hall. Non-Degree and Post Master’s students are responsible for obtaining their own copies of the Master Schedule.

After students obtain a copy of the Master Schedule, they should make an appointment with the Graduate Program Director in order to discuss their course of study.

Once they have completed 27 but preferably 30 of the 33 required credits, students are qualified to begin the process of writing the M.A. thesis.

The semester before the thesis is written students select an advisor from the English Department faculty under whose supervision they will write a proposal for the thesis. Students should consult the Graduate Program Director if they are uncertain about choosing an advisor.

At the beginning of each semester, the Graduate Program Director holds a workshop on writing the M.A. thesis proposal. Samples of past proposals are distributed and discussed, and questions regarding the proposal may be asked. Keep an eye out for it, or ask the Graduate Program Director when it has been scheduled. A flyer announcing the date of the workshop is distributed in current graduate classes.

Thesis proposals are due the semester before all students register for English 699: Research and Thesis Seminar. The deadlines for submission of the thesis proposal are November 1 for the spring semester and March 15 for the fall semester. After the Graduate Committee approves the thesis proposal, the Graduate Program Director notifies students that they are authorized to register for the seminar. She also provides a summary of the Graduate Committee’s observations and comments on the proposal and suggestions for further research.

ENG 699: Research and Thesis Seminar is a seminar for graduate students in both concentrations who are writing the M.A. thesis. Under the direction of the seminar leader, students meet weekly in order to discuss their progress, articulate and solve problems encountered in their research and writing, and share their work with other writers/researchers.

The graduate student is responsible for maintaining the required grade point average (3.0). The cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.) appears on each semester’s grade report. Any student whose G.P.A. falls below a 3.0 is automatically placed on probation and cannot enroll for more than two additional courses. Students whose G.P.A. does not reach 3.0 after completion of these two courses will be dismissed from the University. At the discretion of the Graduate Program Director and the Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, graduate students may repeat one graduate course for which they received the grade of B- or better.

Students may not repeat a graduate course in order to raise their G.P.A.

All members of the William Paterson University community are expected to adhere to the policies regarding academic integrity. A student who submits work of any kind which is not the work of that student and who fails to acknowledge the sources for that work has committed plagiarism, a serious violation of academic integrity and an ethical offense. Unintentional plagiarism results from carelessness about or ignorance of conventions regarding the acknowledgment of outside sources. Intentional plagiarism occurs when a student knowingly presents the work of another person as his or her own. In either case, a student will receive the grade of "F" for the plagiarized work, and/or the grade of "F" for the graduate course itself, and may face expulsion from the graduate program. Please consult the Graduate Catalog for a full explanation of plagiarism and for a description of the process for resolving academic integrity policy violations.

A graduate assistant is a full-time matriculated graduate student employed in a work-scholarship program that carries a stipend and a waiver of tuition and fees. Graduate Assistantships are awarded on the basis of the following qualifications:

1) A minimum of 3.0 cumulative undergraduate G.P.A.

2) Submission of two letters of recommendation.

Graduate Assistants in the English Department should be people who are interested in pursuing scholarly activities and in refining their skills as researchers and writers. They should work easily with others, be well organized, and self-motivated. Graduate Assistants work with the Department Chair, the Graduate Program Director, the Director of first First year Year writingWriting, the Director of Writing Across the Curriculum, and the Director of the Writing Center.

Graduate Assistants work a maximum of 20 hours per week in their assigned positions. A graduate student may accept no additional on-campus employment during the period of the assistantship without written permission from the Dean. Graduate Assistants must maintain a G.P.A. of 3.0. Applications are available in the Office of Graduate Studies, Raubinger 139 (973) 720-2237.

Graduate Assistants are appointed for the period of September 1- June 30. In some cases, one semester appointments are made depending on the needs of the program. Assistants may apply for reappointment for a second year.

For more information, please call Kenya Easley at (973) 720-2764.

• English 699 - Research and Thesis Seminar
• English 656 - Contemporary Modes of Criticism
• English 614 - Applied English Linguistics: Grammar and Style or
• English 618 - Modern English and Its Background
• Two courses in Contextual Studies
• Two courses in English literature from any period
• Two courses in American literature from any period
• Two electives from any category, including writing courses

• English 699 - Research and Thesis Seminar.
• English 656 - Contemporary Modes of Criticism
• English 616 - Creative Writing I
• English 626 - Creative Writing II
• Four additional writing courses
• Three courses in American literature, English literature or Contextual Studies

• Each semester, the Registrar publishes the Master Schedule of course offerings. The Master Schedule is published two to three weeks before the end of each semester. The English Department sends a copy of the Master Schedule to newly matriculated students. After the first semester, students can find Master Schedules stacked in the Student Center, in the English Department office (Atrium 216), in the Library, and in the Office of Graduate Studies in Raubinger Hall. Non-Degree and Post Master’s students are responsible for obtaining their own copies of the Master Schedule.

What is my SID number? The SID number is your nine-digit social security number.

What is my PIN number? The PIN number is your six-digit date of birth.

What is my RAN number? The RAN number is your six-digit date of birth.

What is a Call Number? The call number for each course that you wish to add or drop is the five-digit number listed to the right of the course alpha/number in the Master Schedule.

• In order to register, student must call between regular business hours to register and during the designated "window."
• Inside the Master Schedule is a list of "window" guidelines.
• The "window" is the time frame in which students may register for classes.
• Students cannot register for classes outside their "window."
• The voice prompt system will request the information it needs.
• The information will be repeated back so that any mistakes can be corrected.
• The system provides students with their schedule of classes as well as billing information and outstanding fees.
• At the discretion of the Graduate Program Director and the Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, graduate students may repeat one graduate course for which they received the grade of B- or better.
• Students may not repeat a graduate course.

• Change of Status Form
• Application for Transfer of Graduate Credits
• Application for Independent Study
• Graduate Assistantship Application
• Application for Leave of Absence
• Change of Program Concentration Form
• Application for Graduate Degree
• Application for Withdrawal from Graduate Study
• Application for Graduate Admission

• Application for Graduate Admission

• Graduate Admissions Recommendation Form

• Foundation Scholarship Application

Sample applications are included in the back of this handbook.

1. The M.A. thesis in literature is an essay of fifty to sixty pages that demonstrates competence in scholarly techniques (critical, historical, or linguistic), in bibliographic materials involved in the topic, and in methods of documentation.
2. The M.A. thesis can take the form of presenting literature in the context of another area of study: for example, cultural studies, history, science, race, ethnicity, gender, class, politics, the environment; or a study of the development within genres of at least two literary periods or national traditions of literature written in English; or a study that places the work in the context of another genre (for example, critical theory, film, biography). Depending on the student’s interest, the thesis can be a study which takes into account alternate readings and demonstrates an understanding of contextual studies: for example, a feminist, new historicist, or revisionist reading of a single text.

1. The Calendar:

1. The semester before the thesis is written students select an advisor from the English Department faculty under whose supervision they will write a proposal for the thesis.
2. Students should consult the Graduate Program Director if they are uncertain about choosing an advisor.
3. Before any substantial writing is undertaken on the thesis itself, the student must submit a thesis proposal to the faculty advisor for approval.
4. The faculty advisor serves as first reader for the thesis.
5. The second reader for the thesis is the seminar leader of English 699: Research and Thesis, the course in which students are enrolled during the semester that they write the thesis.
6. The thesis writing seminar is the capstone course in the M.A. program, and students should register for this course after they have completed all other course work for the degree. However, students who have completed 27 credits may register for one other graduate course while they are writing the thesis.
7. After the faculty advisor approves the proposal, students forward two copies of the proposal to the Graduate Program Director for distribution to the members of the Graduate Committee for approval.
8. Once the Committee approves the proposal, the student will be authorized to enroll the following semester in English 699: Research and Thesis, the thesis writing seminar.
9. If a proposal is rejected, revisions will be indicated. The student will revise accordingly and re-submit.
10. Students who plan to write the thesis during the fall semester should submit a proposal to the Graduate Program Director no later than March 15.
11. Students who plan to write the thesis during the spring semester should submit a proposal to the Graduate Program Director no later than November 1.
12. Students submit two final copies of the thesis no later than the week after the Graduate Colloquium.
13. One copy of the thesis should be placed in a spring binder to be kept on file in the office of the Graduate Program Director. The other copy is for the faculty advisor.

1. The Proposal:

The proposal should consist of a short essay of 750-1000 words that presents the following:

1. The subject and purpose of the thesis. State clearly and concisely what kinds of ideas you will explore, what you seek to prove, and what problems you are raising. In other words, indicate as best as can be expected at this early stage what you are writing about, what you will say about it and why.
2. Present state of research. Discuss what you already know about the topic at this point, and your familiarity with relevant secondary sources. Describe what you consider to be original about your topic in light of what has already been written about it.
3. Present a tentative topic outline. Show how your selection and arrangement of material fulfills your overall purpose.
4. A preliminary selective bibliography. List what books and other research materials you will need.

1. Style And Form:

Students receive specific instruction and support about style and form during the thesis writing seminar. For citations and bibliography, follow the MLA Style Manual & Guide to Scholarly Publishing, Second Edition for both the proposal and the thesis.

2. Evaluation:

In consultation with the faculty advisor, the seminar leader provides a summary evaluation of the thesis and a letter grade for English 699: Research and Thesis.

1. Description of the M.A. thesis in writing:
1. The M.A. thesis in writing, a manuscript of 50-100 pages, is a substantial work of fiction, poetry, drama or creative non-fiction.
2. Students should also submit a portfolio of six writing samples which were submitted earlier for course requirements and subsequently revised to represent the student’s best work.
3. The selection must include:

• One sample of literary analysis from a required literature course, contextual studies course or ENG 656: Contemporary Modes of Criticism.
• One sample of professional writing from Writing for the Magazine Market, Writing as Process I or II, Poetry Writing Seminar, Fiction Writing Seminar, or other appropriate course.
• One sample of creative or critical writing from Creative Writing II or Advanced Critical Writing.
• Three other pieces of the student’s own choosing.

1. The semester before the thesis is written students select an advisor from the English Department faculty under whose supervision they will write a proposal for the thesis.
2. Students should consult the Graduate Program Director if they are uncertain about choosing an advisor.
3. Before any substantial writing is undertaken on the thesis itself, the student will submit a thesis proposal to the advisor for approval.
4. The faculty advisor serves as first reader for the thesis.
5. The second reader for the thesis is the seminar leader of English 699: Research and Thesis, the course in which students are enrolled during the semester that they write the thesis.
6. The thesis writing seminar is the capstone course in the M.A. program, and students should register for this course after they have completed all other course work for the degree. However, students who have completed 27 credits may register for one other graduate course while they are writing the thesis.
7. After the faculty advisor approves the proposal, the student forwards two copies of the proposal to the Graduate Program Director for distribution to the members of the Graduate Committee for approval.
8. Once the Committee approves the proposal, the student will be authorized to enroll the following semester in English 699: Research and Thesis, the thesis writing seminar.
9. If a proposal is rejected, revisions will be indicated. The student will revise accordingly and re-submit.
10. Students who plan to write the thesis during the fall semester should submit a proposal to the Graduate Program Director no later than March 15.
11. Students who plan to write the thesis during the spring semester should submit a proposal to the Graduate Program Director no later than November 1.
12. Students submit two final copies of the thesis no later than a week after the Graduate Colloquium.
13. One copy should be placed in a spring binder to be kept on file in the office of the Graduate Program Director. The other copy is for the faculty advisor.

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE M.A. THESIS IN WRITING (continued)

THE PROPOSAL

The proposal should consist of a short essay of 750 - 1000 words. It should outline the following:

(1) A description of the manuscript: the genre, the themes you will explore, the structure you will follow, and depending on the genre, the characters, point of view, tone, language, whatever will help the committee understand the nature of your manuscript.

(2) Discuss what you know about your manuscript at this point. Describe what you consider to be original about it. Indicate as best as you can at this early stage what you are writing about, what you want to say about it, and why.

(3) Tentative outline. Show how your selection and arrangement of material fulfills your overall purpose.

(4) A preliminary selective bibliography. List what books and other research materials you will need.

(5) A brief sample of writing in the same genre as the proposed project.

STYLE AND FORM

Students receive specific instruction and support about style and form during the thesis writing seminar. On both the proposal and the essay, the MLA Handbook is the approved model for documentation and bibliography.

EVALUATION

Students receive a letter grade for their thesis from their advisor and the seminar leader, who also provides a a summary evaluation written in consultation with the advisor.

The Graduate English Colloquium is scheduled at the end of each fall and spring semester. Students prepare for this event in ENG 699: Research and Thesis Writing Seminar. The colloquium provides graduate students with an opportunity to present their M.A. thesis and to celebrate their accomplishments.

The event begins at 6pm and takes place at Hobart Manor. Department faculty, graduate students, prospective students, and guests of the graduating students attend. At the end of the presentations, M.A. candidates may take questions from the audience, the thesis advisor, and seminar leader. A light supper is served.

Hobart Manor, the Tudor-style, 40-room mansion, is located in a hollow at the southeastern end of the University's campus. The Manor houses the offices of the President, Institutional Advancement, Development, and Alumni Relations. Its refurbished public rooms include the original dining room, drawing room, library, billiards room, and central foyers.

Completed applications must be returned to the Graduate Office according to the following deadlines:

• TO GRADUATE IN JANUARY

return the application by October 1

Approximately 60 days before the end of the semester, the university’s graduation committee sends graduate students information about how to obtain a cap, gown and master’s hood. The cost is approximately $33.

Each Spring, the English Department of William Paterson University presents its annual Spring Writer's Conference, which in the past has hosted such distinguished writers as Yusef Komunyaka, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Kimiko Hahn, Judith Ortiz Cofer and Chang-rae Lee. It entails a full day of workshops and readings in critical and creative writing and in literature.

The conference welcomes participation from scholars in all disciplines, creative writers, professional editors, secondary-level educators, and both graduate and undergraduate students.

Writing workshops led by keynote speakers and by William Paterson University faculty are offered in poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, screenwriting, spiritual writing, literature, memoir writing, and publishing.

Panel discussions and lectures have explored a particular theme, for example, the influence of international literatures, with such questions as: What strategies can help foster creative responses to international literatures? How can all writers include international insights in their work? How can educators create an international literary curriculum? How have professional writers - both critical and creative - been influenced by international writers? How might "internationalism" be productively theorized?

For further information about future writer’s conferences, contact Dr. John Parras at x3067 or parrasj@wpunj.edu.

The William Paterson University Writing Center, located in Atrium 128, provides one-on-one tutoring for anyone in the university community working on a writing project in any stage of development. Tutorial sessions typically take thirty minutes to an hour. Writing center staff talk about style, logic, voice, transition, grammar, and organization. Students also learn techniques of proofreading and editing their own work. Writing center staff do not discuss grades, or proofread students' work. They work on issues that are going to contribute to students' long-term growth as writers.

The telephone number is 973-720-2633.

For further information please write to Dr. Stephen Newton, newtons@wpunj.edu

The University Library houses over 350,000 volumes, 18,000 audiovisual items, 1,700 periodical subscriptions, 36-station electronic lab, study rooms and other services. Access is provided to over 8,000 electronic journals and over 80 electronic databases.

Additional Information: http://www.wpunj.edu/library/