USC: Academic Bulletins

Professors
Matthew J. Bruccoli, Ph.D., University of Virginia, 1960
Emily Brown Jeffries Professor
David Cowart, Ph.D., Rutgers University, 1977
Louise Fry Scudder Professor
Paula R. Feldman, Ph.D., Northwestern University, 1974
C. Wallace Martin Professor English, Louise Fry Scudder Professor
William Price Fox, B.A., University of South Carolina, 1950
Writer-in-Residence
Ezra Greenspan, Ph.D., Brown University, 1981
Donald J. Greiner, Ph.D., University of Virginia, 1967
Carolina Distinguished Professor, Associate Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Affairs
Ina Rae Hark, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1975
Janette Turner Hospital, M.A., Queens University, 1973
Distinguished Writer-in-Residence
Dianne Johnson, Ph.D., Yale University, 1988
Carol McGinnis Kay, Ph.D., University of Tennessee, 1967
Steven W. Lynn, Ph.D., University of Texas, 1981
Chair of the Department, Louise Fry Scudder Professor
Carol Myers-Scotton, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1967
Carolina Distinguished Professor
Joel A. Myerson, Ph.D., Northwestern University, 1971
Carolina Distinguished Professor
Thomas J. Rice, Ph.D., Princeton University, 1971
William Elbert Rivers, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, 1976
Director of First-Year English
Philip B. Rollinson, Ph.D., University of Virginia, 1968
Patrick Greig Scott, Ph.D., University of Edinburgh, 1976
H. Meili Steele, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, 1984
William B. Thesing, Ph.D., Indiana University, 1977
Mary Ann Wimsatt, Ph.D., Duke University, 1964
McClintock Professor of Southern Letters

Associate Professors
Amittai F. Aviram, Ph.D., Yale University, 1984
Abner Keen Butterworth, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 1970
Cynthia Davis, Ph.D., Duke University, 1994
Kwame Senu Neville Dawes, Ph.D., University of New Brunswick, 1992
Director of M.F.A. Program
Dorothy Disterheft, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1977
Stanley Dubinsky, Ph.D., Cornell University, 1985
Director of the Linguistics Program
Bernard E. Greer, M.A., Hollins College, 1973
Scott Gwara, Ph.D., Center for Medieval Studies, University of Toronto, 1993
Chris Holcomb, University of Texas at Austin, 1995
Judith G. James, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, 1984
Graduate Director
Nina S. Levine, Ph.D., Tulane University, 1991
Undergraduate Director
Edward Madden, Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin, 1994
Lawrence Rhu, Ph.D., Harvard University, 1987
M.A.T. Advisor
William Richey, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1990
Andrew Shifflett, Ph.D., Princeton University, 1993
Nancy Thompson, Ph.D., Arizona State University, 1975
Susan J. Vanderborg, Ph.D., Stanford University, 1996

Assistant Professors
Pamela Barnett, Ph.D., Emory University, 1996
Susan Courtney, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1997
Fred Dings, M.F.A., University of Iowa; Ph.D., University of Utah, 1991
Gregory Forter, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1998
Christy Friend, Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin, 1997
Edward Gieskes, Ph.D., Boston University, 1999
Leon Jackson, D.Phil., Oxford University, 1994
John Muckelbauer, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 2002
Hyeson Park, Ph.D., University of Arizona, 2000
Ingrid Reneau, Ph.D., Rutgers University, 1999
Rebecca F. Stern, Rice University, 1997
Tracey Weldon, Ph.D., Ohio State University, 1998

Overview

The Department of English offers programs leading to the M.A., M.F.A., and Ph.D. degrees and, in cooperation with the College of Education, the M.A.T. and I.M.A. degrees in English. Given the current condition of the job market, it is important to realize that an advanced degree in English does not guarantee a college-level teaching job. Consequently--even though our placement record is generally above the national average--some of our recent M.A. and Ph.D. graduates have pursued careers in high-school teaching and such nonacademic fields as publishing, journalism, and public relations. The M.A. degree program with a major in theatre and speech (speech communication emphasis) is also offered through the Department of English.

Admission

Applicants for an M.A., M.F.A., or Ph.D. degree in the Department of English must have completed a minimum of 24 semester hours in English beyond the sophomore, or lower-division, level with grades indicating ability for successful graduate work in the department. Applicants also must submit a sample of academic writing, a statement of purpose, and at least two satisfactory letters of recommendation from persons familiar with their academic achievement. Applicants for an M.A. or Ph.D. degree must have satisfied the department’s current standards on the GRE (both aptitude and advanced test of literature in English); applicants for an M.F.A. degree must have satisfied the department’s current standards on the GRE (aptitude test only).

Applicants for the M.A. degree program with a major in theatre and speech (speech communication emphasis) should hold a baccalaureate degree that includes a minimum of 24 semester hours in speech with grades indicating graduate ability and must submit satisfactory scores on the general section of the Graduate Record Examination and a recent writing sample.

Successful applicants to the M.A., M.F.A., and M.A.T. programs typically have GRE verbal and analytical scores in the 500-600 range and an undergraduate GPA of 3.00 or better. Students admitted to the Ph.D. program generally have GRE verbal and analytical scores in the 550-700 range and a GPA of 3.50 or better in their master's degree course work.

These standards, however, are only general guidelines. We do not use absolute numerical standards for any of our degrees, and we also pay very close attention to applicants' writing samples.

An applicant without a standard undergraduate English major may have to take up to 12 credits of 400-level English/American literature courses to make up for undergraduate deficiencies before the application will be considered.

Application deadlines are February 15 for those wishing to be considered for graduate assistantships and April 15 for all others.

Degree Requirements

Residence and other basic requirements for degrees in English are established by The Graduate School. Special requirements established by the department are outlined below.

Graduate credit for degree candidates in English normally is restricted to courses numbered 700 or above. Qualified graduate students may enroll in courses numbered 500-699 with the approval of the department's director of graduate studies and may receive graduate credit by doing such additional work as required by the department and the instructor. The chair of the department may authorize students in other departments or schools to obtain graduate credit in most English courses numbered 500-699.

Degree Programs

Master of Arts in English, with Emphasis in English and American Literature (30 hours)

The student must select one of the following areas for concentration: English literature before 1660, English literature after 1660, or American literature. Requirements include:

1. one course in American literature, one in English literature before 1660, one in English literature after 1660, and one additional course in the exam area (12 hours);
2. five electives (two may be taken outside the department; ENGL 700 and 732 are recommended) (15 hours);
3. a comprehensive exam covering one of the three areas of concentration;
4. thesis writing (3 hours);
5. a reading knowledge of one foreign language.

Master of Arts in English, with Emphasis in Composition and Rhetoric (33 hours)

Requirements include:

1. ENGL 790 and 791 (6 hours);
2. two courses from the following: ENGL 690* (see workshop course restrictions below), 792, 793, 794, 795, 890 (6 hours);
3. English and/or American literature, 700-800 level* (6 hours);
4. linguistics (must be approved by the Composition and Rhetoric Committee) (6 hours);
5. electives (must be approved by the Composition and Rhetoric Committee) (6 hours);
6. a three-hour written comprehensive exam on composition and rhetoric; once candidates have taken 30 graduate credits in this M.A. program (including any credits transferred from other institutions), they must take the M.A. exam before being allowed to enroll for more graduate credits; the exam may be taken no more than twice;
7. reading knowledge of a foreign language;
8. thesis, ENGL 799 (3 hours).

*Neither ENGL 701A and 701B nor more than one workshop course may be counted in the 30 hours of classroom credits; students wishing to emphasize technical writing should consult the graduate director about special conditions.

Master of Arts in Teaching (30 hours)

Eligibility for admission is limited to those persons seeking initial certification. The M.A.T. degree is for South Carolina certification in secondary English, and a candidate must satisfy the requirements for that certification in order to receive the degree. Admission as a candidate requires a satisfactory score on the GRE, a promising undergraduate record including a standard major in English, two letters of recommendation, and an acceptable writing sample (a paper submitted in an upper-division [400-level] literature course or equivalent).

To gain admission, a student must have at least 18 semester hours of these 400-level literature courses or their equivalent, including Black literature (ENGL 428--may be taken after conditional admission); contemporary literature (ENGL 413 or 423); Shakespeare's tragedies (ENGL 405); a non-Western literature; and 6 credits in survey-type, upper-division English and/or American literature courses.

Applicants without a standard English major please note: to fulfill this 18-credit requirement, you may take only upper-division courses that the Department of English M.A.T. advisor approves.

Applicants with an unsatisfactory test score or a marginal undergraduate record have a chance to be admitted conditionally and will have to take certain upper-division (400-level) English courses to make up for this undergraduate deficiency.

Requirements include:

1. A minimum of 30 graduate credits, with at least 15 graduate credits in English. In some cases a candidate who has taken undergraduate courses in education may use one of those courses to satisfy the overall education course requirements. These include a total of 30 credits graduate and undergraduate. The undergraduate courses are ENGL 447, 473, and 484.

2. Since all candidates must qualify for a South Carolina secondary English certificate in order to qualify for the English M.A.T. degree, all candidates must take, or have already taken, the specific courses required for that certificate. These are advanced composition, modern grammar, the development of modern English (the history of the English language), adolescent literature, and literary criticism. Such courses will be in addition to the minimum 15 graduate credits in English used to satisfy the English course requirements in the degree program. These certificate-required courses may be taken at the undergraduate level, and some of them are offered through Distance Education.

Interdisciplinary Master of Arts (33 hours)

The I.M.A. degree for secondary-school teachers is designed for college graduates who already hold a professional certificate in the teaching field in which they wish to earn the master's degree or who are academically certifiable by virtue of course work previously earned. Upon completion of the I.M.A. degree program, recipients will be eligible for a South Carolina Class I certificate in the teaching area. Major emphasis in this program is placed on course work in the teaching area.

Requirements include:

1. nine hours in professional education;
2. twenty-one hours in English;
3. three-hour elective in either English or education.

Master of Arts in English and Master of Library and Information Science (55 hours)

The joint master's program is a 55-hour program leading to an M.A. in English and a Master of Library and Information Science. It is administered by a joint committee, which recommends students for admission and approves their programs. Admission is only to the joint program. Neither degree will be awarded separately. If students wish to change from the joint program to the regular degree program in English or library and information science, they must reapply to the particular program they wish to enter.

Requirements include:

M.A. in English (28 hours)

1. ENGL 700 (3 hours);
2. one course from each of five course groups (15 hours);

a. Medieval and Renaissance--nondramatic: ENGL 703, 705, 708, 710, 715, 716

b. drama: ENGL 711, 712, 713, 718, 728

c. British literature, 1660-1900: ENGL 717, 720, 723, 724, 725, 726, 727

d. American literature before 1900: ENGL 742, 744, 745, 751, 758

e. 20th-century literature: ENGL 729, 730, 752, 755, 760, 761

3. one course in an allied field (3 hours);
e.g., ENGL 776, ENGL 870-872, HIST 790;
4. two elective courses (6 hours);
5. ENGL 799 (thesis) (1 hour);
6. a reading knowledge of one foreign language.

1. LIBR 701, 702, 703, 704, 705, 706 (18 hours);
2. library and information science electives (9 hours).

To enter the program the student must successfully complete 24 hours of English courses beyond the lower-division level and/or complete the major or cognate in business administration. The student must also have satisfactory scores on the GRE Subject Test in English and the GMAT exam for business administration. A personal interview or letter explaining why one wishes to enroll in the joint program is also required. Admission is only to the joint program. Neither degree will be awarded separately.

The student must choose one of three options within the program: poetry, fiction, or writing for the media. In addition to all the basic requirements for admission to the graduate English program, applicants must submit a writing sample in the genre that they wish to pursue (25 pages of fiction or writing for the media; at least 12 poems).

For admission, the applicant must have a master's degree or its equivalent. Each candidate must have a major and minor field. The major field may be chosen from the following: Medieval, Renaissance, Restoration and 18th-century English literature, 19th-century English literature, 20th-century English literature, colonial and 19th-century American literature, 20th-century American literature. The following may be used for the minor field only: linguistics, comparative literature, criticism theory, women's studies, history of the book and authorship, composition and rhetoric, and Southern literature. Students may choose to design an ad hoc minor, subject to approval by the Graduate Program Committee. Examples of ad hoc minors approved in the past include religion and literature, children's literature, and computers and literature.

Admission by the Department of English for graduate study does not mean admission as a candidate in the English and American literature Ph.D. program. Students are admitted to such candidacy on the basis of their record and a written qualifying exam; the exam is the section of the M.A. comprehensive exam in literature relevant to their chosen major field. Students should take this qualifying exam no later than the semester in which they are taking their 15th hour of course work. A student is allowed only two attempts to pass the admission-to-candidacy exam. Students in the M.A. program who apply to and are accepted into the Ph.D. program may request to have their M.A. exams reread as a Ph.D. qualifying exam. In such a case, the reread will count as one attempt. M.A. exams will not be read for Ph.D. qualifying purposes unless or until the student has been accepted into the Ph.D. program.

Admission to candidacy. Admission by the Department of English for graduate study does not mean admission as a candidate in the composition and rhetoric Ph.D. program. Students are admitted to such candidacy on the basis of their record and a written qualifying exam--the M.A. three-hour comprehensive exam in composition and rhetoric. A student who passes this exam for the M.A. degree may or may not have done well enough on the exam to be admitted to Ph.D. candidacy.

Students with a master's degree from other institutions must take this exam no later than the semester in which they are taking their 15th hour of course work or, if attending summer sessions only, no later than the second summer of study. An applicant may take this exam no more than twice, including the exam for the M.A.

The 48 semester hours of classroom course credit are the equivalent of two years (four semesters) of full-time graduate study. The Department of English may therefore waive up to 24 credits of this 48-credit requirement on a course-by-course basis for students with master's-level course work. In cases where the eight-year limit has passed, The Graduate School rule on the revalidation of one year of residency will apply.