Comprehensive Exams and Thesis Option

All degree-seeking students must take Comprehensive Exams to demonstrate their knowledge in specific subject areas as defined by the MA Comprehensive Exam Reading List. Non-thesis students choose four subject areas in which to be examined; upon approval, non-thesis students may choose to be examined in one special topic area not covered by the reading list—e.g., Appalachian Literature—as a substitute for one subject area exam. Thesis students choose two subject areas in which to be examined. Thesis students are not allowed to create a special topic area, nor may they be examined in a subject area that includes the subject of their thesis. Comprehensive Exams typically are taken during the students’ final semester in the MA program. Students who plan to take the Comprehensive Exams should notify the Department of Literature and Language’s Assistant Chair for Graduate School at the beginning of the semester in which they wish to be examined; subject areas should also be selected at this time. Exams take place in the department’s Computer Lab, over the course of a five-hour block on a Saturday afternoon. Students are not allowed to use notes or other materials. Students who fail one subject area of the exam may retest in that area by means of an oral reexamination, which must take place within ten days after receiving results of the written examination. Students who fail two or more sections of the written exam—or fail both the written and oral examinations in one area—must retake the failed portion of the exam—or a newly selected portion—the following semester. Students may attempt the Comprehensive Exams only twice. Failure to pass both attempts will result in dismissal from the program.

For more information regarding the comprehensive exam, including sample questions and grading criteria, see the Comprehensive Exam Overview.

Thesis:

Students wishing to complete a thesis as part of the MA in English program will write a formal
proposal of 1,250-1,800 words (4-6 pages) early in the semester preceding that in which they
intend to enroll for thesis credit. Each student will submit this proposal to a potential committee
chair by 1 October for a thesis to be written in spring semester and by 1 March for a thesis to be
written in fall semester.

The potential committee chair may accept the proposal, decline it, or ask
for revisions. If revisions are required, the revised proposal must be approved by 1 November for
a thesis to be written in spring semester and by 1 April for a thesis to be written in fall semester.

Once a thesis chair has approved a proposal, the student must e-mail the approved proposal to the graduate studies coordinator so that thesis credits may be generated.

Students with approved proposals will set further deadlines in consultation with their
respective committee chairs (see below for a full timeline) and in agreement with deadlines preset by the School of Graduate
Studies. Graduate school deadlines for the thesis may be found on the Academic Calendar (helpfully colored green).

We currently do not offer a creative thesis option.

The formal extent of a thesis written for the Master of Arts in English degree in the Department
of Literature and Language is normally not less than 12,500 words and not more than 25,000,
excluding Works Cited/Bibliography and index (if present). Variations to these word counts are
to be determined and approved by the student’s thesis committee chair.

Thesis Forms:

All forms related to the thesis process may be found on the graduate school forms page. Forms are organized according to forms intitiated by students and forms initiated by faculty. The relevant forms include:

Initiated by students:

• Committee Appointment Form
• Manuscript Review Form

Initiated by Faculty (thesis chair):

• Notification of Thesis Defense
• Results of Thesis Defense

Full Thesis Timeline:

Further notes regarding thesis/non-thesis tracks:

• Non-thesis students will be tested in four areas of the comprehensive exams (with
  graduation contingent upon passing in all four testing areas).
• Non-thesis students must receive “distinction” in three out of four examination areas in
  order to be designated as passing their exams with “distinction.”
• Non-thesis students may petition to take one special topics section as part of their
  comprehensive exams; this section must be broad in focus and will be approved only
  when the topic in question does not already fall under the umbrella of an established
  section of the exam reading list.
  
  

• Thesis students are allowed to test in only two areas of the comprehensive exams (with
  graduation contingent upon passing in both testing areas and successfully completing and
  defending the thesis).
• Thesis students testing in only two areas must receive a score of “distinction” in both
  areas in order to be designated as passing their exams with “distinction.”
• Thesis students may not select to be examined in an area that includes the subject of
  their thesis without approval of the Department of Literature and Language’s Assistant
  Chair for Graduate School.
• Thesis students do not have the option of sitting a “special topic” section as one of their
  two examination areas.