Graduate - Clarion University

58 Clarion University of PennsylvaniaEnglish(though not exclusively) for students who plan to go onto doctoral programs or other professional work in thefield of English, while the coursework option is designed(though again not exclusively) for students who wish tofurther their study of English at the graduate level, but arenot anticipating a career in research.Thesis OptionStudents who choose the thesis track must complete30 hours of regular graduate coursework, plus sixhours of ENG 601; propose, research, and composean acceptable master’s thesis; and defend the thesisin an oral qualifying examination, conducted bymembers of the student’s Master’s Committee.Examination OptionStudents who choose the examination track mustcomplete 33 hours of regular graduate coursework,plus 3 hours of ENG 601; and take and pass awritten qualifying examination, administered bythe student’s Master’s Committee.Coursework OptionStudents who choose the coursework track mustcomplete 36 hours of regular graduate courseworkand submit a portfolio of three representativeseminar papers drawn from those courses.Students choosing the thesis and examination optionsmust have advanced to candidacy before registering forENG 601 credits. Candidacy is granted upon formationof a Master’s Committee. For further details concerningthe steps and procedures of the qualifying process, pleasecontact the program coordinator or consult the program’sWebsite.A maximum of six credits from the 400-level courses listed below can be taken for graduate credit with permissionfrom the graduate program coordinator or department chair. 400-level courses taken for undergraduate credit cannotbe repeated for graduate credit.English CoursesGraduate AssistantshipsThe department offers a small number of graduateassistantship positions in the Writing Center whichprovide stipends and tuition waivers to recipients. Workingclosely with faculty, undergraduates, and fellow graduatestudents, graduate assistants gain invaluable hands-onexperience in the business of teaching and thinking aboutwriting, including opportunities to:• tutor and consult one-on-one with student writers• assist in first-year writing classes• develop professional expertise in writing andconsulting• acquire technical skills with writing software andcomputers in a lab settingThe Writing Center is also authorized to award CollegeReading & Learning Association Tutor Certification towriting consultants who meet the training and tutoringhour qualifications.Assistantships in the Writing Center are limited innumber; as a result, awards are highly competitive.(Additional assistantships outside the Writing Centerare available from the university.) Students applying forpositions in the Writing Center should make sure that atleast one reference letter addresses the applicant’s potentialto tutor writing in a college setting. Applicants shouldsubmit an additional statement explaining their interestin the graduate assistantship position and outlining theirqualifications for the job. Interviews are required of newapplicants for positions in the Writing Center (arrangementscan be made with the Writing Center director). Decisionsare made at the beginning of May for the followingacademic year; applicants should therefore complete theirapplications by the middle of April, at the latest, in orderto be considered.ENG 401: Chaucer 3 s.h.Studies in Middle English of Chaucer’s early poems, Troilus and Criseyde, and the Canterbury Tales. Fall, even-numberedyears.ENG 412: Shakespeare: Comedies and Histories 3 s.h.Provides study and discussion of problems of style, characterization, and motivation in Shakespeare’s maturing andexperimental comedies and his history of plays. Also examines how the plays reflect and challenge the cultural attitudes ofShakespeare’s time. Fall, annually.ENG 413: Shakespeare: Tragedies and Romances 3 s.h.Provides study and discussion of problems of style, characterization, and motivation in Shakespeare’s tragedies and romances. Alsoexamines the production practices of Shakespeare’s time and contemporary production approaches. Spring, annually.ENG 457: Introduction to Linguistics 3 s.h.Presents key concepts and basic analytical procedures common to many contemporary linguistic theories. Covers phoneticsand phonology, morphology, and syntax. Analyzes the integration of these sub-systems in the overall design of a generativegrammar. Prerequisite: ENG/Anth 262. Fall, annually.ENG 458: History of the English Language 3 s.h.Studies the history of the language, including its origins and changes in structure, usage, pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary,and meaning. Intensive readings in Old and Middle English. Spring, even-numbered years.ENG 459: Language Acquisition Across Cultures: Materials and Assessment 3 s.h.Introduces current research in first and second language acquisition with an emphasis on the preparation of classroomteachers and other professionals to work with children/adults coming from a background where languages other than Englishare spoken. Prerequisite: ENG 262 recommended but not required. Spring, odd-numbered years.