English and Communication, M.A.

New students may not elect this program at this time.

The Master of Arts (MA) in English and Communication offers a personalized and interdisciplinary program of study in literature, writing, rhetoric, and communication, making it unique within the SUNY System. Both the coursework and the thesis project allow for breadth and depth of experience in areas that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries and allow for intellectual synthesis of English and Communication. What unites these fields is the notion that all texts and utterances exist as part of discursive systems. Individual advising, carefully selected classes and program construction, and a commitment to students are central to the program. The program welcomes part-time students, and most classes are scheduled in the evening to accommodate those with daytime employment. There are no GRE requirements, and applications are reviewed as they arrive throughout the calendar year, although admission is limited to the fall semester, although graduate assistantship applications should adhere to the published deadlines.

English & Communication Course Requirements

A minimum of 36 credit hours with an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher is required for the granting of the Master of Arts in English and Communication. At least 27 of the 36 credit hours must be taken at the 600 level. Upon admission into the program, students should meet with the Director of the Graduate Program in the English and Communication Department for advising.

The 36 credit hours are divided as follows:

Program Requirements

Required Courses: 6 Credits

GECD 601 - Introduction to Graduate Studies 3 Credit(s)
GECD 606 - Thesis Workshop 3 Credit(s)

Electives: 21 Credits

(7 courses and a maximum of three 500-level courses)

Students will select, with prior adviser approval, seven graduate English and Communication courses, at least twelve hours of which must be completed at the 600 level. A maximum of nine hours may be taken at the 500 level in any courses offered by the Department of English and Communication.

Thesis: 9 Credits

The Master’s Thesis and Committee: Each candidate must show evidence of his or her ability to research a discursive problem and write the findings clearly and correctly. To meet this requirement, the student prepares a Master’s thesis (50- 100 pages), which should demonstrate the student’s ability to interpret closely and critically on a subject agreeable to the student and the advisers of his or her Master’s thesis.

The Master’s Committee consists of an adviser and a reader, and they both must be active members of the department.

GECD 690 - Thesis Credits 1-6 Credit(s)