Master of Arts in English and Writing Studies - Composition and Rhetoric

California State University - San Bernardino

The Master of Arts in English and Writing Studies is designed for students interested in pursuing advanced studies in the related fields of linguistics, literature, composition and rhetoric, as well as English pedagogy and public and professional writing. With its firm grounding in theory, research, and pedagogy, the M.A. in English and Writing Studies prepares students to excel as scholars, as writers, and as teachers of writing, literature, linguistics, and English as a second language. The mission of the graduate program is to engage students in an exploration of how written and spoken texts work rhetorically and stylistically, as well as how historical, cultural, and social conditions affect the ways in which speakers, writers, and readers construct meaning. In addition, the program provides students with a strong foundation for pursuing a Ph.D. degree. The M.A. enables students, whatever their career path, to become socially committed, rhetorically flexible scholars, teachers and writers, well-prepared to make significant contributions in their chosen fields and communities, both local and global. The Graduate Committee, under the leadership of the graduate coordinators, has general supervision of the program and the work of students. Students are required to consult regularly with the graduate coordinators for advising. Petitions for waiver of requirements must be approved by the graduate coordinators and the Dean of Graduate Studies when appropriate. The B.A. in English + M.A. in English and Writing Studies 4+1 Option is a possible pathway for students who wish to complete both degrees. The B.A. in English + M.A. in English and Writing Studies provides an accelerated, time intensive pathway to the completion of the graduate degree by allowing undergraduate students to take 4 graduate level courses (12 units) while in undergraduate status. These 12 graduate level units can double count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Admission to the B.A. in English + M.A. in English and Writing Studies is open only to students who have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or an average GPA of 3.0 in undergraduate coursework in English completed at the time of the application. Students who have a lower GPA than 3.0 may still apply and will be evaluated based on the strength of their other supporting materials. Admission must be approved by the Department of English following the C.A.P.E Scholars Program policies and procedures (Coyote Accelerated Postbaccalaureate Education). Furthermore, students who do not maintain a 3.0 GPA upon completion of the B.A. in English will not be permitted to move to graduate status and will graduate with the B.A.