Overview:

A student who takes the MA in English at Sam Houston State University earns thirty-six hours of graduate credit. The student follows one of two possible Degree Plans:

Plan I: a thirty-six hour English major, with the option of writing a Thesis.

Plan II: a twenty-four hour English major, with a twelve-hour minor in another graduate field; the student does not have the thesis option under this plan.

All students take ENG 697, Methods of Research and Bibliography, at the first available opportunity.

All students fulfill Course Block requirements, as specified by the degree plan: Students following Plan I take at least one class from each of the five blocks; students following Plan II take a course in Block I and courses in at least three other blocks.   

All students sit for a Written Comprehensive Examination over three broad areas of literature and language, typically in the final semester of coursework.

All students sit for an Oral Examination: The thesis student defends her or his finished thesis orally; the non-thesis student sits for a one-hour oral comprehensive examination covering the same areas as the written examination.

Ten Steps to the Master’s Degree in English:

• Submit all required materials for admission. See Admissions.

• Satisfy any conditions attached to your admission: You must fulfill any requirements that made your acceptance into the English MA Program probationary or conditional—including reporting your GRE scores—and do so in the time stipulated by the conditions. Any credit hours taken beyond those allowed under the restrictions of conditional or probationary admission will not be counted toward the degree.

• During your first long term, as the course is available, complete English 697, Methods of Research and Bibliography, with a grade of A or B.

• Declare your graduate major after completing no fewer than twelve and, preferably, no more than fifteen semester hours, including English 697 and a Block I course. At this time you declare your degree plan and establish “candidacy.” The declaration of major is required before you may take the comprehensive examination, write a thesis, transfer credits from previous graduate work, and substitute courses. See Declaration of Major.

• Complete all coursework required by your degree plan. Fulfill all course block requirements. See Course Blocks.

• For thesis students:
  
  Begin work on the thesis. Ask a member of the graduate English faculty to serve as thesis director. File an appointment of committee form with the Director of Graduate Studies.
  
  Enroll in English 698 (Thesis I). Students enroll in this three-credit course for the first semester of thesis work. The student receives a grade of CR (credit) or NC (no credit) for the class. To earn credit for this course, the student must submit to the Director of Graduate Studies a thesis prospectus approved by the members of his or her committee and must complete a draft of the introduction or first chapter.
  
  Enroll in English 699 (Thesis II). The student enrolls in this class every semester and receives a grade of IP (In Progress) until the thesis is completed.
  
  For more information, see Writing the English Master’s Thesis.

• Take the written comprehensive examination: Submit a declaration of intent to take the comprehensive examination form in the semester before you plan to sit for the exam. Consult the posted reading lists to prepare for each of the three examination areas. Then sit for the exam, which is offered three times annually (February, June, and October). You must be enrolled at the University during the semester in which you take the comps; you must stay enrolled during that semester. For more information, see The Comprehensive Examination in English.

• If you are a thesis student, defend your completed thesis orally. If you are a non-thesis student, take the oral comprehensive exam. You must be enrolled at the University during the semester in which you take the oral examination. For more information, see The Oral Examination.
  
  
• File for graduation with the Office of the Registrar. Be sure to fulfill any missing requirements. If you decide not to graduate after having filed, be sure to notify the Registrar. For more information, see Graduation.

• Graduate. Proudly collect your degree, celebrate, and go out to do good works in the world.