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Graduate Program
Academic Programs of Study
School of Arts and Sciences
Master of Arts
English and Communication (MA)
The Master of Arts (MA) in English and Communication challenges students to develop an integrated competence in the highly sought skills of reading, writing, and speaking. The program focuses attention on the many uses of language and on the nature of language itself. It requires students to become familiar with the connections between the written and the spoken word, and with the varied ways that language is shaped to serve aesthetic, social, and practical ends. By fostering research and analytic skills, the master’s degree prepares students for careers not only in teaching, but also in law, public relations, business, publishing – in any field where integrated competence in reading, writing, and speaking are especially valued.
Student Profile
The English and Communication Department at SUNY Potsdam is home to scholars of literature, rhetoric, speech communication, composition, and linguistics, making it unique within the SUNY system. Thus, our program is not a traditional program in literature and/or communication. It best serves students who wish to study in more than one of these disciplines. Students’ thesis projects can be rooted in one of these disciplines, or they may cross or blur disciplinary boundaries. A comprehensive approach to these distinct yet related fields defines the core graduate experience at Potsdam, making our MA program ideal for:
•Students who are preparing themselves for the pursuit of a PhD.
•Students who need the specialized skills an MA offers for their careers: teaching at community colleges; editing and publishing speeches, documents, and multimedia; and working for business, governmental agencies, and/or the corporate world in a multitude of capacities.
•Public school teachers who are pursuing a master’s in English and Communication for certification.
•Public school teachers who may already possess a Master’s degree but are looking to enhance their knowledge and skills.
Requirements for Admission
General Admission Requirements
• An earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university;
• Submission of the Graduate Application;
• Submission of a typed Letter of Intent written by the applicant and expressing the applicant’s professional goals as relevant to the program for which application is made;
• Submission of official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, even if a degree was not earned. Official transcripts involve no student intervention and are forwarded directly from the Registrar’s Office of the institution to the Office of Graduate Studies. Transcripts submitted in an admissions package will only be considered “official” if they are received in an envelope bearing the signature of the Registrar across the seal. Canadian students who have attended high school in Ontario should also forward an official high school transcript;
• A minimum undergraduate grade point average as indicated within each specific program of study – refer to the individual programs;
• Submission of a non-refundable $50 (U.S. funds) application processing fee;
• Specific programs may require additional materials such as letters of recommendation, submission of proof of current teaching certificate consistent with that of the proposed graduate study, and/or other requirements – refer to the Additional Admission Requirements within the specific program of study;
• Canadian and other international students must provide the following information: certification of finances; and for non-native English speaking candidates a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper) or 213 (computerized).
For additional information, contact the Office of Graduate Studies at 800-458-1142, ext. 1 or (315) 267-2165 or refer to the Graduate Catalog.
Admission Review Process
The overall admission process is structured as follows: once a candidate has submitted all of the required application materials, the Office of Graduate Studies will forward the materials to the appropriate School and academic department for an admission decision. The Graduate Admissions Committee of the selected program of study reviews the candidate's application and forwards a recommendation to the Dean of Graduate Studies. The Dean of Graduate Studies communicates to the prospective graduate candidate the rendered decision.
Additional Admission Requirements
1. Applicants shall have earned a bachelor’s degree with a major in English, Communication, or Writing from an accredited college or university. Outstanding applicants who hold degrees in other areas may be admitted, but they should be aware that additional coursework might be required.
2. Submission of three letters of reference, at least two of which shall be from undergraduate professors in the academic discipline of the baccalaureate degree.
3. A minimum Grade Point Average of 3.00 (A=4.0) in the most recent 60 semester hours of undergraduate study.
4. A writing sample, preferably a recent essay written for an upper-level English or Communication course that shows evidence of scholarly research and writing.
5. Each student must demonstrate competence in a foreign language equivalent to that required for the awarding of the Bachelor of Arts degree at SUNY Potsdam.
Advisor
Upon admission into the program, students should plan to meet with the Director of Graduate Studies in the English and Communication department for advising.
Courses
The courses in the MA program are taught from a variety of disciplinary perspectives: literary history and theory, rhetoric, speech communication, linguistics, and composition studies. What unites these courses is the notion that all texts and utterances exist as part of discursive systems. Students’ experience is also united by taking four core courses that develop the critical skills necessary to complete a Master’s thesis.
Course Requirements
A minimum of 33 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. The 33 credit hours are divided as follows:
Required Courses 12 Credits
GECD 601 Introduction to Research Methods (3)
GECD 602 Introduction to Discourse Studies (3)
GECD 603 Semiotics (3)
GECD 604 Professional Writing (3)
English and Communication Electives (15)
Electives Students will select, with prior advisor approval, five graduate English and Communication courses, 9 hours must be completed at the 600 level (15).
Only two independent study courses can count toward the graduate course requirements. No Winterim or three-week summer course can count toward the gradate course requirements.
Thesis (6)
GECD 690 Thesis Credits (6)
Total required credit hours 33
At least 27 of the 33 credit hours must be taken at the 600 level.
The Master’s Thesis
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 advisor of his or her Master’s thesis.
Master’s Committee
The Master’s Committee consists of an advisor and two readers. At least two members of the committee must be active members of the department, including the advisor.
Click here to view the Thesis Policies (Word format)
Click here to view the Thesis Policies (Adobe PDF format)
Click here to view Thesis Guidelines (Word format)
Click here to view Thesis Guidelines (Adobe PDF format)
Click here to view Acceptable Thesis Paper and CD (Word format)
Click here to view Acceptable Thesis Paper and CD (Adobe PDF format)
Click here to view Thesis Check List (Word format)
Click here to view Thesis Check List (Adobe PDF format)
English and Communication Courses:
Notation: course order is GECD, COMP, LITR, LNGS
GECD 601 Introduction to Research Methods (3) Practice in the skills and processes necessary to the graduate student, including compiling and evaluating sources, writing literature reviews, generating research topics, conducting research, and presenting one’s findings within a discourse community.
GECD 602 Introduction to Discourse Studies (3)Surveys major theories in the field, including discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, and ethnography of communication.
GECD 603 Semiotics (3) Semiotics is the study of signs and symbolic systems, especially in relation to verbal and nonverbal communication. This course investigates the relationship between signs and their symbolic systems, with specific attention to the culture and media in which they are produced: from language and its generic structures, to such nonverbal media as images (artwork, tattoos, money, fashion, and landscapes), sounds & music, and gestures (both conscious and unconscious).
GECD 604 Professional Writing (3)Practice in writing texts for professional publication in which students refine their understanding of form and style. Projects and readings are shaped by class interests and may include: 1) articles and essays for academic, professional, or mass media, 2) fiction or poetry, 3) technical communications.
GECD 605 Rhetoric and Society (3) Examines important contributions to rhetorical theory, with particular emphasis on how those theories have influenced contemporary rhetoric.
GECD 610 Theories of Interpretation (3)Examines the interpretative methods leading to the perception, interpretation, and understanding of texts. This course explores recent theories of interpretation by literary critics, philosophers, and other scholars. Consideration will also be given to the role of interpretation in students’ writing, speaking, teaching, and research.
GECD 615 Narratology (3) Narratology is the study of the structural components of a narrative. Drawing upon the works of various theorists—from Russian formalists to French structuralists—this course examines narrative as a distinct system of rules, exploring literary and cultural productions as embodiments of these rules.
GECD 620 Poetics (3) Poetics is concerned with the principles and rules of poetic composition. This course examines how such principles relate to various rhetorical and aesthetic theories about poetry.
GECD 625 Psychology and Discourse (3)Examines theories of the human mind and their effects on personal, cultural and literary constructions. While the specific subject matter may vary, recent topics have included the study of writing as a vehicle for psychological healing; the study of archetypal and myth criticism; and the study of shame-based literature.
GECD 640 Discourses of Nationalism (3)The purpose of this course is twofold: to explore discourses of nationalism and to examine the role that literary and non-literary texts have played in fostering, complicating, and resisting nationalist sentiments.
GECD 645 Discourses of Humanism (3)Examines the history and development of humanism, its relation to the divine, to the world as a scientifically observable phenomenon, to the individual, and to social and cultural institutions.
GECD 650 Discourses of Culture (3)Examines the varied discourses of culture, with particular attention given to forms of cultural production and networks of cultural dissemination.
GECD 655 Discourses of Ecology (3)Examines the discourse of ecological movements. Particular concerns are the shifts in aesthetic and communicative discourses as they respond to and influence community action, public policy, and scientific inquiry.
GECD 660 Gender and Identity in Discourse (3)Examines the discourse of gender and how such discourse serves to construct, reify, or challenge gender identities.
GECD 680 Special Topics (3) Topics will vary. Recent courses include Discourses of Modernism, Epic and Empire, and Shakespeare on Film.
GECD 690 Thesis Credits (1–6)
COMP 505 Rhetorical Criticism (3) A course that surveys works on the nature of discourse and rhetoric from Greek times to the present. Major figures and seminal works in the field of rhetoric will be examined and their theories of discourse compared. Among the topics covered will be the relationship between literary and non-literary forms of writing; the relationship between oral and written speech; the evolving conception of rhetoric over the ages; the functions of writing and rhetoric; the influence of other fields on rhetoric (e.g., psychology and linguistics); the matter of style; the future of rhetorical studies.
COMP 507 Theory of Composition (3) The course covers current theories and theoretical principles of necessity involving consideration of the psychology and pedagogy of composition. Three ideologies will be examined: the traditional (Kinneavy, A Theory of Discourse), the empirical (Hirsch, The Philosophy of Composition); and the rational (the Chomskyan “school”). Prerequisite:COMP 301 or permission or Graduate standing.
COMP 530 Rhetorical Theory (3) An examination of some of the important contributors to rhetorical theory beginning with Plato and Aristotle with particular emphasis on how the theories have influenced the shaping of contemporary rhetoric. Prerequisite: COMP 301 or permission or Graduate standing.
LITR 511 Advanced Topics: Literary Non-Fiction (3) This course studies non-fiction (biography, autobiography, the essay, new journalism) of literary value. Integrates close analysis of primary texts, secondary criticism, and critical theory. Focus will vary from semester to semester. Open to graduate students and upper-division undergraduate students. Pre-requisites: LITR 200 or LITR 201 and LITR 300 or Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
LITR 512 Advanced Topics: Short Story (3) The course studies the short story as a specific modern genre, beginning with examination of the form's emergence in the early nineteenth century and concluding with readings of contemporary texts. Integrates close analysis of primary texts, secondary criticism, and critical theory. Authors and focus will vary from semester to semester. Open to graduate students and upper-division undergraduate students. Pre-requisites: LITR 200 or LITR 201 and LITR 300 or Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
LITR 513 Advanced Topics: Drama (3) The course studies the forms and traditions of drama. Integrates close analysis of primary texts, secondary criticism, and critical theory. Authors and focus will vary from semester to semester. Open to graduate students and upper-division undergraduate students. Pre-requisites: LITR 200 or LITR 201 and LITR 300 or graduate standing or permission of instructor.
LITR 514 Advanced Topics: Poetry (3) The course studies the forms and traditions of poetry. Integrates close analysis of primary texts, secondary criticism, and critical theory. Authors and focus will vary from semester to semester. Open to graduate students and upper-division undergraduate students. Pre-requisites: LITR 200 or LITR 201 and LITR 300 or Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
LITR 515 Advanced Topics: The Novel (3) The course studies the novel from a variety of foci—though genre, period, theme or topic-based constraints. Integrates close analysis of primary texts, secondary criticism, and critical theory. Authors and focus will vary from semester to semester. Open to graduate students and upper-division undergraduate students. Pre-requisites: LITR 200 or LITR 201 and LITR 300 or Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
LITR 520 Special Topics in Literature (3) An examination of a special topic in literature, focusing on a genre, literary movement, or specific author(s). Topic course will vary from semester to semester. Student may take this seminar more than once, as long as topics differ. Open to graduate students and upper-division undergraduate students. Pre-requisites: LITR 200 or LITR 201 and LITR 300 or Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
LITR 523 Major Authors (3) For each offering a major author from English, American or World literature will be chosen for detailed study. Open to graduate students and upper-division undergraduate students. Pre-requisites: LITR 200 or LITR 201 and LITR 300 or Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
LITR 530 Advanced Topics in Film (3) This course studies film as a specific modern genre, beginning with examination of the form's emergence in the late nineteenth century and concluding with readings/viewings of contemporary films. Integrates close analysis of primary films, secondary criticism, and film theory. Films and focus will vary from semester to semester. Open to graduate students and upper-division undergraduate students. Pre-requisites: LITR 200 or LITR 201 or LITR 330 and LITR 300 or Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
LITR 580 Literary Theory (3) Theoretical approaches to literature and literary criticism. Pre-requisites: LITR 200 or LITR 201 and LITR 300 or Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
LITR 598 Independent Study (4–8)Guided individual reading and research under the supervision of a member of the English graduate faculty. The course is designed for those who are not preparing for the comprehensive examination.
LITR 628 Literary Criticism: Seminar (3) A study of the literary theory of the major literary critics from antiquity to the present including Aristotle, Dryden, Pope, Johnson, Wordsworth, James and Frye.
LITR 698 Tutorial Study (3) A study in a particular literary area or problem selected by the student and under the guidance of a member of the English graduate faculty.
LNGS 612 Studies in English Linguistics: Seminar (3) Problems and topics in the study of English linguistics. Prerequisites: course study in linguistics or history of the English language; proficiency in phonemic transcription may be required.
Click here to see the 2008-2009 graduate course offerings
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