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August 2005 (Updated May 2006) Dear Graduate Students, As many of you have heard, a comprehensive examination option will be added to our M.A. program beginning in the 2006/2007 academic year. So far, the most popular question is "will I be able to take the exam instead of writing a thesis?" Both students currently enrolled in the program and those who are beginning the program in the 2005/2006 academic year will have this option open to them. In addition to adding the comprehensive exam option, some other curricular changes have been made in each concentration (for example, elective units will now be a uniform 4 units in each concentration). Other than the changes made to each concentration, the major difference in degree requirements between the exam and thesis options is that the thesis carries 4 units of credit (ENG 699A and 699B), while the exam carries 0 units (ENG 999). This means that if you opt for the exam, you will need to take one additional 4-unit elective in order to complete the 48 units of the degree. Students admitted beginning in Fall 2006 who elect the thesis option will need a 3.7 GPA in degree-applicable courses. Also, when considering switching from a thesis to the exam if you have spent a number of years in the program, please keep in mind that courses expiring subsequent to Spring 06 cannot be waived, and will need to be retaken (waivers for certain courses expiring prior to Spring 06 are available under some circumstances; check with the coordinator of your concentration). If you have already enrolled in ENG 699A and/or ENG 699B, and you decide to switch to the exam option, your grades of "RP" in the 699 units will be changed to "W" for "authorized withdrawal" after you have completed all degree requirements and passed the comprehensive exam (in other words, this change will occur administratively after your graduation). ENG 695 (Thesis Proposal) will be retitled "Thesis Proposal and Comprehensive Examination Preparation," and will still be required in all concentrations. Beginning in Winter 06, ENG 695 will address both thesis proposal and exam preparation. The earliest you will be able to take the exam is in your final quarter of coursework; it will be offered twice yearly, in Fall and Spring Quarters; you will need to declare your intent to take the exam at least one quarter in advance and register for ENG 999 for the quarter you intend to take the exam. The exam will be offered for the first time in Fall 2006. Comparison of new and old programs Please review this comparison of the new and old programs (pdf format) before posing questions. Thanks! Renée Pigeon rpigeon@csusb.edu Note: Some forms and documents on this website are in pdf format. In order to view and print these, you need the Acrobat Reader; if you do not have the Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, it is available as a free download. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader Acrobat Viewer |
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