English with a Concentration in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy (MA)

Overview

The Master’s degree in English cultivates scholarly and creative achievement through student literacy – specifically the abilities to read, write, and think critically, as well as an appreciation for the English language. The concentration in rhetoric, composition, and literacy focuses on the engagement made possible through written and spoken language, as well as the social and educational impact of advanced study in these three interconnected fields, including training future teachers.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the graduate program in English, prospective candidates must first meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below:

Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or a recognized international equivalent in English or a minimum of 12 upper‐level undergraduate hours in English or related field.
Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 60 semester credit hours.
GRE General Test. GRE test scores are valid for 5 years. A waiver of the GRE requirement will be granted to applicants who show proof of completing a graduate degree (master’s or doctoral).
Writing sample, a written academic paper suitable for an upper-division course

Application for admission must be submitted prior to the published deadline. The application is available at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply.

After being admitted to the MA program, students must consult with the graduate advisor of the program they wish to pursue in order to formulate and sign a degree plan. This certifies that the student is enrolling in courses appropriate to that program.

Academic Standing

Students seeking any graduate degree in English must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in the graduate hours taken from the program in English at UTRGV. If a student’s GPA falls below 3.0 in a given semester, the student will be placed on probation. If an overall 3.0 GPA is not recuperated during the following semester, the student will be placed on suspension.

Program Requirements

Non-thesis Option:

Required Courses - 18 Hours

ENGL 6320	Introduction to Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy	3
ENGL 6322	Theory in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy	3
ENGL 6323	History of Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy Studies	3
ENGL 6324	Pedagogy in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy	3

ENGL 6322, ENGL 6323, and ENGL 6324 may be repeated for additional credit. The second attempt of ENGL 6322, ENGL 6323, and ENGL 6324 will be applied in the Concentration section of the degree plan.

Choose one Literature & Cultural Studies Graduate Course:

ENGL 6300	Introduction to Literary Studies	3
ENGL 6301	Studies in Literary Theory	3
ENGL 6302	Studies in Literary History	3
ENGL 6303	Studies in Genre	3
ENGL 6304	Studies in British Literature	3
ENGL 6305	Studies in American Literature	3
ENGL 6306	Studies in Comparative Literature	3
ENGL 6307	Studies in European Literature	3
ENGL 6308	Studies in Mexican American Literature	3
ENGL 6310	Studies in Ethnic Literature	3
ENGL 6311	Studies in Gender and Literature	3
ENGL 6312	Studies in Single Author	3
ENGL 6313	Studies in Post-Colonial Studies	3
ENGL 6315	Studies in Cultural Studies	3
ENGL 6316	Special Topics in Literature	3
ENGL 6355	Literature for Secondary School Teachers	3
ENGL 6356	Children's Literature	3
ENGL 6357	Young Adult Literature	3

Choose one Linguistics Graduate Course:

ENGL 6360	Introduction to Descriptive Linguistics for Teachers	3
ENGL 6361	Problems in Linguistics	3
ENGL 6362	Modern English Syntax	3
ENGL 6363	Studies in English Phonology	3
ENGL 6365	History of the English Language	3
ENGL 6366	Special Topics in Linguistics	3
ENGL 6370	Introduction to English as a Second Language	3
ENGL 6371	Problems in English as a Second Language	3
ENGL 6372	Practicum in English as a Second Language	3
ENGL 6373	ESL Testing	3
ENGL 6374	Studies in Second Language Acquisition	3
ENGL 6375	Studies in Language and Culture	3
ENGL 6376	Varieties of Present Day English	3
ENGL 6377	Special Topics in Applied Linguistics	3

Rhetoric and Composition Concentration Courses - 12 Hours

Choose four from the following:

ENGL 6321	Research Methods in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy	3
ENGL 6322	Theory in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy	3
ENGL 6323	History of Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy Studies	3
ENGL 6324	Pedagogy in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy	3
ENGL 6325	Studies in Composition Techniques	3
ENGL 6326	Professional Writing	3
ENGL 6327	Writing Academic Discourse	3
ENGL 6328	Special Topics in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy Studies	3
ENGL 6329	Assessing & Responding to Student Writing	3

ENGL 6322, ENGL 6323, ENGL 6324, ENGL 6326, and ENGL 6328 may be repeated for additional credit when topic varies. Additional attempts of ENGL 6322, ENGL 6323, ENGL 6324, ENGL 6326, and ENGL 6328 will be applied in this section.

Prescribed Electives - 6 Hours

Choose any two English courses.

Capstone Requirement

Portfolio

Thesis Option

Required Courses - 21 Hours

ENGL 6320	Introduction to Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy	3
ENGL 6321	Research Methods in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy	3
ENGL 6322	Theory in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy	3
ENGL 6323	History of Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy Studies	3
ENGL 6324	Pedagogy in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy	3

ENGL 6322, ENGL 6323, and ENGL 6324 may be repeated for additional credit. Additional credit will apply in the Concentration section of the degree plan.

Choose one Literature & Cultural Studies Graduate Course:

ENGL 6300	Introduction to Literary Studies	3
ENGL 6301	Studies in Literary Theory	3
ENGL 6302	Studies in Literary History	3
ENGL 6303	Studies in Genre	3
ENGL 6304	Studies in British Literature	3
ENGL 6305	Studies in American Literature	3
ENGL 6306	Studies in Comparative Literature	3
ENGL 6307	Studies in European Literature	3
ENGL 6308	Studies in Mexican American Literature	3
ENGL 6310	Studies in Ethnic Literature	3
ENGL 6311	Studies in Gender and Literature	3
ENGL 6312	Studies in Single Author	3
ENGL 6313	Studies in Post-Colonial Studies	3
ENGL 6315	Studies in Cultural Studies	3
ENGL 6316	Special Topics in Literature	3
ENGL 6355	Literature for Secondary School Teachers	3
ENGL 6356	Children's Literature	3
ENGL 6357	Young Adult Literature	3

Choose one Linguistics Graduate Course:

ENGL 6360	Introduction to Descriptive Linguistics for Teachers	3
ENGL 6361	Problems in Linguistics	3
ENGL 6362	Modern English Syntax	3
ENGL 6363	Studies in English Phonology	3
ENGL 6365	History of the English Language	3
ENGL 6366	Special Topics in Linguistics	3
ENGL 6370	Introduction to English as a Second Language	3
ENGL 6371	Problems in English as a Second Language	3
ENGL 6372	Practicum in English as a Second Language	3
ENGL 6373	ESL Testing	3
ENGL 6374	Studies in Second Language Acquisition	3
ENGL 6375	Studies in Language and Culture	3
ENGL 6376	Varieties of Present Day English	3
ENGL 6377	Special Topics in Applied Linguistics	3

Rhetoric and Composition Concentration Courses - 9 Hours

Choose three from the following:

ENGL 6322	Theory in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy	3
ENGL 6323	History of Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy Studies	3
ENGL 6324	Pedagogy in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy	3
ENGL 6325	Studies in Composition Techniques	3
ENGL 6326	Professional Writing	3
ENGL 6328	Special Topics in Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy Studies	3
ENGL 6329	Assessing & Responding to Student Writing	3

ENGL 6322, ENGL 6323, ENGL 6324, ENGL 6326, and ENGL 6328 may be repeated for additional credit. The additional attempts of ENGL 6322, ENGL 6323, ENGL 6324, ENGL 6326, and ENGL 6328 will be applied in this section.

Thesis - 6 Hours

ENGL 7300	Thesis I	3
ENGL 7301	Thesis II	3

Total Credit Hours: 36