Purpose:  The purpose of the M.A. exam is to demonstrate students’ ability to reflect on, synthesize and extend their graduate-level coursework.  It asks students to engage both professionally and personally with those issues that motivate us as critics and to position themselves discursively within a broader field of intellectual and literary ideas.

Format:
Portfolio: Matriculating students must retain clean, un-marked copies of each seminar paper completed during the program. At the completion of students’ third full semester of coursework, they will select four seminar papers drawn from four different 500- or 600-level courses taken during the M.A. program. Candidates must submit, in a manila folder (labeled “last name, first name, semester and year”):

(1) un-marked, unrevised copies of the four essays;
(2) a 250-word abstract of each essay;
(3) the M.A. Examination Permission Form;
(4) 500-word proposal for the reflective essay.  This proposal should describe the student’s theoretical framework and/or methodological approach, define the field(s), area(s), or period(s) on which the student will focus, provide a rationale for the selection of essays, and state the working thesis.  A carefully-drawn proposal will significantly improve the final product.  Students are encouraged to start early and to edit often.

M.A. examination:  The examination will take the form of an independent essay which will be supported by the portfolio.  On the basis of the four papers selected for the portfolio, the student will write an integrative, reflective essay of between 15-20 pages. Drawing from the problem(s), issue(s), and question(s) represented in the student’s portfolio, the essay must demonstrate an ability to identify and apply a theoretical argument or perspective focused on a central problem or a coherent set of issues or questions that run through, synthesize, and/or extend the papers the student has selected.  It might examine earlier assumptions and analyses, discuss appropriate future research, or solidify an understanding of a problem.  The essay must stand alone; that is, it must draw on the student’s essays in the same way any effective critical essay draws on its sources.  The essay should include a works cited or bibliography in MLA bibliographic style.

Although the portfolio will be available to the Examination Committee, only the abstracts of the essays will be provided to committee members.  Candidates should write their essays as if readers do not have access to the portfolio or to any other sources incorporated.  In short, the candidate must employ effective summary, provide adequate context, and incorporate details essential for clarity.  The final essay must meet professional standards of written expression and intellectual maturity.  Its ultimate purpose is to define the students as scholars at this point in their careers.

Benefits and Rationale:  This exam is an independent organic undertaking which asks students to assess their intellectual growth by directly engaging with their own work.  Because their work shapes the examination, students are, in a sense, testing their own intellectual development.  Moreover, the synthesizing process this examination requires allows students to pursue individual academic interests, either with an eye toward future doctoral studies or toward various other career goals.

Procedures and Deadlines:  All new incoming students will be briefed on the examination procedure during the fall orientation sessions with the Graduate Committee.  In addition, a mandatory examination workshop will be held within the first three weeks of each fall semester for all second year students, or those students intending to graduate during the academic year in which the workshop is held.  If a student does not attend the workshop, the student will not be eligible to take the exam during that year.  The Graduate Committee will discuss the exam procedure, the selection of essays, the expectations for the reflective essay, and will answer any questions students may pose. It is strongly recommended that students prepare for this meeting by having undertaken preliminary work on their proposals.

By Monday of the second week of the Spring semester in which the candidate will submit the independent essay, she must notify the Director of Graduate Studies in writing, using the form provided on the Graduate web site, of her intent to take the M.A. Examination.  The form, proposal, portfolio, and abstracts (see the checklist provided) must be returned by Monday at 5:00 p.m. of the second week of classes. In accordance with the policies of the College of Graduate and Outreach Programs, the student must be registered for the semester in which the examination will be taken.  The Graduate Committee will review these proposals, and either approve them or recommend revisions.  If revisions are recommended, it is likely that a conference to discuss revision will be scheduled with the candidate.  Candidates who are asked to revise their proposals will have approximately one week to do so.   

The M.A. exam may not be taken during the summer session.  It may be taken during the fall semester only under extraordinary circumstances and only if a student petitions and receives approval from the Graduate Committee well in advance.  Any student wishing to so petition should meet with the Director of Graduate Studies a full semester prior to the fall during which the student wishes to take the exam.  

The independent examination essay is due the Monday after spring break at 5:00 p.m.  All deadlines will be announced by the Director of Graduate Studies at the beginning the academic year and will be posted on the Graduate pages of the Department website.  Students are responsible for consulting this schedule and adhering to it.  No reminders will be sent.
Examination Committee:  The Examination Committee will consist of the Director of Graduate Studies and members of the Graduate Committee.

Evaluation: The candidate's reflective essay will be evaluated by the entire Examination Committee.  The results will be reported to the candidate within three weeks after the essay is completed and submitted. Grades are as follows: Pass with Distinction, Pass, Fail.  A candidate who receives a failing grade may revise and resubmit the essay to the exam committee one time only.  If the student fails a second time, he or she will be dismissed from the program.

The procedure for the Examination Committee is this:  The Director of Graduate Studies will make copies of each essay, of the abstracts of the essays included in each candidate’s portfolio, and of the 500-word proposal prefacing the portfolio for each member of the committee.  The Director of Graduate Studies will retain the Portfolios in her office and these will be available to committee members as requested.  The Committee will have two weeks to read the essays.  During the third week, the committee will meet to discuss the essays and assign grades.  Results will be announced following that meeting.  A student who fails will be given suggestions for revision and a deadline by which the revised essay must be re-submitted to the Examination Committee.

Feedback:  This examination essay is to be an independent project, and thus there are limited and very specific boundaries on faculty feedback.  Students will have two opportunities to understand the purpose and format of the exam:  (1) at the fall orientation session for new students and during the exam workshop held early each fall semester; (2) from the comments provided by the Graduate Committee on the student’s proposal.  Graduate faculty input is confined to evaluation of seminar papers during the semesters when these papers are written.  Students may certainly discuss their seminar papers with faculty after those papers have been returned, but students should not ask faculty for assistance in crafting their proposals or their reflective essays. 

General Timetable for M.A. Examination:

Fall Semester
Orientation: New students will be briefed on the examination format, procedures, and goals

Week 1-2:  Mandatory meeting for all students intending to take the examination during the spring semester of that year.

Spring Semester
2nd Monday: Portfolio (four essays, four abstracts, Permission form, and Proposal) due to DGS by 5:00 p.m.

Weeks 2-4:Graduate Committee meets to approve proposals and to advise students whose proposals require revision. 

Monday after Spring Break: Independent essays due to DGS by 5:00 p.m.

Weeks 1-3 following Spring Break: Graduate Committee evaluates essays and meets to assign grades.  Students advised; deadlines established for revision of failing essays

Click here for dates for the current academic year.

Any questions or concerns should be directed to Dr. Bankert, the Director of Graduate Studies.