THE MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGLISH EDUCATION
Director: Patricia D. Valenti
The Department of English,
Theatre, and Languages offers a Master’s of Arts in English
Education and provides candidates with opportunities for personal,
intellectual, professional, and pedagogical growth.
Inservice teachers with initial licensure who successfully
complete the program obtain the North Carolina M license in English. The UNCP
Graduate Program in English Education is one of the few programs in the state
approved by the Department of Public Instruction for the new Advanced Licensure
in English. Program requirements are also aligned with National Board
Certification standards.
College graduates with backgrounds
in English or related fields may enroll in the program to acquire advanced
knowledge and skills in literature and literacy for various personal and
professional proposes, including preparation to teach in community colleges.
Through graduate course work,
candidates for the Master of Arts in English Education acquire, extend,
synthesize, apply, and reflect upon their knowledge, expertise, and experience
in literature, literacy, and pedagogy.
The culminating product of the
graduate experience is a Capstone Portfolio and Presentation through which
candidates document that they have met the following program goals:
1. advanced knowledge and expertise in literacy and literature
2. advanced knowledge of and planning for diverse learners
3. expertise in research and research skills
4. application of knowledge and skills to their teaching of diverse learners
5. reflection on personal, intellectual, pedagogical, and professional growth
|
Requirements for a Master of Arts in
English Education |
Sem. Hrs. |
|
A. Core Courses (12 hours required) EED 500—Literacy and Literature in Context: Curricula, Assessment, and Reform EED 551—The Teaching of Writing: Theories, Issues, and Practices EED 552—The Teaching of Literature: Theories, Issues, and Practices EDN 566—Educational Research |
12 |
|
B. Literacy Emphasis (6 hours required; up to 18 hours accepted) ENG 510—Rhetorical Grammar ENG 520—Issues in Contemporary American English ENGS 5xx—Special Topics in Literacy SPE 523—Spoken Communication ENG 544, 545—Process Writing ENG 550—Advanced Nonfiction Writing ENG 575—Film Literacy ENG 581—Phonetics and Phonology (fall odd years)* ENG 583—Second Language Acquisition (spring even years)* ENG 585—Cultural Issues of English as a Second Language (fall even years)* ENG 589—Applied Pedagogy of
Teaching English as a Second Language (spring odd years)* |
6
- 18 |
|
C. Literature Emphasis (6 hours required; up to 18 hours accepted) ENGS 5xx — Special Topics Seminar ENGS 5xx — Figures Seminar ENGS 5xx — Epochs Seminar ENGS 5xx — Genre Seminar |
6
- 18 |
|
D. Thesis (0 hours required; 6 hours accepted) Thesis credit (6 hours) will be awarded under B.
Literacy Emphasis or C. Literature Emphasis, depending on the topic. Students writing a thesis must also take
six hours of course work in the Emphasis in which thesis credit is awarded. |
0
- 6 |
|
E. Capstone Portfolio and
Presentation is the culminating experience of the graduate program and
takes place during the last semester (fall or spring) of the candidate’s
course work. |
|
|
|
Program Total: 36 |
*Indicates
courses leading to Graduate Add-On Licensure in ESL;
candidates for this licensure must have taken ENG 346—Aspects of the English
Language and ENG 371—English Grammar or their equivalents.
The degree must be completed within five years of admission to the program. Students should note rotation of core courses and should complete their capstone experience to assure that they can complete all requirements in a timely manner.
COURSES
These courses are grouped into four areas (see above for English Education program requirements). They are also available to students enrolled in other graduate programs.
A. EED CORE COURSES
(also in the core is EDN 566, Educational Research—see listing in M.A.Ed. program)
EED 500. Literacy and Literature in Context: Curricula, Assessment, and Reform
Literacy and literature from intersecting historical, global, psychological, socioeconomic, and curricular perspectives; the role of technology; diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment; theory, philosophy, and research into pedagogy addressing students’ exceptionalities and multiple intelligences; literacy and literature demands of the N. C. Standard Course of Study and National Board Standard; and findings that delineate how literacy and literature professionals can provide leadership in the twenty-first century.
EED 551. The Teaching of Writing: Theories, Issues, and Practices
Study of composition theory, rhetoric, and research findings about writers and learning to write; study and application of current trends in writing curricula, writing across the curriculum, classroom strategies, and assessment; practice and clinical experience with effective pedagogy: integrated language arts, developmental writing units for diverse learners, successful assignments for various genres and purposes (creative, expository, persuasive), process writing, revising and editing, teacher and peer response and evaluation, portfolio evaluation, essay testing, publishing student work, adapting to N.C. Standard Course of Study guidelines, and technology integration.
EED 552. The Teaching of Literature: Theories, Issues, and Practices
Theories of literary interpretation and their application to curricula and pedagogy for students with diverse learning styles, cultural backgrounds and developmental needs; assessment of reading and literature; applications of technology, multidisciplinary approaches, and scholarly research through clinical experiences in literature classes; understanding purposes, genres, and conventions of written, spoken, media texts.
B. LITERACY EMPHASIS
ENG 510. Rhetorical Grammar
Thorough study of advanced elements of English grammar, with emphasis on grammar knowledge as a rhetorical tool, to help writers understand grammatical choices available to them and the effects those choices have on readers. Grammatical principles are applied to students’ own writing.
ENG 520. Issues in Contemporary American English
Study of the characteristic features of contemporary American English in print and non‑print media, dynamic factors in linguistic change, and concerns about the state of American English today.
ENGS 5xx. Special Topics in Literacy
Course content will vary from term to term. Possible topics include (1) Significant Contemporary Thinkers on Literacy: Freire, Kozol, and Ong; (2) Adult Literacy: Problems and Possibilities; (3) Family Literacy. Upon request. PREREQ: EED 500 recommended. Study of selected topics in literacy.
SPE 523. Spoken Communication
Study of the communication behaviors which influence our casual and business relationships. Review of intrapersonal, interpersonal, interview, group discussion, and public communication.
ENG 544. Process Writing: Theory
Studies of the theoretical bases of process writing, especially those identified with The National Writing Project and The North Carolina Writing Project. Special attention to sequence in writing, discourse analysis, and rhetoric; and to research related to process writing, grading, and evaluation. Summer Only. PREREQ: (1) Acceptance into North Carolina Writing Project at UNCP, (2) To be taken simultaneously with EED 545.
ENG 545. Process Writing: Practicum
Applications of process writing, especially those identified with the National Writing Project and The North Carolina Writing Project. Special attention to heuristics, conferencing, and sentence‑combining and to practice, including those of T.D. Allen, that have proven effective in Southeastern North Carolina. Summer only. PREREQ: (1) acceptance into the North Carolina Writing Project at UNCP (2) To be taken simultaneously with EED 544.
ENG 550. Advanced Nonfiction Writing
Study and extensive practice of the conventions of expository (including narrative) and persuasive writing, including autobiographical and biographical forms, the profile, and interview. Alternative topics, depending on student interest, may include study of the history and strategies of rhetoric and such practices as research, documentation, and setting and dialogue in modern literary journalism.
ENG 575. Film Literacy
A course in film analysis. Emphasizes the teaching of film and includes the elements of film study, a brief survey of film history, and an examination of significant directors, themes, or types of film.
*ENG 581. Phonetics and Phonology
A study of the speech sounds that occur in the languages of the world will cover physiological properties of the speech producing apparatus, phonetic transcription using the international phonetic alphabet, and both theoretical and applied study of phonological patterns. Fall of odd-numbered years. Credit, 3 semester hours.
*ENG 583. Second Language Acquisition
An in-depth study of both theoretical issues in second language acquisition and the practical application of theory in the ESL classroom, including learning styles and strategies; the importance of affective factors and socio-cultural factors in language learning; contrastive analysis, interlanguage, and error analysis; and communicative competence. Spring of even-numbered years. Credit, 3 semester hours.
*ENG 585. Cultural Issues of English as a Second Language
A study of important cultural issues relevant to the teaching and learning of English as a second language, including bilingualism, differences in cultural patterns of perception and thinking, differences in what is considered appropriate student behavior and appropriate teacher behavior in a variety of cultures, and cultural differences expressed in verbal and non-verbal behavior. The importance of understanding and taking into account the cultural backgrounds of students in the teaching of ESL and the importance of teaching American culture as a part of ESL will also be considered. Fall of even-numbered years. Credit, 3 semester hours.
*ENG 589. Applied Pedagogy of Teaching English as a Second Language
Following a review of the pedagogical fundamentals grounded in cognitive, affective, and linguistic principles of second language acquisition, this course will focus on the practical realities of the language classroom, including curriculum development, lesson planning, evaluation of students and programs, and classroom management. Spring of odd-numbered years. Credit, 3 semester hours. PREREQ: ENG 346, 371, 581, 583, 585.
*Indicates courses leading to Graduate Add-On Licensure in ESL
C. LITERATURE EMPHASIS
ENGS 5xx. Literature: Special Topics
A seminar approach to the study of a particular literary topic; special emphases such as dynamic changes in literature of specific minorities or cultures, or literature in its relationship to another medium or discipline; extended seminar papers examining individual themes, writers, or works. Course content will vary from term to term. Possible topics include Southern Literature, American Indian Literature, Black Literature, Journalism and the New Journalism, and Literature in Film Adaptation.
ENGS 5xx. Literature: Figures Seminar
A seminar approach to the study of one major literary figure (or perhaps a few major figures); extended seminar papers exploring particular works, themes, characteristics, or problems. Course content will vary from term to term. Possible topics include Chaucer, Faulkner, Mann, Pope and Swift, Milton, and Emerson and Thoreau.
ENGS 5xx. Literature: Epochs Seminar
A seminar approach to the study of a significant period of American, British, or world literature; seminar papers appraising characteristics of the epoch or an individual’s shaping influences on the epoch. Course content will vary from term to term. Possible topics include The Romantic Rebellion, Literature of the English Renaissance, American Transcendentalism, and Eighteenth Century Studies.
ENGS 5xx. Literature: Genre Seminar
A seminar approach to the study of a particular literary type seen in its genesis, maturation, and subsequent influence; seminar papers exploring the contributions of a specific figure or major work to the development of the genre. Course content will vary from term to term. Possible topics include Development of the American Short Story, The Victorian Novel, Studies in Modern World Drama, The Epic, and Biography.
D. THESIS
ENG 600. Thesis
The student prepares a thesis in the area of his/her interest under the direction of the major advisor and a thesis committee. Graded on a Satisfactory (Pass)/Unsatisfactory (Fail) basis. PREREQ: Completion of 21 hours of graduate work and EDN 566.