TRR 4/29/2016 1 2016-17 ENGLISH DEPARTMENT GRADUATE STUDENT RESOURCE GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS GENERAL INFORMATION Contact Information ....................................................................................... 3 Graduate School Resource Guide .................................................................. 3 FOR NEW M.A. CANDIDATES Incoming Graduate Student Information ....................................................... 4 REGISTERING FOR COURSES English Department Graduate Student Registering Guide ............................ 5 Graduate Course Transfer Request Form ...................................................... 8 FOR TEACHING ASSISTANTS Sexual Assault Reporting Procedure Summary ............................................. 8 English Department TA Guidelines ............................................................... 9 THE M.A. THESIS / AFTER COURSEWORK IS COMPLETED English Department Advisor Change Procedure ......................................... 10 Non-resident Graduate Student Information................................................ 10 Application for Candidacy of Degree .......................................................... 12 English Department MA Thesis Proposal and Thesis Guidelines ............... 13 Master’s Oral Defense Procedures .............................................................. 14 LOGISTICS FOR COMPLETING THE DEGREE English Department Degree Deadline Dates 2016-17 ................................. 15 English Department Degree Checklist ......................................................... 16 Library Clearance Form ............................................................................... 17 English Department MA Exit Questionnaire ............................................... 18 Graduate Studies in English, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610-1477 Phone: 508-793-7630 * Fax: 508-793-8870 * [email protected]* www.clarku.edu/english
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TRR 4/29/2016 1
2016-17 ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
GRADUATE STUDENT RESOURCE GUIDE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
GENERAL INFORMATION
Contact Information ....................................................................................... 3
Graduate School Resource Guide .................................................................. 3
FOR NEW M.A. CANDIDATES
Incoming Graduate Student Information ....................................................... 4
REGISTERING FOR COURSES
English Department Graduate Student Registering Guide ............................ 5
Graduate Course Transfer Request Form ...................................................... 8
FOR TEACHING ASSISTANTS
Sexual Assault Reporting Procedure Summary ............................................. 8
English Department TA Guidelines ............................................................... 9
THE M.A. THESIS / AFTER COURSEWORK IS COMPLETED
English Department Advisor Change Procedure ......................................... 10
Non-resident Graduate Student Information ................................................ 10
Application for Candidacy of Degree .......................................................... 12
English Department MA Thesis Proposal and Thesis Guidelines ............... 13
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT M. A. THESIS PROPOSAL AND THESIS GUIDELINES
POINTS IN GENERAL
Writing should be effective, clear, and coherent.
The thesis should demonstrate command of spelling and grammar rules as well as consistency in
the use of key terms.
If you opt to use the tools of a particular theoretical school, then you should be able to demonstrate
command of the lexicon.
Pay attention to the secondary sources you’ve used. Remember, citing secondary sources
demonstrates that you are taking part in the conversation on your topic.
THE THESIS PROPOSAL
The Thesis Proposal is a formal piece of writing, but it is the beginning of the discovery process
and hence will necessarily be less developed than the Thesis itself.
The Thesis Proposal should be submitted to the first reader early on in the process, ideally before
serious writing on the thesis has begun.
The Thesis Proposal should focus on the topic.
It should be minimally 3 pages and not more than 10, excluding the Bibliography.
o The following should be included in these 3-10 pages: the topic, the context, the method
(as you have a sense of it at the time of writing the Thesis Proposal; don’t worry, this may
change over time), the overview or main argument, and a list of chapters with summaries
of their contents.
The Bibliography should contain at least 20 to 25 sources.
o It should include important works that you intend to read as well as those you have read.
o It should be divided into Primary and Secondary Sources.
THE THESIS
Minimally, the Thesis should have an introduction, one chapter, and a conclusion. Typically, the
Thesis comprises two or three chapters beyond the introduction and conclusion.
MLA or University of Chicago style sheets are accepted. Formatting must, however, accord with
Clark University standards (see our website link for this information).
The Introduction
o The Introduction should contain an overview of the research done on the topic and your
positioning with respect to this research.
o In addition, any key terms used throughout the Thesis should be defined here and
examples of their usage given.
o Moreover, the rationale for the approach and the texts selected should appear here.
The Chapter(s)
o The case needs to be made for each chapter’s relevance to the topic and approach.
o Links among chapters should be made, so that the coherence of the Thesis should be
apparent.
o Throughout the entire Thesis, secondary materials should be used for support,
clarification, and/or demonstration of familiarity with the material.
o Argumentation throughout these chapters should be clear and effective.
The Conclusion
o Here, a recapitulation of points demonstrated should be made.
o A look forward or towards other projects may be made.
TRR 4/29/2016 14
MASTER’S ORAL DEFENSE PROCEDURES
In close consultation with your Thesis Advisor, you should early on develop a list of works that will form the
basis of your M.A. Oral Defense. This list should then be distributed to your other two readers.
When your Thesis has been completed and approved by first and second readers, you should consult with all three
readers to set up a convenient date for your Oral Defense, making sure that they and the English Graduate office
have at least ten days prior notice of the date and time. Contact the English Graduate Office as soon as
possible with the following information:
Oral Defense date and time
Thesis Advisor, second, and third reader
Thesis title
Whether or not you want an announcement sent out inviting faculty and other graduate students to sit
in on the oral.
You may invite guests to attend your Defense as passive observers. The English Graduate Office will distribute
an announcement if notified far enough in advance.
The Oral Defense should last approximately one hour and begin with your brief presentation on that aspect of
your Thesis that you consider most significant. You should then either:
demonstrate your ability to integrate your knowledge of literature,
or
discuss the literary period, genre, or general critical topic most closely related to your Thesis.
If you choose the first option, you should have a familiarity with literature sufficiently broad and, at some points,
deep to warrant bestowing the degree of Master of Arts. If you choose the second option, depth of understanding
over a more limited chronological range should be your objective.
For example, if you wrote on William Faulkner, you might choose the first option and discuss your Thesis in light
of literary creativity. You might, however, prefer the second option and choose to discuss your thesis with respect
to the novel as genre or to communication theory.
If you fail to perform satisfactorily, you may reschedule an Oral Defense again after a period of at least three
months.
Upon successful completion of the Master's Oral Defense, your three readers determine a grade taking both the
Thesis and Oral Defense into account. That grade is the final grade for English 397 Master’s Thesis. Your grade
will be submitted to student records only after the final copy of your thesis is turned in and all other
graduation requirements are fulfilled. If you do not fulfill all graduation requirements within one year of your
oral defense, you will be required to re-take your Oral Defense.
Once you have passed your Oral Defense, you will need to submit two final, unbound copies of your Thesis.
The original unbound Thesis (on standard regulation thesis paper—20 lb. minimum weight and 25% minimum
rag content) goes to the Graduate School, along with the English Graduate Office’s written verification that you
have successfully completed all your degree requirements. The other unbound copy (any grade of paper) goes to
the English Graduate Office. If you wish to have personal copies bound in hard cover, the Technical Services
section of the Goddard Library can process the order through its bindery at a reasonable cost.
All theses and dissertations become permanent acquisitions of Clark University’s Goddard Library and must
conform to their binding and microfilm requirements.
TRR 4/29/2016 15
Graduate Studies in English Phone: 508-793-7630 950 Main Street Fax: 508-793-8870 Worcester, MA 01610-1477 [email protected] www.clarku.edu/english
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT DEADLINE DATES FOR ORAL DEFENSE & THESIS SUBMISSION
Degrees are officially conferred three times during the academic year. Degrees will be conferred according to the dates listed below.
Degree to be conferred August 31, 2016 Complete draft of thesis turned in to thesis advisor on or before May 13.
(back-and-forth revising is discouraged over the summer). *Application for Degree must be completed online May 18-June 19. Formatting must be approved on or before July 1 and preferably sooner. Oral defense must be completed on or before July15. Final copies of thesis must be submitted on or before August 1.
Degree to be conferred December 30, 2016 Complete draft of thesis turned in to thesis advisor on or before September 5. *Application for Degree must be completed online September 8-25. Formatting must be approved on or before November 1 and preferably sooner. Oral defense must be completed on or before November 13. Final copies of thesis must be submitted on or before December 1.
Degree to be conferred at Commencement on May 21, 2017 Complete draft of thesis turned in to thesis advisor on or before January 31. Thesis copy to second reader on or before last day of February. *Application for Degree must be submitted online September 8-25, 2015. Formatting must be approved on or before March 1and preferably sooner. Oral defense must be completed on or before March 13 Final copies of thesis must be submitted on or before April 1 (NO EXTENSIONS WILL BE GIVEN).
__________________________________
Thesis formatting: Please contact Denise Robertson, the Graduate School Coordinator/Format Advisor, by phone (508-793-7676) or e-mail ([email protected] ). Theses with incorrect formatting will not be
accepted by the Graduate School office and could delay conferral of the degree. Please consult the Graduate School Thesis Format Guide at http://www.clarku.edu/graduatestudentresources.cfm for detailed information.
*Application for Degree: Please note the Application for Degree is accessed through your CUWEB account. As part of preparation for graduation, all students must complete the online Application for Degree. Submitting this form by the deadline is important, since we use it to confirm your status, your degree, and (very important!) how you want your name to appear on your diploma. If for any reason you do not complete your degree requirements in the semester you first indicate, please contact the Registrar's Office. *Students who fail to complete the form during the open application period must wait until the next open period and will not be eligible to graduate until the next graduation date.
To complete the form: 1. Log on to CUWEB using your Clark credentials (www.clarku.edu go to ClarkYOU LOGIN) 2. In CUWEB, click on Main Menu 3. Click on the Registrar's Office, Student Accounts and Financial Aid link 4. Click on Student Records 5. Click on Application for Degree 6. Read and follow the instructions carefully
If you have any questions or problems when filling out the form, please contact the Registrar's Office at [email protected] or 508-793-7426.