Welcome to the Master of Arts in English Education Program Page
About the Program|Admission|Financial Aid|Advising|Program of Study|Documents|Internship|FTCE|Portfolio|Graduation|Other

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About the Program

Are you thinking about attending graduate school, but you’re not quite sure which masters program is right for you? The M.A. in English Education program at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg may be just what you’re looking for.
Would you like to study English, American, and world literature, English language and grammar, or English and multimedia composition in more depth at the graduate level? Would you like to learn more about educational theories, research, and teaching methods? The M.A. in English Education makes it possible for you to extend your learning of English language, literature, and composition, as well as teaching theories and strategies – all in the same program.

If you are currently in any of the following situations and want to begin graduate studies, the English Education masters program may be right for you.

1. You are a fully certified middle or high school English teacher and would like to broaden your knowledge of both English content and teaching methodologies.
2. You have a temporary teaching certificate for English 6-12 and would like to take certification courses at the graduate level.
3. You have a B.A. in English or a related area, have not taken any education courses, but would like to get a temporary teaching certificate to begin teaching English at the secondary level.
4. You are a secondary English teacher who would like to take courses to fulfill the Florida Reading Endorsement.
5. You would like to teach English at the community college level.

The English Education masters program does not lead to Florida teaching certification in secondary English. However, the plan of study is flexible enough for you to work towards any of the goals listed above. In addition, since you will be taking 6 graduate courses from the English Department, you will meet requirements to teach English at community colleges with this degree.

In order for you to best prepare yourself for your future goals, you must meet with the program advisor to plan a program of study and courses that are appropriate for your situation. If you are considering the Masters in English Education program and have further questions, please feel free to contact the program advisor.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Program

• Can I attend full-time or part-time?
  You can attend as either a full-time or part-time student.
• Can I complete the program in St. Petersburg?
  Yes, all courses are taught at USF St. Petersburg.
• Can I complete the program by taking classes only at night?
  Yes, all courses are offered at night, and some are offered online.
• Do I take comprehensive exams as a program requirement?
  Instead of comprehensive exams, you will write 2 comprehensive papers as an exit requirement for the English Education Masters program. Generally the comprehensive papers are written during your last semester. You must be registered for 2 graduate credit hours the semester that you complete your comprehensive papers. You will write two 20-page research papers plus references. One paper will be on a topic related to English content, such as literary criticism or theory related to a particular literary work, author, or genre. The second paper will be on a topic related to teaching English or applying educational theory or practices to the English classroom, such as teaching writing in secondary school, teaching Shakespeare to middle school students, or using adolescent literature to teach struggling secondary students.
• Can I take courses before I am admitted?
  Yes, you can register as a non-degree seeking student at USFSP and take specified courses that will be part of your program of study. Up to 4 of these courses can be transferred to your program after you are admitted. You must receive grades no lower than B on these courses.
• Can I transfer courses from another university?
  With departmental approval and if the courses fit into your plan of study, a maximum of 8 semester hours or three graduate courses may be transferred from a regionally accredited university. However, no undergraduate courses can be substituted for a graduate course. You may be asked to provide a transcript, catalog course description, and syllabus.
• When are the deadlines to apply for admission to graduate studies?
  • Fall admission June 1st
  • Spring admission October 15th
  • Summer admission March 1st

Admission Requirements

• Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited university.
• An undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) minimum on a 4.0 scale in all work attempted while registered as an upper division student working toward a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• Successful completion of all portions of the CLAST (prior to June 30, 2002), the Praxis I, or the General Knowledge Test,
  -OR-
• Completion of the verbal and quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE),
  -OR-
• A previous graduate degree from a regionally accredited university.

Financial Aid / Scholarships Information
Please visit our Financial Aid / Scholarships section to navigate through the financial aid and scholarships information.

Advising
Advisor: Dr. Cynthia Leung
Email: cleung@mail.usf.edu
Phone: 727-873-4051

Program of Study (Program Courses)

There are two options for your plan of study. Both plans of study require you to successfully complete 11 graduate level courses.

Courses required for both options:

• One of the following:
  EDF 6481 Foundations of Educational Research (or)
  EDF 6432 Foundations of Measurement (or)
  EDG 6931 Current Trends in Assessment 3 credits
• LAE 6637 Current Trends in English Education 3 credits
• 6 graduate elective courses at 6000 level from English Department
  (Courses with AML, ENL, LIT, ENG, ENC, or LIN Prefix) 18 credits

Courses required for the different options:

• Option 1 – General Education
  3 graduate elective courses at 6000 level from College of Education
  (May include courses required for Florida teacher certification)
  9 credits
• Option 2 – Reading Endorsement
  3 graduate level courses towards the Florida Reading Endorsement
  9 credits

To complete the Florida Reading Endorsement, you will need to take 2 additional courses. To qualify for the endorsement, you must successfully complete the following 5 courses offered at USFSP:

• RED 6116 Trends in Differentiated Reading Instruction (online)
  RED 6545 Issues of Vocabulary and Word Study (online)
  RED 6544 Cognition, Comprehension, and Content Area Reading
  RED 6540 Assessment in Literacy
  RED 6846 Practicum in Reading
  (RED 6540 and RED 6846 are co-requisites taught in Fall semesters)

Comprehensive Papers are required for both options. You will write two 20-page research papers plus references. One paper will be on a topic related to English content, such as literary criticism or theory related to a particular literary work, author, or genre. The second paper will be on a topic related to teaching English or applying educational theory or practices to the English classroom, such as teaching writing in secondary school, teaching Shakespeare to middle school students, or using adolescent literature to teach struggling secondary students.

In order for you to best prepare yourself for your future goals, you must meet with the program advisor to plan a program of study and courses that are appropriate for your situation.

Forms/Documents for Students
Please visit our Forms & Documents for Students section to download and print documents and forms.

Internship/Seminar Information
Not required for this program

FTCE Information
Not required for this program

Portfolio / E-Portfolio
Not required for this program

Graduation Requirements & Dates
Please visit our Graduation section for graduation information.

Other Information

1. Apply online using the following website:
   http://www.stpt.usf.edu/spgrad/Graduate_Admissions/graduate_application.htm
2. Have Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores, CLAST, Praxis I, or General Knowledge Test scores reported to USFSP Graduate Admissions.
   To expedite your application process, you can send copies of test score sheets or transcripts to:
   University of South Florida St. Petersburg
   Office of Graduate Studies
   140 Seventh Avenue South, BAY 204
   St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5016
3. Obtain an online Graduate Catalog at: http://www.stpt.usf.edu/spgrad/Graduate_Catalog.htm .
4. File a Planned Program of Studies with your advisor as soon as possible after you have been admitted to the program, before you register for classes.
5. Validate your admission by taking at least one course in the semester in which you are admitted. If you are unable to do so, contact the Associate Dean, Dr. Deanna Michael (dmichael@spadmin.usf.edu, 727-873-4155). Otherwise, you will be dropped from the program.
6. All students are required to subscribe to the USF St. Petersburg Graduate Programs listserv and to monitor email messages. Send a blank email to join-gradprog@lists.acomp.usf.edu. A confirming message will be sent back to you.
7. Maintain a 3.0 grade point average to remain in good academic standing. If your GPA drops below this level, you will be placed on Academic Probation.
8. Apply to write your Comprehensive Papers in the semester prior to the one you will write them, before the last day of classes.
   Plan to be enrolled in at least two graduate credit hours the semester you write your Comprehensive Papers.
   Generally, the Comprehensive Papers will be written during your last semester of classes.
   Complete the online form and submit to your academic advisor, Dr. Cynthia Leung. Use the following link to locate the form: http://www.stpt.usf.edu/coe/documents/compapplication2009.doc
9. Submit the Application for Degree to your advisor at the same time you submit your application for comprehensive papers, before the end of the semester prior to the one you plan to graduate. Meet with your advisor at this time to review graduation requirements. The form is online at http://www.registrar.usf.edu/forms/MPhDWebComp2007-06-13_9_48_13.pdf. Please print the form and take to your advisor for her approval and signature.
10. The following rubric will be used to grade your Comprehensive Papers: Rubric for Comprehensive Papers. You must pass your comprehensive papers in order to graduate. There is no charge for doing your comprehensive papers, but you must turn in the application as explained above.