course description of thesis writing

Thesis Syllabus I - EDUC 684

This course is intended for Master’s level students to create a Master’s Thesis project and to see it through to the first draft. In this semester, students will work with their thesis committee to make any necessary revisions to the thesis proposal and produce the first draft of the thesis. Students will work one-on-one with their thesis advisor and the thesis coordinator to identify times that they will meet and create a plan for communication throughout the process of completing the Master’s Thesis.   

Course Focus

The Master’s Thesis is the culminating assessment in earning the degree of Master of Arts in Urban Education at Rhodes College. As such, it should be treated as a serious and academically rigorous component of the program. Each project is unique to the student completing it, and thus there is flexibility in scheduling, approach, and style that is up to the discretion of the thesis advisor. The thesis component of the M.A. in Urban Education at Rhodes College is meant to demonstrate advanced study and inquiry into a particular facet of urban education in relation to the experiences of candidates in the program. The thesis is a work of original scholarship, designed with guidance from a thesis advisor and thesis committee. A copy of the final project is uploaded to the ProQuest Dissertation and Theses database and added to the College Archives. 

Thesis Committee

Program faculty will assign a thesis advisor and an additional committee member to each student. Working with their advisor, candidates can elect to add a third advisor from the college faculty or from a member of the community who has demonstrated expertise in the subject matter or who has considerable relevant practitioner experience. All committee appointments are subject to review and approval by the Master's Thesis coordinator and program faculty.

Thesis Proposal

The proposal should explain the purpose of the study or inquiry, including the following sections:

• Introduction
• Review of Relevant Research

Thesis proposals should be roughly 2,000 words, excluding references. Guidelines for specific requirements of each section of the proposal will be assigned by the thesis advisor. The thesis committee will review the proposal and submit requests for revisions to the candidate as necessary. 

Thesis Proposal Formatting

Length :  Double-spaced typed pages, size 12 Times New Roman font, with 1-inch margins on all sides. Thesis proposals should be approximately 2,000 words, before references.

Citations : All proposals must use APA formatting. If you have any questions, consult the APA manual.

Grammar/Spelling/Punctuation : Be sure to proofread your proposal and strive to avoid any grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. 

Thesis Draft

The thesis should be organized into something like the following structure (though consult with your advisor for more specific guidance):

• Findings (Results/Analysis)
• Discussion (e.g., Interpretation, Connection to Existing Research, Implications, Limitations of the Study)
• Appendix(es) [only if required by the project; e.g., curriculum project]

Complete theses should be between 6,000-8,000 words, including references and the curriculum appendices of curriculum projects.

Thesis Draft Formatting

See all thesis draft formatting requirements here .

Evaluation of Student Performance

Student performance will be evaluated based on the components listed below. Each element is required in order to receive any credit for the course. (One cannot, for example, skip the thesis proposal and still pass with a 70% in the course. This caveat includes any and all required revisions to the thesis following the thesis proposal.) The final judgment about each of these areas is made by the advisor in consultation with the thesis coordinator and/or other committee members.

Grading Scale :

• achievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course requirements.
• achievement that is above the level necessary to meet course requirements.
• achievement that meets the minimum course requirements in every respect.
• achievement that is worthy of credit even though it fails to meet fully the course requirements.

Course Policies

Participation : Students are required to schedule and attend meetings with their advisor (number of meetings TBD by advisor), respond to inquiries and requests by advisors, committee members, and thesis coordinator (including timely response to all correspondence over email), and attend all core events related to the thesis (e.g., workshops). 

In recognition of the fact that illness and emergencies occur, students are allowed one absence from scheduled meetings/events without it impacting their grade. After the second absence, the participation score will drop to half. After the third absence, a student will receive a zero for the participation score. Four absences will result in an automatic failure of the course . In the event of exceptional circumstances, a student who has had four absences in a single course can request a hearing with the program faculty to consider granting a waiver of this policy. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to notify the instructor as soon as you know and make a plan for a new meeting time. 

Automatic Failing Grade : If a student misses 4 or more meetings, they will automatically receive an F for the semester. See above for examples of excusable absences and requirements for completing missed course work.

Students who do not submit a thesis proposal or first draft will automatically receive an F for the semester.

Tardiness : Please arrive to meetings on time. Tardiness will result in a loss of participation credit.

Late assignments : You are expected to hand in all assignments on time. Failure to do so will affect your grade at your advisor's discretion. 

All submitted components of the thesis must be your own work and completed in accordance with Rhodes’ Honor Code. Students are expected to be familiar with the requirements of the Code and to conduct themselves accordingly in all classroom matters. Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s information or ideas without proper citation. If you have questions about the correct use or citation of materials, please consult with your advisor or the Writing Center. Papers with evidence of plagiarism will be referred to the Honor Council.

Rhodes faculty are concerned about the well-being and development of our students and are required by policy to share knowledge of sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, sexual exploitation, stalking, sexual harassment, and sex/gender discrimination with the Title IX Coordinator, Tiffany Cox. For more information about Rhodes’s sexual misconduct policy or to make a report, please go here .

The (free) course to get you started

Take the first step towards crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project with our free mini-course .

– 100% free – there’s absolutely no cost to enroll – Easy to understand explanations and examples – Extensive video , audio and text-based content – Free downloadable templates and tools

The Perfect Starting Point

This flexible mini-course is built from a carefully curated selection of our best video and text content. Working through the course content, you’ll learn:

• How to find a high-quality research topic
• How to develop a convincing research proposal
• How to craft a high-quality introduction and literature review
• How to choose a suitable methodology and  present your results
• How to polish your dissertation or thesis for the highest marks

You can start wherever makes sense for you, and you can work at your own pace. While you will get the maximum benefit from working through all the content in order, you’re welcome to skip around.

What It Covers

Below you’ll find an overview of the course curriculum. To view more detail, simply click to expand the respective section.

Part 1: Topic Ideation & Proposal

In this section, we lay the foundations for a strong dissertation by exploring the topic ideation and proposal development stages.

• Dissertation 101: What you need to know
• Topic ideation and refinement: 5 time-saving tips
• Research aims, objectives and questions (the golden thread)
• Research proposal 101: What you need to know
• How to write a research proposal
• Common mistakes in the proposal stage
• Research proposal template (Download)

Part 2: Starting Your Dissertation Or Thesis

In this section, we move onto the dissertation/thesis document itself. We consider the broader structure of the document, as well as the first chapter – the introduction.

• How to structure your dissertation or thesis
• Introduction chapter 101 – Why, what and how
• Delimitations and limitations
• Common mistakes in the introduction chapter
• Dissertation/thesis template (Download)

Part 3: Crafting Your Literature Review

In this section, we explore the all-important literature review chapter, as well as the broader literature review process.

• Literature review 101: What you need to know
• How to write a literature review: big-picture process
• How to find high-quality literature (quickly)
• How to review journal articles efficiently
• Literature review Excel template (Download)
• How to structure the literature review chapter
• Literature review chapter template (Download)
• Common mistakes in the literature review
• Tips & tools to fast-track your literature review

Part 4: Designing Your Methodology

In this section, we dive into the complex world of research methodology to demystify this often-intimidating aspect of research.

• Research methodology & design 101
• Qualitative vs quantitative research
• How to choose a research methodology
• Saunder’s research onion: Overview
• How to write the methodology chapter/section
• Sampling methods and strategies
• Qualitative data collection and analysis
• Quantitative data collection and analysis
• How to write the methodology chapter
• Methodology chapter template (Download)
• Common mistakes in the methodology chapter
• Avoiding bias in your research

Part 5: Presenting Your Results

With the methodology out of the way, we move onto the results and discussion chapters in this section. We consider important matters for both qualitative and quantitative projects.

• The results chapter: Qualitative
• The results chapter: Quantitative
• Common mistakes in the results chapter
• The discussion chapter 101: What, why & how
• Common mistakes in the discussion chapter
• Discussion chapter template (Download)

Part 6: Wrapping Up

In this section, we move on to the final chapter in the typical dissertation – the conclusion chapter. We also discuss some other important considerations to help ensure that you present a strong document.

• The conclusion chapter 101: What, why and how
• Research limitations and implications
• Common mistakes in the conclusion chapter
• Conclusion chapter template (Download)
• The abstract 101: What, why and how
• Writing the abstract: 5 common mistakes to avoid
• Defending your dissertation or thesis
• Referencing: How to use Mendeley & Zotero
• Referencing: 7 common mistakes to avoid

Part 7: General Tips & Tools

In this final section, we discuss a mixed bag to help you approach your dissertation/thesis writing in the most efficient way possible.

• Essential apps for the research journey
• Descriptive vs analytical writing
• How to reduce word count
• How to craft strong arguments in your dissertation
• How to choose the right charts and graphs
• Academic misconduct

Join Now (Instant Access)

Enter your details to join the course (100% free)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this course really free.

Yes. There is no cost to enroll in the course or use any of the course resources. All content is free to access, whenever you need it.

Is there a set schedule for the course?

No. You can complete the course at your own pace and select whichever lessons are most relevant to you.

Does this course involve tests and/or exams?

No. As a flexible mini-course, there are no tests or exams. Please consider our paid courses if you are looking for an assessed course.

Can I get a certificate of completion?

No. Since the mini-course is completely flexible and there are no tests/assessments, we cannot issue a certificate of completion. If you’re looking for a certificate program, please consider our paid courses .

Can I access the templates without doing the course?

Yes. You can access the templates here .

Is this the same as the "Work Smarter Not Harder" ebook?

We unbundled the ebook a few years ago to make the content more accessible and digestible for first-time researchers. This course draws on much of the original content and is far more comprehensive than the ebook.

Need hands-on help?

If you need personalised support for your research project, consider our private coaching service.   As your research partner, we’ll hold your hand throughout the research journey, step by step .

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Course Descriptions

Gr 981 thesis writing - credit hours: 3.

Semester normally offered: On demand

Course Description

Students enroll in this course following the successful completion of GR 980 Guided Research on Thesis Topic in order to finish writing the M.A. thesis. Students work with an assigned thesis reader in addition to the thesis advisor.

Course Equivalencies

Course objectives.

The course objectives with vary with the nature and subject matter of the thesis project. 

Field Study

J.r. briggs.

Marsha Wright

Dongwook Joo

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Course info.

• David Custer

Departments

• Mechanical Engineering

As Taught In

• Academic Writing

Undergraduate Thesis for Course 2-A

Course description.

This course is taken by mechanical engineering majors during their senior year to prepare a detailed thesis proposal under the guidance of staff from the Writing Program. The thesis proposal must bear the endorsement of the thesis supervisor and indicate the number of units planned.

This course is offered during the …

This course is offered during the Independent Activities Period (IAP), which is a special 4-week term at MIT that runs from the first week of January until the end of the month.

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Research and Writing of the Thesis Project – DMIN 880

CG • Section 8WK • 11/08/2019 to 04/16/2020 • Modified 09/05/2023

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Course Description

An introduction to the thesis writing process and how ministry is enhanced using current electronic resources. Students will be introduced to all phases of the d.min thesis writing process, including the thesis timeline, research, writing the thesis, and the finished product, including the abstract and the vita. Students will become familiar with the Thesis Manual and with resources available to them through the library and the Liberty University Writing Center. Use of electronic databases for ministry research and Turabian Formatting will be introduced.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the  Academic Course Catalog .

DMIN 880 sits at the critical juncture between course completion and thesis project research and writing. The course design guides Doctor of Ministry students through the dissertation process and provides direction regarding appropriate research methods culminating in a final written product.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations , the student will complete the related checklist found in Module/Week 1.

Discussion Board Forums (4)

Discussion Boards are collaborative learning experiences. The student is required to create a thread in response to the instructor provided prompt for each forum. Each thread must be at least 300 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to one other classmates’ thread. The reply must be at least 200 words. CLO: A, C

Memo to Myself

First half: Identify your thesis title and topic. Second half: Explain your understanding of an action research project, (that it includes a local ministry project that is measurable, including a pre and post assessment and an intervention to solve the problem). Share what those plans are in your research project.. CLO: A, F

Thesis Title, Topic, and Abstract

The student will follow the directions for developing a thesis Title, Topic, and Abstract set out in the Thesis Project Handbook . He/She will consult Kibbe, From Topic to Thesis to complete this assignment. CLO: A, E

Thesis Project: Introduction

The student will submit a draft of his/her thesis project Introduction comprising five (5) sections as set out in the most recent Thesis Project Handbook . The sections will be completed across five (5) modules. The Introduction serves as the prospectus or proposal for the student’s thesis project and explains what he/she plans to do to carry out the study. Therefore, the student will write the entire Introduction in the future tense. Length and content guidelines for this assignment are in the Thesis Project Handbook and the student must follow its guidelines when preparing the Introduction for submission. He/She will consult, Sensing, Qualitative Research as he/she completes this assignment. CLO: B, E

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Application

This assignment serves as a means for becoming familiar with IRB requirements and expectations. Consult Sensing, Qualitative Research (Appendix 1 and Appendix 2) as you complete this assignment. It will be submitted in two parts. CLO: D

• IRB Application – Draft

The student will complete the IRB Application provided in Blackboard.

• IRB Application – Corrected

The student will address all of the instructor’s feedback from the IRB Application Draft, before submitting the corrected version to Blackboard.

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Course Description for the Thesis - MSc Degree (45 credits)

For the Thesis Master’s in Dental Sciences, we aim to train students to: 1) perform a literature review, 2) identify important issues in a specific field and understand the scientific approach to research questions, 3) carry out a scientific study and appropriately managing its data, 4) appreciate the ethics involved in animal and/or human research, and 5) express oneself clearly in science (when speaking and writing).

Biological and Medical Sciences (GPS) Thesis Requirements

Each student will have a Research Advisory Committee consisting of the research supervisor and two or three other staff or invited members. This Committee will evaluate the research proposal and monitor student progress. A research proposal must be submitted, in writing, to the Research Advisory Committee no later than the end of the second semester of the program. If the proposal is approved, the student may continue in the program. If it is inadequate, a revised proposal must be submitted within three (3) months. Upon its approval, the student will complete the research work and be required to present the results at a Faculty seminar before a thesis is written for submission to the Thesis Office of GPS.

Graduate students should consult the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website , and more particularly the guidelines for thesis preparation and submission, for regulations and updated information pertaining to their program of study. In order to meet thesis submission deadlines, it is recommended that graduate students allow approximately two months time at the end of their research program to coordinate and perform the writing of the thesis in collaboration with their supervisor.

Required Courses (8 credits)

Dentistry: Topics in current research in Oral Health Sciences.

Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci

• Students must register for both DENT 671D1 and DENT 671D2
• No credit will be given for this course unless both DENT 671D1 and DENT 671D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
• DENT 671D1 and DENT 671D2 together are equivalent to DENT 671
• Elizabeth Zimmermann

Dentistry: See DENT 671D1 for course description.

• Prerequisite: DENT 671D1
• Winter 2025

Epidemiology & Biostatistics: Basic principles of statistical inference applicable to clinical, epidemiologic, and other health research. Topics include: methods of describing data, statistical inference for means, statistical inference for proportions, non-parametric statistics, correlation and introduction to linear regression.

Offered by: Epidemiology and Biostatistics

• Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
• Restriction: Restricted to students registered in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, Human Nutrition, Medical Residents, and Clinical Fellows.
• Course not opened to students registered in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics programs.
• Due to the intensive nature of this course during the summer session, the standard add/drop and withdrawal deadlines do not apply. Add/drop is the third lecture day and withdrawal is the sixth lecture day. The standard add/drop and withdrawal deadlines apply for sections of this course offered during the Fall or Winter semesters.
• This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
• There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year

Required Thesis Research Courses (Choose for 24-30 credits)

The required number of Master's thesis credits (minimum 24) will be made up from among the following courses which comprise independent work under the direction of a supervisor on a research problem in the student's designated area of research:

Dentistry: Independent work under the direction of a supervisor on a research problem in the student's designated area of research: Literature Review and Hypothesis Generation.

Dentistry: Independent work under the direction of a supervisor on a research problem in the student's designated area of research: Literature Review and Protocol Development.

Dentistry: Independent work under the direction of a supervisor on a research problem in the student's designated area of research.

Dentistry: Independent work under the direction of a supervisor on a research problem in the student's designated area of research: Data Analysis & Thesis Preparation.

Listing of Suggested Complementary Courses (Choose for 7-14 credits)

Dentistry: Biological and synthetic biomaterials, medical devices, and the issues related to their bioperformance. The physicochemical characteristics of biomaterials in relation to their biocompatibility and sterilization.

• Restrictions: Graduate and final year undergraduates from physical, biological, medical and dental sciences, and engineering.
• Maryam Tabrizian

Dentistry: Presentation of the neurobiology of pain and analgesia, clinical pain conditions, basic and applied research methods in the study of pain, and the theory and practice of pain management. The course is designed for graduate students interested in pain mechanisms and clinical residents interested in pain management.

• Restriction: Open to all health professionals

Dentistry: Advanced topics on extracellular matrix biology with emphasis on matrix molecules and their effects on cell communication, tissue structure and integrity.

• Mari Tuulia Kaartinen, Kenneth Finnson, Dieter Reinhardt, Emerson Krock

Dentistry: Exploration of how to write a mixed methods research protocol or manuscript and some more advanced mixed methods data analysis applications.

• Prerequisite: Permission of instructor if graduate student is outside the Faculty.
• Note: Contact hours: Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Faculty of Dentistry: 514-398-7203, extensions 096455 & 00059); language of instruction: English.
• Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken or are taking FMED 672 . Only open to graduate students in the Faculty of Dentistry.
• Only open to students who have had prior graduate training in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research.

Dentistry: Advanced readings in student's area of research.

• Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructors.
• Restriction(s): Open to students enrolled in a graduate program at the Faculty of Dentistry. In some circumstances, it may be opened to students from another Faculty.

Epidemiology & Biostatistics: Univariate and multivariate statistical techniques for continuous categorical and survival data. Topics include generalized linear models, multiple linear and logistic regression, introductory survival analysis, model selection. Maximum likelihood and Bayesean approaches will be presented.

• Prerequisite(s): EPIB 601 and EPIB 607 of permission of instructor.

Epidemiology & Biostatistics: Lectures and discussions on issues, approaches and techniques of clinical trials including assessment of feasibility, ethics, randomization, strengths and weaknesses of alternative designs, sample size requirements, protocol development, trial management and analysis, reporting and interpretation of trial results.

• Prerequisite(s): EPIB 601 and EPIB 607 .

Experimental Medicine: Different molecular methods used in biomedical research, including chromatography, purification and analysis of proteins and nucleic acids, various techniques in molecular biology, transgenic technology, and stem cells. Lectures, some demonstrations, and short seminars given by the students.

Offered by: Medicine

• Simon Rousseau, Gregory J Fonseca

Department and University Information

Dean's office.

• Undergraduate Teaching Clinic

Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry

• DMD Program
• Advanced Standings
• MSc Non-Thesis
• OMFS Programs
• Pain and Neuroscience
• Mineralized Tissues and Extracellular Matrix Biology
• Biomaterials, Nanobiotechnology and Tissue Engineering
• Population Oral Health
• Student and Staff Clinic
• Community Clinics
• Affiliated Clinics
• Alan Edward Centre for Research on Pain
• Centre for Bone and Periodontal Research
• McGill Institute for Advanced Materials
• Facility for Electron Microscopy Research

T h e   N e w   S c h o o l

Course catalog, thesis research & writing 2, parsons school of design: school of art, media, and tech.

Credits : 3

This two-semester sequence is the academic component of the 2nd year MFA Core curriculum, complementing the individualized studio visits and group critiques. This second segment will focus on translating the student’s research — accumulated individually within their own practice as well as collectively in class — into its textual form. Creative and innovative writing strategies are encouraged with the aim for students to find their voice in relation to their own work. Therefore this class will offer an enhanced focus on writing skills, through short writing exercises and in class reading of relevant writings by other artists. Writing in this class is not only understood not as an art-historical reflection but also as a professional tool to critically engage one’s own work as part of one’s studio practice and on the other to be able to adequately presenting to an audience what informs and drives the work and how it is situated within the larger contemporary field. Students will share their own writing process in class as well as in one to one sessions with the instructor. The class will end with a two-day symposium public thesis presentation and discussion students final thesis.

College : Parsons School of Design (PS)

Department : School of Art, Media, and Tech (AMT)

Campus : New York City (GV)

Course Format : Seminar (R)

Modality : In-Person

Max Enrollment : 11

Add/Drop Deadline : February 4, 2024 (Sunday)

Online Withdrawal Deadline : April 16, 2024 (Tuesday)

Seats Available : No

Status : Closed *

* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 10:02am EDT 3/29/2024

CRN : 13371

Preparing Your Written Course Descriptions

Main navigation, timeline for course descriptions.

Since publishing a course description involves a process of drafting, consultation with the Associate Director and the PWR1 or PWR 2 Course Coordinator, and then revision, the drafting and submission process begins well before that quarter begins.  In general, the final, revised course descriptions for a quarter will be due by week five of the previous quarter.   So, for instance, the final course descriptions for a Winter Quarter course will be due by  week 5 of Autumn Quarter.  This timeline ensures the courses will be coded and uploaded online by the time registration opens.

Characteristics of an Effective Course Description

An effective section description includes these elements:

• An  engaging title  that captures your readers’ attention and helps them quickly grasp the course theme. The title should make some reference to “rhetoric,” “writing,” “argument,” or similar terminology that will help immediately clarify that the course is a Writing and Rhetoric course, not an introductory seminar or course offered by a department. Students encounter the courses first as a series of titles, so you want a title that will make them click to get more information and read the description.
• Clear, dynamic prose , with no jargon. If you must use specialized terms, be sure to define them in your description.  Students have spoken in our focus groups about the way that technical language and jargon tends to alienate them rather than invite them into the course.
• An  emphasis on students  as actors or agents, not merely as the recipients of knowledge or the objects of pedagogy. Your choice of verbs can have a big impact here: students in PWR  learn ,  explore ,  solve , and  discover  (in addition to the actions traditionally associated with writing courses, e.g.  read ,  write ,  interpret ,  analyze ). Consider using second person to directly address your readers.
• A  focus on student writing . It should be clear from the description that the focus of student learning is writing, speaking, and research (and not the "content" or theme).
• Real world connections and examples.   Help students see how the theme and focus of the course relate to their own lives, experience, and the world they live in. Use concrete examples when possible, rather than abstractions.
• Specific but  limited references to course readings  (if any). Our student focus group members did not find much benefit in lists of readings of authors they had never heard of. Instead, they were much more interested in hearing about the texts and examples they'd engage with in the course that had more relevance in their lives, that resonated with their experience in the world, and that they may have heard of before.  
• A list of sample research topics.   These examples help students imagine the work they might do in the course and also reinforce the fact that PWR is valuable for all majors.  Include this list these on a final line underneath the opening paragraphs of the description (see the template).
• An  outline of the major assignments  (including word counts for PWR 1 and word and minute counts for PWR 2), describing the rationale and goals of each assignment, and providing a sample topic that students might use to fulfill the assignment.  If you are writing a description for PWR 1 or PWR 2, use the PWR 1 and PWR 2 templates for the required assignment titles and lengths for each assignment.  
• Approximately  3500 characters of writing.  The title of the course must be no more than  100 characters (including spaces).  

Course Description Templates for PWR 1 and PWR 2

We use templates for our course descriptions in PWR 1 and PWR 2 to help maintain consistency in assignment titles, design, and lengths as well as work load across sections.  The templates balance pre-established scaffolding (assignment titles and requirements) with opportunities for customization according to the instructor's interests and pedagogical style.  Follow the templates linked here to provide the foundation for your own PWR 1 or PWR 2 course description.  Please note that you  cannot  change assignment lengths or assignment names. 

• PWR 1 course description template  
• PWR 2 course description template  

Examples of Course Descriptions

To see examples of course descriptions, you can view section descriptions and videos for the current PWR 1 and PWR 2 courses through the PWR Courses site.  Descriptions and videos for Advanced PWR courses can be found linked from our  Advanced PWR page .

EDU4310 – Thesis Proposal Writing and Thesis Research Seminars

Course description, course content, learning outcome, prerequisites, examination, schedule, syllabus and examination date.

• Autumn 2012
• Spring 2012
• Autumn 2011
• Spring 2011

In preparation of the thesis, students will be taught how to develop a research proposal outlining all aspects of the planned work. The proposals will be discussed in research seminars. The proposal must be approved by the supervisor before planned field work for the thesis can be undertaken.

The course aims at enhancing the students’ capacity to plan independent research and to communicate this in a research proposal and orally to the academic community.

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb .

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures .

The Comparative and International Education Programme is open to all students who fulfil the basic requirements above. The main target groups are international students, for example students under the 'Quota' Programme (developing countries), NOMA scholarship students from developing countries, partner institutions, Erasmus students and NORDPLUS students. Norwegian students are also encouraged to apply.

All students in the 3rd semester of the programme have equal access to the course.

Only students who have been admitted to the course may attend the lectures, seminars and examination.

Formal prerequisite knowledge

Students are required to have passed the previous courses.

A minimum of 90% attendance is required of all students. If a student does not fulfil the mandatory attendance requirement, they will need to complete an additional assignment prior to passing the course.

Access to teaching

A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.

The examination will be passed on the submission of a thesis proposal, as well as an attendance rate of 90%. The submission of the thesis proposal is an obligatory requirement. The proposals must be approved by the responsible teacher before a supervisor can be appointed. The supervisor must approve the final proposal before field work can be undertaken.

Language of examination

The examination language is English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system .

The assignment will count as the entire portion of the final course grade.

Explanations and appeals

• Explanation of grades and appeals

Resit an examination

• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Resitting an examination

Special examination arrangements

Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements .

Facts about this course

Teaching is no longer offered for this course because of the new CIE structure. Exams will continue until Spring 2014.

Exams will continue until Spring 2014.

Faculty of Educational Sciences

Graduate Program Handbook

Jump to a section

• Program description
• Degree requirements
• Timeline for degree completion
• Committee selection guideline
• Graduate assistantship
• Additional funding
• Health insurance
• Leave of absence
• Graduate student association
• Campus resources
• Policies: Frequently Asked Questions

1. Program description

The Department of English at the University of Nevada, Reno, with 27 graduate faculty, has specialists in most areas of literary, rhetorical, composition, and linguistic study. The University is a Research One university, and our faculty are active researchers pursuing cutting-edge work in a variety of fields. At the same time, our graduate program is small enough that students enjoy a sense of community and benefit from close faculty mentoring. Faculty members take their roles as mentors very seriously, giving students the careful attention that helps them define and achieve their professional goals. Hence, our program has a low attrition rate. MA and MFA alumni have entered successful careers in writing, publishing, community college teaching, business, and non-profits and have been accepted to Ph.D. programs at other top-rated universities. Ph.D. alumni hold a range of positions in higher education and outside the academy.

1.1 Degrees offered

The M.A. program is designed for students who plan to continue working toward a Ph.D., for potential community college teachers, for individuals who want to acquire an overall background in the study of language and literature, and for those interested

Master of Arts (MA)

The M.A. program is designed for students who plan to continue to work toward a Ph.D., for potential community college teachers, for individuals who want to acquire an overall background in the study of language and literature, and for those interested in writing and editing careers. The MA degree is offered with areas of concentration in

• Public Engagement
• Rhetoric and Writing Studies

Both a thesis plan and a non-thesis plan are available. Proficiency in one foreign language (the equivalent of four semesters of college-level coursework) or equivalent interdisciplinary literacy (MAPE) is required.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will obtain a broad knowledge of several of the historical fields in, literary genres of, and major critical approaches to British, American, and World Literatures in English; or, broad knowledge of writing studies issues and methodologies; or broad knowledge in literary and rhetorical public engagement and its methodologies; or broad knowledge of linguistics issues and methodologies. Students will demonstrate specialized competence in the primary and secondary literature of an appropriate specialized sub-field of literature or writing or public engagement or language.

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

The MFA in creative writing provides top-level training and experience to writers of promise, in order to best prepare them to be publishing creative writers and /or to pursue careers in college-level teaching. In addition, the program allows apprentice writers to develop their gifts amidst a community of artists in a university setting; the program also provides a link between student writers and the wider professional community of published writers, editors, and agents. Students produce bodies of original work, based on an understanding and study of historic, contemporary, and avant-garde literatures, culminating in a book-length thesis. Students are expected not only to produce creative work, but to develop traditional scholarly and pedagogical skills, so as to better articulate their knowledge—to a potential audience including readers, colleagues, and students—as befits the recipient of a terminal degree in English.

By the end of their degree program, MFA candidates should be able to:

• Demonstrate mastery of manipulation of elements of craft/technique within their chosen area of emphasis. (in fiction, this is defined as: form (the novel, novella, and short story); generic tropes; narrative structure; point of view; tone; and voice. In poetry, this is defined as: traditional forms; line/enjambment; imagery and metaphor; meter; rhyme and free verse);
• Demonstrate an understanding of the contemporary publishing landscape for fiction (both genre and literary) and/or poetry, for book-length works as well as for individual stories/poems;
• Demonstrate the ability to curate/edit the creative work of others for publication;
• Create a book's-length of work of publishable creative writing, as well as identify its audience/market;
• Analyze and describe their creative work within the context of historical trends/movements and genres in literature;
• Compile a professional portfolio demonstrating an understanding of future career options and approaches to the same.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

The Ph.D. program is designed for students preparing to be teachers and scholars at universities and community colleges. The Ph.D. is offered with areas of concentration in

Students will obtain a broad knowledge of several of the historical fields in, literary genres of, and major critical approaches to British, American, and World Literatures in English; or, broad knowledge of writing studies issues and methodologies; or, broad knowledge of linguistics issues and methodologies. Students will demonstrate specialized competence in the primary and secondary literature of an appropriate specialized sub-field of literature or writing or language.

1.2 Emphases

Our programs of study allow for and encourage study and training across the various fields in the department, resulting in a remarkably productive and exciting intellectual atmosphere.

Literature (MA and Ph.D.)

The English Department offers a wide range of courses in English, American, and Anglophone literatures and cultures. Our faculty members publish in leading journals and have authored recent books on topics ranging from Shakespeare’s first folios to postmodern American lyric. We have particular strengths in modernist studies; archival and media studies; twentieth-century and contemporary American, British, and comparative literatures; and cultural studies and theory. Faculty members also teach in a variety of programs across campus, including the Gender, Race, and Identity Program.

Our Ph.D. graduates have been appointed to tenure-track positions at schools across the country and abroad as well as non-tenure-track jobs and careers outside of academia. MA students have gone on to advanced graduate study in areas including English, law, education, and business, and to careers in politics, business, editing, and many other fields. Our students are active in the profession, from organizing panels at national conferences to working at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Graduate students may have opportunities for teaching a range of courses and for sponsored travel and research.

Rhetoric and Writing Studies (MA and Ph.D.)

Focusing on those interested in careers in academic research and teaching, program administration (first-year writing, writing across the curriculum, and writing center), as well as community and workplace literacy, the Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Writing Studies is designed to balance theory/practice and teaching/scholarship. In addition to seminars in classical and modern rhetoric, feminist rhetoric, research methodologies, composition pedagogy, rhetorical studies of cultural practices, and various other topics, the curriculum offers internships that place students in community and school settings. We also strongly emphasize students' development as writers, with workshop courses offered in the craft of writing, advanced nonfiction, and creative nonfiction.

The Rhetoric and Writing Studies faculty are committed to collaborative activity with students, engaging with them in local internship opportunities, conference presentations, scholarly research, program development and assessment, and writing projects. In addition, students receive active mentoring in teaching and administration, as well as opportunities to serve in leadership positions in the Core Writing Program and the University Writing Center. Ph.D. students in Rhetoric and Writing Studies also develop expertise in one cognate area, such as American literature, oral history, women's literature, critical theory, environmental literature, narrative theories, secondary school pedagogy, business/technical writing, or linguistics. Qualified Ph.D. candidates have opportunities to teach intermediate and upper-division courses in their areas of emphasis.

The MA in Rhetoric & Writing Studies is designed for students who wish to strengthen their skills as writers while deepening their understanding of theories of writing from the fields of rhetoric, composition, and writing studies. Cognate work in linguistics, literature, or literacy studies further enriches the study of writing. Students may choose either a non-thesis or thesis program of study. This emphasis supports a range of professional pursuits, including technical and professional writing, literacy studies, the teaching of composition, and rhetorical studies. Students in the program are active in publishing, participating in conferences, and serving as writing interns in businesses, community agencies, or educational institutions.

The Ph.D. program of study in Rhetoric and Writing Studies has had notable success placing its graduates in tenure-track positions. Placements have occurred at a wide range of colleges and universities, including Indiana University of Pennsylvania; UT San Antonio; UC Davis; Arizona State; Saint Mary’s College of California; and University of Northern Colorado, to name only a few. Other graduates place into industry jobs, for example a recent graduate is now a Narrative Writing Specialist at The Change Companies. The MA Rhetoric & Writing Studies program has placed graduates in community colleges, positions in the public and private sectors, and Ph.D. programs throughout the US.

Public Engagement (MA)

Our English department, located in a land-grant institution, has always had an outreach mission. That mission is especially crucial now as we seek to reinvigorate the humanities and serve the communities that nurture the University. We are the department with particular knowledge in reading, writing, and language study—the skills most crucial to the current technological age. The Public Engagement emphasis brings these talents to bear on issues of public concern. The emphasis prepares students with a required seminar in public intellectualism and emphasizes experiential learning and the development of interdisciplinary literacy. It includes core coursework in rhetoric and in literature. But it also incorporates any course in the English department that may serve a public engagement student’s particular commitments. For instance, a course in postmodern poetics might be useful to a student committed to creating a space for local spoken word; a course in rhetoric and Marxism might be useful to a student who does labor advocacy work; a course in environmental literature might be useful to a student active in local sustainability movements; and a course in literature and film might be useful to a student who wants to facilitate community reading groups. Like a magnet, the Public Engagement emphasis draws expertise from across the English faculty to help students tailor their MA to their interests in public engagement.

The Public Engagement MA emphasis is designed to serve students whose career goals may include teaching, working for non-profits, and/or going on for a Ph.D. in literature or rhetoric programs that emphasize community activism.

Language (MA)

The MA program of study in Language and Linguistics is designed primarily for students who have some background in linguistics but did not major in the field as undergraduates. The program is an excellent complement to BA or advanced degrees in Anthropology, Composition and Rhetoric, English Literature, Foreign Languages, Philosophy, Psychology, or Speech Pathology. The MA can serve as a terminal degree, or as preparation for further study in a Linguistics Ph.D. program.

The program provides students the opportunity to study the English language and to master the analytical tools of linguistics, which can be applied to the study of any language. In addition to a firm grounding in the basic concepts of linguistics, students receive training in phonology, morphology, syntax, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, the history of the English language, and Old English.

Creative Writing (MFA)

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in creative writing is designed for students who wish to pursue a professional degree with emphases on both students’ writing and graduate-level scholarship in English. The degree involves a three-year course of study, requiring a series of rigorous workshops centered on the development of students’ creative work, in addition to coursework in literary history, critical theory, and literary craft. Students will have the opportunity to develop a significant body of publishable creative work with an understanding of and the ability to describe the work’s historical/ literary context.

As the terminal degree in the field of creative writing, the MFA degree prepares graduates to teach at the collegiate level, as well as for employment in the fields of publishing, literary agenting, and editing. The degree also guides writers toward publishing in nationally prominent presses, journals, and magazines.

The MFA program offers specializations in fiction and poetry and welcomes writers who aspire to high levels of literary quality, including fiction writers working within traditional genres (i.e., young adult, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, horror, etc.).

Contact Information

The Director of Graduate Studies, James Mardock , is available to advise applicants to our program. To schedule an appointment, contact the front office staff at (775) 784-6689 .

To learn more about our graduate program, explore the links above. For an introduction to the University of Nevada and the surrounding area, visit the About the University page.

For information about English Department graduate faculty, please see Graduate Faculty on the Department of English page.

2. Admission

Applications must be submitted with the  Graduate School’s application process . The application deadline for the following Spring Semester (MA only) is October 1. The application deadline for the following Fall semester is January 15. The Program does not admit students for the Spring semester. See the English department’s website for additional information concerning the admission process and admission criteria.

2.1 Transfer credits

These are credits transferred from another institution. Credits completed at the University in another program or as a graduate special do not need to be transferred. Transfer credit can be requested on the  Graduate Credit Transfer Evaluation Request form  available on the Graduate School website, and must be signed by the student, major advisor, and graduate director. Transfer credits applied to a master’s program must comply with the time limitation on master’s work (6 years). Thus, if a student took a course five years prior to admission, they would have to complete the degree within one year for the course to apply to the degree. Credits from a completed master’s degree will be exempt from the 8-year time limitation for those students pursuing a doctoral degree.

3. Degree requirements

3.1 master of arts (ma).

The Department of English offers four areas of emphasis within its MA program: Language , Literature , Rhetoric and Writing Studies , and Public Engagement . These emphases serve a variety of students with a wide range of professional goals and ambitions.

Applicants to the MA program must have an undergraduate major or minor in English or its equivalent from an accredited college or university, and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. Potential applicants who do not meet these minimum requirements should talk with the Director of Graduate Studies to determine which undergraduate English courses to take should they wish to prepare for graduate studies in English.

General Requirements

The following general requirements apply in all emphases within the MA program, except where clearly stated in the specific descriptions for each emphasis.

1. Time Limit.

All requirements must be satisfied during the six calendar years immediately preceding the granting of the degree.

2. Graduate Committee.

As soon as is practical and in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, a student should choose an advisory committee and complete a Program of Study. The graduate program in English emphasizes a close working relationship between the student and his or her advisory committee. Advisory committees for master's students consist of a chair and a second member from the graduate faculty in the Department of English and one member of the graduate faculty from another University department.

3. Choice of Thesis or Non-Thesis Plan.

Most of our MA emphases allow students the option of writing a thesis or of substituting coursework for the thesis. We encourage students to follow the non-thesis plan unless there is a compelling reason to select the thesis plan.

4. Total Credits.

Both the non-thesis and thesis plans require 31 credits of graduate work; for the thesis plan, 6 of those will be thesis credits. No more than 3 credits of Internship and 3 credits of English 790 Special Topics (Independent Study) may be counted toward the degree. Except in the case of required internships, independent study and internship credits may not be used to fulfill course requirements but may be counted for the total number of credits required for degrees.

5. Transfer Credits.

No more than nine total credits applicable to the approved program of study may be accepted from graduate courses taken at another institution and/or taken at the University of Nevada, Reno on graduate special status. These courses must have been completed within the six-year time limit for the MA degree and must be approved to count toward the degree by the student's committee chair, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate School.

6. Residence.

In the non-thesis plan, a minimum of 23 credits must be earned in residence; in the thesis plan, the minimum is 21 credits.

7. Continuous Registration.

Graduate School regulations require graduate students to maintain continuous registration of at least three credit hours per semester to remain active in the pursuit of a degree. This means that students studying for comprehensive exams or writing theses must (even if they are not in residence) register for at least three credit hours each semester (summers excluded) until they graduate.

8. Seminar Requirement.

All MA students are required to take a substantial portion of their coursework at the 700 level. In the Public Engagement emphasis, at least 16 credits must be completed in courses numbered 700 or above. In the Literature, Rhetoric and Writing Studies, and Language emphases, 19 credits must be numbered 700 or above in the thesis plan, or 16 credits in the non-thesis plan.

9. Foreign Language Requirement.

Competence in one foreign language is required. French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin, or Greek are recommended, but other languages may be approved by the student's advisory committee. The student is strongly advised to complete the work necessary to meet this requirement before becoming a graduate student, or as soon as possible after beginning graduate study. The requirement may be met either by coursework or by examination. Coursework: competence is demonstrated by the student completing fourth-semester college-level coursework in the language with a grade of C or better in the final term of the course, or by the student completing the second semester of a sophomore reading course with a grade of B or better. Examination: the student must pass a proficiency exam given by the Department of World Languages and Literatures at the University of Nevada, Reno.

10. Comprehensive Examination.

In order to register for 795 (comprehensive exam), a student must have met these requirements:

• Filed a completed Program of Study with the Graduate School;
• Completed all but the last semester of coursework toward the degree for the MA;
• Met the foreign language requirement for their degree and area of emphasis;
• Met with their committee chair to work out plans for completing the written and oral portions of the exams;
• Returned the completed “Approval to Register for Comprehensive Exams” form (available in NevadaBox) to the English department office prior to the end of registration.

The MA program requires a comprehensive exam as a part of the degree requirements. Students must register for English 795, Comprehensive Exam, 1 credit, the semester they will be completing their exams. In general, the exam includes three parts: a) a professional paper; b) a written examination over a set reading list; c) an oral exam of about an hour and a half, covering the professional paper or portfolio and the written exam. Examinations for each program emphasis are detailed below. A student must have completed the professional paper or portfolio and have passed the written exam prior to taking the oral exam. Failed written or oral exams can be retaken only once, no sooner than two months after the failed attempt, and the student must register for ENG 795 a second time in the following semester.

11. Thesis (thesis plan only).

Students choosing a thesis plan will first prepare a thesis prospectus, in consultation with the chair of the advisory committee, for the committee's approval. The finished thesis, after meeting the approval of the advisory committee, is defended in the final oral examination, which also covers the written exam. In the Writing program, the final oral defense is separate from the discussion of the portfolio and written exam. While the thesis is in progress, the candidate should register for the six required hours of thesis credit (English 797), including one hour to be taken during the writing of the prospectus. Documentation and bibliography should follow the current MLA Style Manual . Precise guidelines for thesis format and submission are available at the Graduate School. Students doing research involving human subjects must check with the Office of Human Subjects Research in Ross Hall regarding necessary protocols and review procedures.

12. Graduation.

To graduate in any given semester, the student must file an Application for Graduation by the date specified for that semester in the University Catalog and meet that semester's deadlines for submission of the Notice of Completion and (if on the thesis plan) the final copy of the thesis to the Graduate School. Students should be aware that graduation application dates at the University of Nevada, Reno are unusually early: the deadline is generally eight weeks prior to graduation .

13. Paperwork.

The student is responsible for knowing the degree requirements and for submitting all Graduate School forms on time. Early in their graduate careers, students should become familiar with the most important of these forms: the Program of Study, the Notice of Completion, and the Application for Graduation. Most Graduate School forms are available on the web on the Graduate School website .

MA Literature emphasis, specific requirements

The MA Literature emphasis is designed for students interested in developing their knowledge of American, British, and global literatures in English; it focuses on the ability to think and write critically about literary texts. The Literature emphasis requires students to take a variety of courses dealing with different literary genres and periods, yet also allows them to concentrate their studies in the areas they find to be of greatest interest. This emphasis is primarily, but not exclusively, intended for people who are preparing for Ph.D. programs or professions in which they will teach literature, conduct literary research, or write professionally.

1. General Requirements.

See the section on MA General Requirements.

2. Course Requirements.

• Research Methods. ENG 711, Introduction to Graduate Study, is required and must be taken at the first opportunity. It is customarily offered each fall semester.
• Distribution Requirements (elective). The student must take at least one course in nine of the following ten fields: Poetry, Fiction, Drama, Linguistics, Nonfiction/Intellectual Prose, Rhetoric, Literary Criticism, American Literature, British Literature before 1800, and British Literature after 1800. Five of the distribution requirements may be met by courses taken at the advanced undergraduate level (the equivalent of our department's 400-level courses) in which the student earned a B or above. The Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the faculty, determines which distribution requirement(s) specific courses may meet.
• Literature Topic or Field (elective). The student must take at least two courses in a particular field of interest, determined in consultation with his or her MA committee chair. Fields or topics might, for instance, include the Renaissance, African American literature, or the American novel.

For a list of graduate elective courses, see the University Catalog .

3. Professional Paper (non-thesis plan only)

 In consultation with their committee chair, each student will complete a professional paper. No credit toward Course Requirements (see above) will be granted for work on the professional paper or portfolio. The professional paper is a substantial literary-critical essay. The student selects one seminar paper written in the MA program and revises it, working with their chair and with the professor in whose course it was originally written, who must be a member of the student's committee. When revised, this paper will be presented to the committee as an example of the student's ability to perform research and write a convincing, reasoned argument on a topic related to literature. The paper should be approximately twenty pages long and should be of professional, publishable quality.

4. Comprehensive Examination (written).

In consultation with the MA committee chair, each student will put together a reading list based on his or her particular topic or field of concentration. The list should consist of 10 to 15 items, at least eight of which should be book-length. The written portion of the comprehensive exam will be designed to demonstrate the student's mastery of the materials on this reading list. The student completes a one-day exam on the reading list. The exam questions will be set by the members of the student's MA committee, who will then evaluate the written exam.

5. Thesis (thesis plan only).

Each student will present a prospectus, written in consultation with the student's committee chair, to the student's advisory committee. This prospectus should constitute a sound plan for writing the thesis and may include a bibliography and a tentative table of contents. The prospectus is normally approved before the student completes the written exam. The student then writes the thesis, working closely with committee members. The student must register for 6 credits of ENG 797, Thesis.

6. Comprehensive Examination (oral) and Thesis Defense.

The oral exam lasts about an hour and a half and is administered by the student’s MA committee. In the non-thesis plan, the student takes the oral exam after completing the professional paper or portfolio and the written exam; the oral will include questions on each of these works. In the thesis plan, the student takes the final oral exam after the completed thesis has been approved by his or her committee. In addition to those works covered in the exam for the non-thesis plan, the oral for students who choose the thesis plan also includes a defense of the thesis. It is the responsibility of the student to schedule the oral exam with his or her committee. The student must register for ENG 795, Comprehensive Examination, one credit, the semester he or she will be completing the oral exam.

Contact the department office for a checklist of degree requirements for the MA English, Literature emphasis.

MA Public Engagement emphasis, specific requirements

The Public Engagement MA emphasis is designed to serve students whose career goals may include teaching, working for non-profits, and/or going on for a Ph.D. in literature or rhetoric programs that emphasize community activism. The objectives of this emphasis are as follows:

• To provide a sound foundation in the rhetoric, literature, and theory of public engagement;
• To provide a rigorous critical framework for understanding and evaluating public engagement efforts;
• To produce citizen-scholars who can work both in academia and in the community;
• To familiarize students with the genres, forums, contexts, relationships, and techniques best suited to public engagement;
• To serve as a resource for tackling and articulating larger cultural issues for both the University and the larger community.

Accordingly, students who achieve an MA in English in the Public Engagement emphasis will be able to do the following:

• Articulate the theoretical and/or ideological commitments of particular public engagement efforts;
• Articulate their own theoretical and/or ideological commitments as they pursue public engagement efforts;
• Understand and apply critically the literature relevant to public engagement;
• Clearly articulate a problem in public engagement and select suitable theoretical and practical approaches to it;
• Select and deploy the genres, forums, and techniques best suited to a particular public engagement effort;
• Work productively with both academic and community partners on a public engagement effort;
• Produce professional documents and creative texts appropriate to a particular audience, purpose, and rhetorical situation.
• Research Methods. Either ENG 711 (Introduction to Graduate Study) or ENG 730 (Introduction to Graduate Study in Rhetoric and Composition) must be taken at the earliest opportunity. Both are typically offered every fall semester.
• Public Intellectualism. ENG 740: English Studies and Public Intellectualism must be taken at the earliest opportunity. It is typically offered every spring semester in even years.
• Experiential Learning. Options for fulfilling this requirement include ENG 736, an internship, or another course (either taught or taken) that has a significant experiential learning component. An Experiential Learning Application (available on Nevada Box) must be completed and approved for experiential learning courses other than ENG 736.
• Power, Place, and Publics. Two PPP courses are required. A PPP Application must be completed by the student and instructor for each course and approved by the MAPE committee.
• One course from the University Catalog’s list of electives .
• Interdisciplinary Literacy. Competence in a foreign language (see General Requirements), two 600- or 700-level courses in a cognate discipline, or three advanced courses in linguistics; plan must be approved by the committee chair. NB: Interdisciplinary literacy courses that are not ENG courses (or cross-listed as such) count neither toward the 15 700-level credits nor the 31 graduate credits required for the MA degree.

3. Professional Portfolio.

The professional portfolio requires the student to develop critical and professional materials specific to an issue of civic engagement. The materials should include a historical and critical framework for understanding the issue as well as professional materials that display the application of that framework. Ideally, these materials should develop the writing done in courses as well as community engagement work. The portfolio will be developed in consultation with the student’s committee and will be discussed during the oral exam. There is no thesis option for the Public Engagement emphasis.

5. Comprehensive Examination.

The comprehensive exam will consist of a written exam and an oral examination. Working with his or her advisor, the student develops a bibliography of approximately 15 texts relevant to the student’s interests. These texts will vary in length and form according to the student’s topic of choice and professional goals. The student completes a one-day written exam, designed to demonstrate his or her mastery of the materials on the reading list. The exam questions will be set by the members of the student's MA committee, who will then evaluate the written exam. Once the exam has passed, the student will proceed to the oral examination. Lasting one and a half hours, the examination will cover materials from both the portfolio and the written exam.

Contact the department for a checklist of degree requirements for the MA English, Public Engagement emphasis.

MA Rhetoric and Writing Studies emphasis, specific requirements

The MA RWS emphasis is designed for students who wish to strengthen their skills as writers while deepening their understanding of literature and language. It is intended for people who are preparing for careers in writing and editing or planning to teach writing in schools or colleges. The program is centered on the craft of writing and offers elective courses in both imaginative and expository writing. Students in the program are active in professional activities of various kinds: publishing, participating in conferences, and serving as writing interns in businesses, community agencies, or educational institutions.

• Research Methods. ENG 730, Introduction to Graduate Study in Rhetoric and Writing Studies, is required and should be taken at the earliest opportunity. It is customarily offered each fall semester.
• ENG 600A - Topics in Writing  (3 units)
• ENG 600B - Topics in Professional Writing  (3 units)
• ENG 601B - Advanced Non-Fiction  (3 units)
• ENG 606A - Document Design  (3 units)
• ENG 607B - Fundamentals of Technical Writing  (3 units)
• ENG 608B - Tutoring Student Writers  (3 units)
• ENG 609C - Contemporary Rhetorical Theory and Criticism  (3 units)
• ENG 675B - Literary Nonfiction  (3 units)
• ENG 729 - Contemporary Rhetoric  (3 units)
• ENG 731 - Research in Rhetoric and Composition  (3 units)
• ENG 732 - Problems in Writing  (3 units)
• ENG 733 - Classical Through Medieval Rhetoric  (3 units)
• ENG 734 - Writing in the Academy  (3 units)
• ENG 735 - Seminar in Rhetoric and Composition  (3 units)
• ENG 736 - Internship  (1 to 4 units)
• ENG 737 - Teaching College Composition  (3 units)
• ENG 738 - Seminar in Professional Writing  (3 units)
• ENG 739 - Renaissance Through Modern Rhetoric  (3 units)
• Other Electives. In consultation with the advisory committee, the student will choose at least 2 courses (Thesis Plan) or 3 courses in (Non-Thesis Plan), to complement his or her interests. No more than three courses may be taken outside the Department of English.
• ENG 411B - Principles of Modern Grammar  (3 units)
• ENG 611B - Principles of Modern Grammar  (3 units)
• ENG 412A - Linguistics  (3 units)
• ENG 612A - Linguistics  (3 units)
• ENG 414A - History of the English Language  (3 units)
• ENG 614A - History of the English Language  (3 units)

3. Comprehensive Examination (written and oral).

Working closely with the advisory committee, the student will prepare a bibliography of approximately 15 important works in the field of writing. This bibliography may be prepared throughout the student's time in the program; the works to be included must be approved in advance by the advisory committee. For the comprehensive examination, the student writes a synthesizing paper on a topic approved by the committee. Alternatively, the student may elect to take a one-day written examination, prepared by the committee, over ideas and concepts represented by the student's selected reading list. After the student has passed the paper or written exam, the advisory committee will conduct an oral exam, not to last more than an hour and a half. The student must register for English 795, Comprehensive Examination, one credit, the semester he or she will be completing the oral exam.

4. Thesis (Thesis Plan only).

The thesis may be a piece of empirical research, a library research project, a critical/rhetorical paper, or work in imaginative writing. After approval of a prospectus by the advisory committee, the student completes the thesis, registering for 6 credits of ENG 797.

5. Thesis Defense (Thesis Plan only).

The final oral exam, given by the candidate's advisory committee, will last about an hour and a half and will be a defense of the thesis. Candidates who prepare writings as a thesis project may instead present their thesis as a public reading and discussion of that work.

Contact the department for a checklist of degree requirements for the MA English, Rhetoric and Writing Studies emphasis.

MA Language emphasis, specific requirements

The MA Language emphasis offers a concentration in the study of the English language, with courses in linguistics, the structure and history of the English language, and literature. The range of available courses is designed to give students the latitude to design programs of study suited to their individual professional interests in the field of English language and linguistics. The student who selects the Language emphasis must work closely with his or her advisor and committee in planning this program of study.

Note that English 281 or equivalent course is a prerequisite for all linguistics courses.

• ENG 612D - Introduction to Phonology  (3 units)
• ENG 717 - Old English  (3 units)
• ENG 612B - Applied Linguistics  (3 units)
• ENG 613A - Sociolinguistics  (3 units)
• ENG 613B - Historical Linguistics  (3 units)
• ENG 615D - Introduction to Old Norse  (3 units)
• ENG 616B - Language and Gender  (3 units)
• ENG 692C - Language and Culture  (3 units)
• ENG 713 - Problems in Language  (3 units)
• ENG 714 - Problems in Modern Grammatical Study  (3 units)
• ENG 718 - Beowulf  (3 units)
• ENG 720 - Problems in Medieval English  (3 units)
• Other Electives. Other courses should be selected in consultation with the student’s advisory committee to complement the student’s interest in language. Courses may include graduate courses in English, or in other disciplines such as Anthropology, Psychology, Computer Science, World Languages, Basque Studies, Speech Pathology, Philosophy or in the College of Education.

3. Comprehensive Examination (written).

At the completion of coursework, the student must pass written examinations administered by his or her advisory committee. In the Thesis Plan, the written examination will last four hours. Two hours of the exam will be based on the student's coursework, and two hours will be based on basic linguistic principles, history and structure of the English language, and English dialects. In the Non-Thesis Plan, the exam will last six hours, with three hours based on coursework and three hours on the basic materials specified above. The questions will ask that the student demonstrate both specific information and a broader understanding of concepts important to the study of language.

4. Thesis (Thesis Plan).

The student writing a thesis should submit a prospectus to his or her advisory committee before beginning to write the thesis. The thesis will be written with the guidance of the chair and committee. The student must register for 6 credits of English 797, Thesis.

5. Comprehensive Examination (oral) and Thesis Defense.

Approximately three weeks after passing the written examination, the Non-Thesis Plan candidate will take an oral examination lasting no longer than one and a half hours, administered by the student's advisory committee. Like the written examination, the oral exam will be based on the student's knowledge of the structure and history of the language and on the student's coursework, although its range may be broader. For a student studying under the Thesis Plan, the oral exam will be given when the thesis is completed and approved by the advisory committee. While the exam will focus on the student's own research, it may also explore areas in which the student has had coursework. The student must register for English 795, Comprehensive Examination, one credit, the semester he or she will be completing the oral exam.

Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Specific Requirements

The Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing is designed for students who wish to pursue a professional degree with emphases on both students’ writing and graduate-level scholarship in English. The degree involves a three-year course of study, requiring a series of rigorous workshops centered on the development of students’ creative work, in addition to coursework in literary history, critical theory, and literary craft. Students will have the opportunity to develop a significant body of publishable creative work with an understanding of and the ability to describe the work’s historical/literary context.

Applicants to the MFA program in creative writing must have a Bachelor’s degree or Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from an accredited university, school, or college, and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. Applicants need not have received their previous degree in English, but all applicants must demonstrate readiness to engage in graduate-level scholarship in English.

• Demonstrate mastery of manipulation of elements of craft/technique within their chosen area of emphasis. (In fiction, this is defined as: form (the novel, novella, and short story); generic tropes; narrative structure; point of view; tone; and voice. In poetry this is defined as: traditional forms; line/enjambment; imagery and metaphor; meter; rhyme and free verse);
• Demonstrate an understanding of the contemporary publishing landscape for fiction and/or poetry, for book-length works as well as for individual stories/poems;
• Create a book-length of work of publishable creative writing, as well as identify its audience/market;
• Analyze and describe their creative work within the context of historical trends/ movements and genres in literature;

Master of Fine Arts (MFA), specific requirements

All MFA candidates must enroll in a minimum of 6 units per semester during their first five semesters in the program and at minimum must maintain graduate standing thereafter. In the sixth semester, they must finalize/finish a thesis project. Candidates must maintain a minimum 3.5 grade-point average. During the second year of study, candidates must choose one Department of English creative writing faculty member to serve as the MFA committee chair and advisor; two additional department faculty (one from creative writing, and one outside the student’s declared course of study) to serve as a committee member; and a fourth committee member from outside the Department of English, chosen in consultation with the committee chair. During the student’s third year of study, the MFA program requires the candidate to take a comprehensive written examination, on topics of the committee chair’s choosing, over the candidate’s knowledge of a 30-book reading list and annotated bibliography; this will be followed closely thereupon by an oral examination, conducted by the student’s full committee, during which the student will defend written exam answers and the annotated bibliography. At the end of the third year of study, students will complete and present to the full committee a written book-length thesis or original fiction/poetry, of publishable quality. At the conclusion of 48 credit hours, the student will be required to pass a defense of the completed thesis before the full committee.

Students on assistantship may also be required to take  ENG 737  and  ENG 793 , which may be counted as one of the student’s elective courses.

1. Course Requirements

• Research Methods (3 credits). ENG 711, Introduction to Graduate Study, is required and must be taken at the first opportunity. It is customarily offered each fall semester.
• Poetry/Fiction Workshop (12 or 15 credits).
• Creative Writing (6 credits).
• ENG 710: Literary Editing and Publishing (3 credit hours)
• ENG 707: Craft and Forms of Creative Writing OR ENG 708: Topics and Problems in Creative Writing (3 credit hours)
• ENG 707 - Craft and Forms of Creative Writing  (6 units)
• ENG 708 - Topics and Problems in Creative Writing  (3 units)
• ENG 721 - Problems in the History of Literary Criticism  (3 units)
• ENG 722 - Problems in Literary Theory  (3 units)
• ENG 723 - Problems in Themes and Ideas in Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 724 - Topics in Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 725 - Problems in the Novel  (3 units)
• ENG 726 - Problems in Literary Form  (3 units)
• ENG 730 - Introduction to Graduate Study in Rhetoric and Composition  (3 units)
• ENG 740 - English Studies and Public Intellectualism  (3 units)
• ENG 741 - Problems in Early American Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 743 - Problems in Later American Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 745 - Seminar in Ecocriticism and Theory  (3 units)
• ENG 761 - Problems in the Early Renaissance  (3 units)
• ENG 762 - Problems in 17th Century Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 764 - Problems in Non-Shakespearean Drama  (3 units)
• ENG 765 - Problems in Shakespeare  (3 units)
• ENG 767 - Problems in Milton  (3 units)
• ENG 771 - Problems in the Age of Reason  (3 units)
• ENG 775 - Problems in the Romantic Movement  (3 units)
• ENG 781 - Problems in the Victorian Age  (3 units)
• ENG 783 - Problems in Early 20th Century British Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 784 - Problems in 20th Century British and American Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 785 - Problems in Contemporary American Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 786 - Topics in Anglophone Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 787 - Problems in Contemporary British Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 788 - Problems in Modern Comparative Literature  (3 units)
• ENG 790 - Special Topics  (1 to 3 units)
• ENG 791 - Special Topics  (1 to 3 units)
• ENG 793 - Pedagogical Practicum in Creative Writing  (2 units)
• ENG 795: Comprehensive Exam (1 credit, see below)
• ENG 797: Thesis Study (14 or 17 credits). Students must enroll in a minimum of 17 credit hours of thesis study, or 14 for those who opt to take a fifth workshop. These hours may be split across multiple semesters (including summer). Thesis study is overseen by the chair of the student’s advisory committee.

2. Time Limit

3. advisory committee.

During the second year of study, and in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, MFA candidates must choose one Department of English creative writing faculty member to serve as MFA committee chair and advisor; two additional department faculty (one from creative writing, and one outside the student’s declared course of study) to serve as committee members; and a fourth committee member from outside the Department of English, chosen in consultation with the committee chair.

4. Residence

It is assumed that students in their sixth semester will be completing their thesis

projects (see below), and will likely be registered only for thesis credits.

5. Continuous Registration

Graduate School regulations require graduate students to maintain continuous registration of at least three credit hours per semester (summers excluded) to remain active in the pursuit of a degree.

6. Total Credits

The MFA requires 48 credits, all of which must be taken at the graduate level.

7. Transfer Credits

Students will only be allowed to transfer credits from previous graduate courses in exceptional circumstances, to be determined by the Department of English MFA Committee and Director of Graduate Studies. In most circumstances, no more than three graduate classes applicable to the approved program of study may be accepted from graduate courses taken at another institution and/or the University of Nevada, Reno. These courses must have been completed within the six-year time limit for the MFA degree and must be approved to count toward the degree by the MFA Committee, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate School. No previous writing workshops will count for transfer credit.

8. Seminar Requirement

MFA students are required to take all courses at the 700 level. The student may in unusual circumstances take a 600-level class in English, but only in consultation with his or her committee chair and the Director of Graduate Studies.

9. Comprehensive Examination (Written)

In order to register for 795 (the comprehensive exam), a student must have met the following requirements:

• Completed five semesters of study toward the degree;
• Met with the student's committee chair to work out plans for completing the written and oral portions of the exams;

Working closely with his or her advisory committee, at the beginning of his or her second year of study, the student will prepare a reading list of 30 works. As soon as is feasible, the student will turn in an annotated bibliography of this reading list to his or her committee. Prior to the end of his or her third year of study, the student will take a one-day written examination, prepared by the committee, focusing on ideas and concepts represented by the student's reading list and annotations. After the student has passed the written exam, the advisory committee will conduct an oral exam, not to last more than an hour and a half. The student's advisory committee is responsible for the evaluation of the exam. Graduate School regulations stipulate that if more than one negative vote is cast, the examination is failed. If this happens, the student may be allowed to repeat specific areas of the exam, or the entire exam. However, no part may be retaken more than once, and three months must elapse between attempts.

A book-length work of fiction or poetry of publishable quality, written and revised over the course of the student’s studies and under the thesis committee’s supervision. Prior to the end of the third year of study (by which time the student shall have registered for/completed 17 credits of thesis study) students will present a polished draft of the thesis to their committee for review, then (shortly after completing the Comprehensive Examination) defend the completed thesis before the full committee. The committee will then vote according to the Department of English bylaws whether to confer the MFA degree.

12. Graduation

To graduate in any given semester, the student must file an Application for Graduation by the dates specified for that semester in the University Catalog and meet that semester's deadlines for submission of the Notice of Completion and (if on the thesis plan) the final copy of the thesis to the Graduate School. Students should be aware that graduation application dates at the University of Nevada, Reno are unusually early: the deadline is generally eight weeks prior to graduation. MFA candidates may be hooded during graduation but must meet all Notice of Completion deadlines listed for Ph.D. candidates in order to do so.

12. Paperwork

The student is responsible for knowing the degree requirements and for submitting all Graduate School forms on time. Early in their graduate careers, students should become familiar with the most important of these forms: the Program of Study, the Notice of Completion, and the Application for Graduation. Most Graduate School forms are available on the Graduate School’s web site .

Contact the department for a checklist of degree requirements for the MFA English, Creative Writing Emphasis.

3.3 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

The Department of English offers two areas of emphasis within its Ph.D. program: Literature and Rhetoric and Writing Studies. Students in each emphasis design their specific programs of study following departmental guidelines and in consultation with their advisory committees. Specializations are available in a variety of fields within each emphasis.

Applicants to the Ph.D. program must have an MA in English or its equivalent from an accredited college or university, an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0, and a cumulative graduate GPA of at least 3.5. Potential applicants without an MA in English should talk with the Director of Graduate Studies to determine whether their graduate work in a related field is comparable to that expected.

Detailed information on applying to the Ph.D. program is found here: Apply to the University of Nevada, Reno. Ph.D. admissions are entirely separate from MA admissions; completion of the MA program at the University of Nevada, Reno does not ensure admission to the Ph.D. program.

The following general requirements apply in all emphases within the Ph.D. program, except where clearly stated in the specific descriptions that follow.

All requirements must be satisfied during the eight calendar years immediately preceding the granting of the degree.

2. Advisory Committee.

As soon as practical (typically in the third semester) and in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, a student should choose an advisory committee and complete a Program of Study. The graduate program in English emphasizes a close working relationship between the student and his or her advisory committee. Advisory committees for doctoral students consist of a chair and two other members from the graduate faculty of the Department of English and two members from the graduate faculty in other departments.

3. Residence.

A Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of six semesters of full-time work beyond the baccalaureate degree, of which at least two successive semesters (excluding summer sessions) must be spent in full-time residence at the University of Nevada, Reno. (Full-time residence requires a minimum of nine credits per semester. Teaching assistants taking at least six credits per semester are also considered to be in full-time residence.)

4. Continuous Registration.

Graduate School regulations require graduate students to maintain continuous registration of at least three credit hours per semester to remain active in the pursuit of a degree. This means that students studying for comprehensive exams or writing dissertations must, even if they are not in residence, register for at least three credit hours (usually ENG 799) each semester (summers excluded) until they graduate.

5. Total Credits.

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must complete a minimum of 73 graduate credits, including at least 49 credits in coursework and 24 dissertation credits beyond the baccalaureate degree. Students are required to take at least eight courses in residence, for a minimum of 24 credits. No more than 4 credits of English 736 Internship and 3 credits of ENG 791 Special Topics (Independent Study) may be counted toward the degree. Except in the case of required internships, independent study and internship credits may not be used to fulfill course requirements but may be counted for the total number of credits for degrees.

6. Transfer Credits.

A maximum of 24 credits in graduate courses with grades of B or higher may be transferred from another university and applied toward the requirements for the Ph.D. Students with a master's degree in English from another university can thus transfer as 24 credits, at most. Transfer credit requests must be approved by the student's committee chair, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate School. Whether courses taken elsewhere may substitute for specific course requirements at Nevada will be determined by the Director of Graduate Studies and/or the student's advisory committee.

7. Seminar Requirement.

Exclusive of dissertation credits, a total of 31 credits, at least 19 of which are beyond the master's degree, is required in courses numbered 700 or above.

8. Foreign Language Requirement.

Students may meet the foreign language requirement in one of two ways: 1) competence in one foreign language; or 2) coursework in linguistics and the nature of language. The choice of languages or linguistics coursework is left to the student in consultation with his or her advisory committee; preference should go to those languages that would prove most useful to the student over a lifetime of reading and research. Competence in a language is defined as completion of the equivalent of four semesters of college level work in the language with a grade of C or better in the final semester, or as completion of the second semester of a sophomore reading course with a grade of B or better. The requirement is considered satisfied when a college transcript shows such a grade in the appropriate final course (whether the earlier courses are shown or not), or when the student has passed at the appropriate level a test administered by the Department of World Languages and Literatures. As an alternative to the foreign language, the student's advisory committee may allow her or him to substitute a three-semester sequence of specified graduate courses in linguistics, language, and language-related topics from other disciplines, such as psychology or anthropology.

9. Comprehensive Examination (written)

In order to register for ENG 795 (comprehensive exam), a student must have met the following requirements:

• Completed all coursework toward the degree for the Ph.D.;
• Met the foreign language requirement for the student's degree and area of emphasis;

After completing coursework and the foreign language requirement, the Ph.D. student must pass a comprehensive examination, consisting of a written test and an oral review. The options for Ph.D. exams in each program emphasis are detailed under “Specific Requirements” below. The student's advisory committee is responsible for the evaluation of the exam. Graduate School regulations stipulate that if more than one negative vote is cast, the examination is failed. If this happens, the student may be allowed to repeat specific areas of the exam, or the entire exam. However, no part may be retaken more than once, and three months must elapse between attempts.

10. Comprehensive Examination (oral)

After passing the written exam, the student must also pass an oral examination, administered by his or her advisory committee and lasting approximately two hours. The oral exam will review the written exam and--in the Rhetoric and Writing Studies emphases--the student's writing portfolio (described in the "Specific Requirements" pages). As with the written examination, a failed oral exam may be retaken only once. Students who have completed all coursework, finished the foreign language requirement, and passed both the comprehensive written and oral exams are formally admitted to Ph.D. candidacy. The student must register for ENG 795, Comprehensive Examination, and one credit in the semester he or she will be completing the oral exam.

11. Dissertation.

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must present a dissertation that makes a significant scholarly or critical contribution to knowledge. A dissertation prospectus must be submitted to and approved by the candidate’s advisory committee before work begins on the dissertation. Typically this prospectus will include a bibliography and an extensive description of contents. Since the dissertation requires close and constant supervision by the chair of the advisory committee, the candidate should develop the dissertation in residence. When considerable progress has already been made, the candidate may be permitted to complete the dissertation elsewhere, under such arrangements as his or her advisory committee may specify and the Graduate Dean approves. In the process of working on the dissertation, each candidate must register for at least twenty-four credits of dissertation under ENG 799.

Documentation and bibliography should follow the current MLA Style Manual or Chicago Manual of Style . The Graduate School has formatting requirements and submission guidelines . Students doing research involving human subjects must check with the Office of Human Subjects Research in Ross Hall regarding necessary protocols and review procedures.

12. Dissertation Defense (final oral examination).

After the dissertation has been accepted by the candidate's advisory committee, an oral examination specifically covering the dissertation and related topics will be administered. The student must pass this oral exam with not more than one dissenting vote of his advisory committee. The oral exam may be repeated once, but at least three months must elapse between attempts.

13. Graduation.

To graduate in any given semester, the student must file an Application for Graduation by the dates specified for that semester in the University Catalog and meet that semester's deadlines for submission of the Notice of Completion and the final copy of the dissertation to the Graduate School. Students should be aware that graduation application dates at the University of Nevada, Reno are unusually early: the deadline is generally eight weeks prior to graduation .

14. Paperwork.

The student is responsible for knowing the degree requirements and for submitting all Graduate School forms on time. Early in their graduate careers, students should become familiar with the most important of these Graduate School Forms : the Graduate Credit Transfer Evaluation Request, the Program of Study, and the Admission to Candidacy/Comprehensive Examination Report, the Application for Graduation, and the Notice of Completion.

Ph.D. Literature emphasis, specific requirements

The Ph.D. Literature emphasis is designed for people planning to pursue careers in scholarship and teaching at the college or university level. It is a rigorous but flexible emphasis in which individual programs of study are shaped through collaboration between the Ph.D. student and his or her advisory committee. Students in the program are strongly encouraged to participate in professional activities, including academic conferences.

See the section on general doctoral degree requirements.

• Research Methods. ENG 711, Introduction to Graduate Study, is required and must be taken at the first opportunity; it is customarily taught each fall semester. Students who have had a graduate-level research methods course at another university should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies to see whether that course fulfills this requirement.
• Elective Courses. The Ph.D. Literature emphasis does not require a specific core of courses. Rather, the student and his or her advisory committee plan a course of study, considering the student's prior coursework, primary areas of interest, planned examination fields, and long-term professional aspirations.

3. Comprehensive Examination.

Each student in the literature emphasis will take comprehensive exams in three areas: period, genre and (theoretical) method. The format for taking the exam is determined by the student and his or her advisory committee. Exams, which are open book, are offered in the following format: the student will write the exams in three areas and will not take longer than a month to complete them. The student will have eight hours to complete each exam. The student should plan to spend about four hours writing a response for each exam and about four hours planning, freewriting, outlining, revising, polishing, and proofreading for each exam. The exam should be no longer than 20 pages. Committee members should keep these time constraints in mind when drafting questions. At the conclusion of the exam period, the student will email the chair the completed exam in .docx or PDF format.

• Period: Periods may be selected from the following list: Old English, Middle English, Renaissance-to-1600 (including all of Shakespeare), 17th-century British (including all of Shakespeare), 18th-century British, 19th-century British, 20th-century British, 20th-and-21st century global Anglophone, American to 1890, American since 1890, or a field of linguistics or philology to be defined by the student and his or her advisory committee. Students will be expected to be familiar with the literature, the literary history, and the intellectual history of the chosen period.
• Genre: Genres may be selected from the following list: poetry, drama, fiction, intellectual prose, or a field of linguistics or philology to be defined by the student and his or her advisory committee. Students will be expected to know the major theories pertaining to their chosen genre and the literature within their genre in the historical periods immediately preceding and immediately following their period of specialization.
• Theory/Method: Theories and methods refer to a body of ideas and intellectual traditions that help reveal new perspectives about a literary text. Some examples of theory/method include feminism, Marxism, critical race theory, postcolonial theory, post-structuralism, queer theory and cultural studies. Students will be expected to know the major authors and texts of a given theoretical tradition and be able to apply theories to literary texts.

The written comprehensive examinations will be followed by an oral examination, as described under general requirements. The student must register for ENG 795, Comprehensive Examination, one credit, the semester they will be completing the oral exam.

4. Dissertation Defense (final oral examination).

After the dissertation has been accepted by the candidate's advisory committee, the committee will conduct an oral examination dealing with the dissertation and related topics. The defense will be approximately two hours in length.

Contact the department for a checklist of degree requirements for the Ph.D. English, Literature Emphasis.

Ph.D. Rhetoric and Writing Studies emphasis, specific requirements

The Ph.D. Rhetoric and Writing Studies emphasis is intended for people planning to pursue careers in scholarship, teaching, and program administration at the college or university level. The emphasis offers a core of work in rhetoric and writing theory, coupled with focused study in other fields of English language and literature, with possibilities for interdisciplinary study as well.

Students in the program are active in professional activities of various kinds, e.g., publishing, participating in conferences, and serving as interns in community agencies, educational institutions, or businesses.

• Research Methods. ENG 730, Intro to Graduate Study in Rhetoric and Writing Studies, or a comparable course at the MA level, is required and should be taken at the first opportunity. It is customarily offered each fall semester.
• Core Courses. ENG 731, Research in Composition and Rhetoric; and EITHER ENG 733, Classical through Medieval Rhetoric, OR ENG 739, Renaissance through Contemporary Rhetoric.
• ENG 603A - Advanced Creative Writing: Fiction I  (3 units)
• ENG 603B - Advanced Creative Writing: Fiction II  (3 units)
• ENG 604A - Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry I  (3 units)
• ENG 604B - Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry II  (3 units)
• Additional Area. The student also develops expertise in another area, typically in a field of literature or language, but with interdisciplinary study possible as well.
• The student will complete a practicum or internship approved by the committee, including applied work in the field, documentation of that experience, writing a paper and participating in a public forum discussing the implications of the internship. The internship may be taken for credit as ENG 736.

The comprehensive examination process serves as the endpoint of Ph.D. coursework and is the last formal step before the evaluation of the dissertation prospectus. It is coordinated and evaluated by the candidate’s committee.

The comprehensive examination is based upon three reading lists that together comprise a total of 80-120 sources. These lists should be composed by the student in collaboration with the student’s chair and committee. The first list is the primary or major area and represents mostly canonical work. The other two lists represent particular areas of expertise directly relevant to the student’s dissertation work. Generally, at least 40 of the sources are monographs.

Exams are generally taken in the spring semester of the third year of the Ph.D. program and should be completed no later than the end of the fall semester of the student’s fourth year. The timing of the exams must be agreed upon between the student, adviser, and committee well in advance.

The comprehensive examination consists of three components: three timed questions; a longer paper; and an oral examination. These three components together span roughly 10 weeks including evaluation time. The oral examination should be scheduled to take place no earlier than two weeks (14 days) and no later than four weeks (28 days) after the evaluation of the written components is returned. The written examinations must be passed by the committee for the oral examination to take place. Committees should give their evaluation of each component within a two-week (14-day) window. All three exams must be passed by the last day of instruction in the chosen semester for a Satisfactory grade to be entered for ENG 795.

Advancement to Ph.D. candidacy is determined by (a) a Satisfactory grade recorded for ENG 795; and (b) the signing and filing of the “Doctoral Degree Admission to Candidacy/Comprehensive Examination Report” form, available at the Graduate School website . The Prospectus process begins immediately after the candidate is advanced (see “Dissertation” above under General Requirements).

The specific procedures for the three examination components are as follows and should proceed in order:

First Component: Three timed written exams

• This portion of the exam will consist of three written questions, answered in separate 24-hour sessions. These 24-hour sessions will be scheduled by the student and chair but must take place within four weeks (28 days).
• While each student has their own writing process, appropriate time should be allotted to prewriting, writing, revising, editing, and proofreading.
• The three questions will come from sets approved by the student’s committee. The first set will pertain primarily to the student’s first/canonical list while the second and third set of questions will primarily examine the secondary and tertiary lists...
• On each writing day, the chair will email the student one question set. This email marks the beginning of the 24-hour response period.
• On each scheduled date, the student will select one question from the emailed set to answer. The response should be 15-25 pages in length, depending on the number of texts engaged. Any sources used must be acknowledged in the text, but formal, formatted citations are not required.

Second Component: Essay

• This component is executed simultaneously with the timed exams and is to be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the scheduled oral defense.
• The essay may be entirely new material, but it is more common for a student to take a seminar paper they have written and develop it toward publication.
• The essay should be of typical length for a journal article; generally 20-30 pages.
• In the essay, the student should articulate the conversation that has taken place about a particular scholarly problem in the field of Rhetoric & Composition; the student should enter that conversation with a clear, focused analytical argument; the student should primarily employ relevant sources from the Comprehensive lists, though some outside sources, particularly primary sources, may appear.
• Committees may advise on the formulation of the topic for the essay before writing begins. However, they will not provide any kind of written outline or template for the essay; nor will they answer questions about the essay or read drafts of it during the writing period.
• The essay should be formatted as an MS for submission to a journal, including an abstract, citations for all source material, and a works-cited list in an appropriate disciplinary style (usually MLA, but Chicago and APA are also acceptable depending on the sub-field of Rhetoric & Composition).

Third Component: Oral exam

• This portion of the exam will begin with a 20-minute presentation in which the student narrates their scholarly development up to this point in their academic career.
• This narrative should be a coherent, focused argument about the student’s scholarly identity that articulates the importance and relevance of their interests to the field.
• This narrative presentation will be followed by a 1-hour session during which committee members will ask questions pertaining to the student’s project and to the combined reading list.
• This component of the examination process will be an opportunity for committee members to follow up on any concerns or omissions related to the narrative presentation or to the written components of the examination.

After the dissertation has been accepted by the candidate's advisory committee, the committee will conduct an oral examination dealing with the dissertation and related topics. The defense will be approximately one and one-half to two hours in length.

Contac the department for a checklist of degree requirements for the Ph.D. English, Rhetoric and Writing Studies Emphasis.

3.4 Graduate School academic requirements

All graduate students must maintain a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0. If their GPA drops below 3.0 they are either placed on probation or dismissed. Undergraduate courses will not count towards graduate GPA.

View Graduate School requirements

Students whose cumulative graduate GPA is 0.1 to 0.6 points below that needed for a 3.0 GPA are put on probation. Students are placed on academic probation for one semester. If they fail to raise their cumulative GPA to 3.0 by the end of one semester, they are dismissed from their graduate program. Thesis, dissertation, S/U graded credits, and transfer credits have no impact on a student’s GPA.

Students whose cumulative graduate GPA is 0.7 or more grade points below that needed for a 3.0 GPA are dismissed. Dismissed students are no longer in a graduate program but may take graduate-level courses as a Grad Special. Students wishing to complete their degree must obtain approval to take graduate-level courses, raise their graduate GPA to at least 3.0 and then re-apply to a graduate program. Any courses taken to raise their GPA will be included in the graduate special/ transfer credit limitation (9 credits for master’s degrees).

Please refer to Nevada System of Higher Education CODE on Student Program Dismissal Procedures (SPDP) and review conference policies: (NSHE CODE, Chapter 11, Sections 1-3). If program dismissal is based upon failure to maintain required grades or a required GPA as described above, SPDP does not apply and the student may be summarily dismissed from the English graduate program.

4. Timeline for degree completion

4.1 master’s degrees.

All coursework must be completed within six years preceding the awarding of the degree.

Sample Timeline: MA (two years)

• Read degree requirements (general and program-specific) on English Web site and Graduate School Web site
• Read the Graduate Student Survival Handbook on the Graduate School Web site
• Meet with Director of Graduate Studies in English in the early weeks of the semester
• Meet twice with appointed faculty mentor
• Plan approach to fulfill the requirements for your degree (including language requirements)
• Submit Transfer Credit Evaluation form (if applicable) to Director of Graduate Studies
• Meet and talk with faculty members who share your interests
• If you do not have a TA but wish to, apply (or reapply) for the TA by the deadline
• Choose a committee chair, and in consultation with chair form rest of your committee; use DocuSign to submit Declaration of Advisor/Major Advisor/Committee Chair form
• Check progress toward degree requirements, including foreign language requirement
• In consultation with committee chair, consider the thesis vs. non-thesis option (if you choose thesis, begin to consider topics)
• Draft Program of Study for approval of Director of Graduate Studies; submit it through DocuSign
• Begin focusing plans for the MA comprehensive exam/final project(s)/thesis
• Continue preparation for exam/final project(s)/thesis
• Consider doing a summer internship, field institute, or volunteer work
• Consider and begin to research longer-term goals (more graduate school vs. careers, etc.)
• Continue taking language classes if requirements not yet met

Second Year

• Meet with chair early to discuss progress through degree
• Prepare for the MA comprehensive exam and/or work on final project(s)/thesis
• Apply to graduate schools with early deadlines (if applicable)
• Finish coursework
• Apply to graduate schools and/or jobs
• Complete comprehensive exam/final project(s)/thesis
• Submit application for graduation to Graduate School early
• Submit Notice of Completion (and thesis) by Graduate School deadline

Note: A teaching assistantship in the MA program may be held for a maximum of two years. The MA degree must be completed within six years from the time the student first earns graduate credits that you apply toward the degree. This timeline represents a very general model for your progress toward the degree. Students should keep medium- and long-range goals in mind, and consult frequently with their mentor/chair.

Sample Timeline: MFA (three years)

• Read degree requirements, general and MFA-specific, on English website and Graduate School website
• Read the Graduate School Survival Handbook on the Graduate School website.
• Meet twice with faculty mentor
• Meet and talk with faculty who share your interests, even if you’re not taking classes with them
• Submit Transfer Credit Evaluation form (if applicable) to Director of Graduate Studies.
• In consultation with faculty mentor, plan approach to fulfill MFA requirements
• If you do not have a TA but wish to, apply (or reapply) for the TA by the deadline.
• Meet with faculty mentor to strategize the creation of a committee and reading list.
• Attend AWP conference in April; seek out other venues for networking and professionalization
• Begin submitting work for publication, if you have not already, and continue to do so throughout your time in the program
• Consider doing a summer internship or volunteer work
• Begin to think about the shape of your thesis and whom you might want to chair, and sit on, your committee
• In consultation with chair, establish the rest of your committee.
• In consultation with chair, establish reading list for comprehensive examination and plan for summer work to develop and focus plans for the thesis.
• Take an interdepartmental elective in a field related to your literary interests or the subject of your thesis.
• In consultation with committee chair and Director of Graduate Studies, prepare Program of Study form and file it with Graduate School.
• In consultation with committee chair, prepare thesis prospectus and submit it to full committee for approval
• Read, or reread, the texts on your list.
• Begin work on annotated bibliography.
• Consider and begin to research longer-term goals (more graduate school versus immediate job search, publishing goals, etc.).
• Begin writing/compiling/revising thesis
• Meet with chair early to discuss progress toward degree.
• Continue work on thesis.
• Prepare for, and take, comprehensive exam.
• Apply to graduate schools with early deadlines (if applicable).
• Finish coursework.
• Complete and submit thesis.
• Apply to graduate schools and/or jobs.
• Submit application for graduation
• Defend thesis.
• Submit Notice of Completion to Graduate School

Note: A teaching assistantship in the MFA program may be held for a maximum of three years. The MFA degree must be completed within six years from the time the student first earns graduate credits that you apply toward the degree. This timeline represents a very general model for your progress toward the degree. Students should keep medium- and long-range goals in mind, and consult frequently with their mentor/chair.

4.2 Doctoral degrees

All coursework must be completed within eight years preceding the awarding of the degree. Credits transferred into doctoral degree from a completed master’s degree are exempt from this eight-year limit.

Sample Timeline: Ph.D.

• Read degree requirements (general and program-specific) on English website and Graduate School website
• Submit Transfer Credit Evaluation form to Director of Graduate Studies
• Check progress toward degree requirements, including foreign languages
• Start thinking about who you might want to chair your committee and about fields for your exams
• Consider applying for internships, volunteer work that gives professional experience
• Consider attending a professional conference and/or joining a few professional organizations
• Consider and begin to research possible scholarly focus areas
• Continue language classes if requirements not met
• Check progress toward degree requirements, including foreign language requirements
• Discuss comprehensive exams with your chair and begin planning your approach
• Become more professionally involved (memberships, internships, conferences, etc.)
• Complete coursework and any outstanding requirements (foreign language, etc.)
• In consultation with chair, complete reading list for exams
• Continue preparing for comprehensive exams
• Become more professionally active (presenting work, publishing book reviews, etc.)
• Complete any outstanding coursework or requirements (foreign language, etc.)
• Complete comprehensive exams this year
• When comp exams are passed, submit Admission to Candidacy form to Graduate School
• In consultation with chair, begin to determine dissertation topic
• Draft a dissertation prospectus
• Talk with your chair about the following issues:
• Presenting papers at conferences and making professional connections
• Sending out an essay or two for publication
• Applying for grants and fellowships
• Attend department Academic Job Placement Workshop
• After you have completed comprehensive exams, consider diversifying teaching

Fourth Year

• Get dissertation prospectus approved by committee if you haven’t already done so
• Determine dissertation completion timeline with your chair
• Consider sending out modified dissertation chapters for publication
• Continue presenting papers at conferences and making professional connections
• Familiarize yourself with the job market and application procedures
• Draft strong c.v., cover letter, writing sample(s), statement of teaching philosophy
• Continue to diversify teaching experiences
• Consider applying for research and/or dissertation fellowships
• Consider attending the MLA (and/or CCCC) conference
• Complete your dissertation
• Defend your dissertation
• Participate in department Academic Job Placement Workshop
• Revise c.v., cover letter, writing sample(s), statement of teaching philosophy
• Establish a dossier and solicit letters of recommendation
• Go on the job market
• Plan to attend the MLA (and/or CCCC) conference for job interviews
• Continue applying for jobs through spring
• Submit dissertation to Graduate School

Note: A teaching assistantship in the Ph.D. program may be held for a maximum of three years. The Ph.D. degree must be completed within six years from the time the student first earns graduate credits that you apply toward the degree. This timeline represents a very general model for your progress toward the degree. Students should keep medium- and long-range goals in mind, and consult frequently with their mentor/chair.

5. Committee selection guidelines

The student advisory committee assists the chair in writing and evaluating comprehensive exams, theses and dissertations (including prospecti), and oral defenses. Members sign all milestone degree completion forms. The relationship and communication between the student and members of the advisory committee should be approved by the student’s chair; some committee members may wish to be more involved in the drafting of dissertations and theses than others, but the committee chair should always be the student’s first point of contact.

In consultation with their chair, students should form their advisory committees in their second semester (MA) or their third semester (MFA and Ph.D.). The Graduate School requires committee formation no later than the third semester (MA) or the fourth (MFA and Ph.D.).

5.2 Doctoral programs

Consist of a minimum of five graduate faculty members; the chair, at least two faculty members from the student’s major department/program, at least one faculty member from a department in a field related to the student’s major, and at least one Graduate School representative.

In case of interdisciplinary graduate programs, the Graduate School Representative cannot have a primary appointment in the same department (or other appropriate major unit) as the student's committee chair.

Formal approval of all student advisory committees is made by the Graduate Dean.

6. Graduate assistantships

Graduate students may apply for teaching assistantships, which will allow them the opportunity to teach first-year composition and sophomore-level humanities courses. Our TA training program provides supportive mentorship and a research-based pedagogical foundation. Doctoral candidates may also have the opportunity to teach courses in their fields. Both masters and doctoral students are eligible for funding to support their professional presentations at academic conferences. Summer Research Assistantships provide an opportunity to work with faculty on their research projects.

All graduate students holding an assistantship (teaching GTA or GRA) are considered Nevada residents for tuition purposes. Non-resident tuition is only waived for the duration of the assistantship. To be eligible for an assistantship, students must be admitted to a degree-granting program and be in good academic standing. The student must have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 and must be continuously enrolled in at least 6 graduate level credits (600-700) throughout the duration of the assistantship. 

State-funded assistantships (GTA/GRA) may be held for a maximum of: three (3) years for master’s degree students and five (5) years for doctoral degree students.

6.1 How to Apply for a Teaching Assistantship

New applicants.

New applicants to the English Graduate Program may apply for a Teaching Assistantship at the same time as they apply for admission.

Current Students

If openings exist, current students may apply for a Teaching Assistantship every semester. Students who have applied before but have not been appointed to a Teaching Assistantship, or who would like to apply for renewal of a short-term assistantship, must reapply. See below for deadlines and instructions.

Fall TA: complete applications are due January 15.

Spring TA: complete applications are due October 1.

Applications that are not complete by these deadlines will not be considered.

Required Materials

• An application letter, which should be specifically aimed at making clear the applicant’s current experiences, qualifications, and/or ambitions as a teacher.
• Application for Teaching Assistantship
• Three letters of recommendation written within the last year, which if possible should address the applicant’s current experiences, qualifications, and/or ambitions as a teacher. (If you plan to re-use letters from a previous application, ask Kim Boehner to transfer them to your new application file.)

Where to Submit your TA Application

Current students should submit their TA application to the current Director of Graduate Studies, via email, before the deadline. Letters of Recommendation can be sent by email directly to the DGS. 

The most updated information on graduate assistantships is available from the Graduate School:   General information   and the   Graduate Assistantship handbook .

7. Additional funding

Graduate students have multiple opportunities for financial aid at the University.

The English Department offers a variety of annual awards and scholarships. The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships provides information and assistance in applying for loans and University merit-based scholarships. The University’s Graduate Student Association also provides its own scholarships, grants, and loans to qualified graduate students.

On-campus employment opportunities are available at the University. Teaching Assistants who wish to take on additional work must get approval for an overload (see the FAQ section).

For additional financial aid options, see the list of external funding opportunities, below.

7.1 English Department Support

In addition to Teaching Assistantships, other forms of financial support are available through the English Department, including Letter-of-Appointment teaching, Travel Awards, Summer Research Assistantships, Scholarships, and Fellowships.

7.2 Letter-of-Appointment Teaching

LOAs teach first-year courses on a part-time, course-by-course basis. If you are interested in applying to teach as an LOA, please contact the English Department's Core Writing Program . In addition to being paid for the courses they teach, LOAs receive reduced tuition, for up to six credits, equal to the number of credits they are teaching. For example, if an LOA teaches a 3-credit course, then the tuition for 3 of the graduate credits he or she is taking that semester is reduced.

7.3 Travel Awards

Graduate students may apply for up to $400 per year toward travel to a conference at which they are presenting a paper.

7.4 Summer Research Assistantships

Continuing graduate students are eligible to apply for a summer research assistantship, designed to provide supplemental financial assistance, to give students an opportunity to gain experience in various academic fields, and to help prepare them to undertake their own future research projects. SRAs pay $15 per hour up to a maximum of $1200 (80 hours) for a student to work on a faculty member's summer research project.

7.5 Scholarships and Fellowships

The English Department awards a variety of annual scholarships and fellowships, including the Douglass Memorial Scholarship for teaching, the Ronald Memorial Dissertation Fellowship, the Macmillan and DQ Scholarships for writing, and the Leonard Scholarship for academic excellence. We also have had good success nominating our students for University and system-wide scholarships, such as Access Scholarships and the Regents Outstanding Scholar Award.

7.7 Graduate Student Association

Located in the Fitzgerald Student Services Building , the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships is an indispensable resource for students looking to fund their educations.

The Office provides information and assistance on a variety of student financial aid issues, including applying and receiving student loans, filling out the FAFSA, and links to University and external merit-based scholarships. Additionally, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, in collaboration with the Graduate School, administers a limited number of general scholarships for graduate students.

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) at the University of Nevada, Reno is one of the main sources of financial aid for the University’s graduate student population. Each spring semester, the GSA sponsors an awards program for outstanding UNIVERSITY graduate students, and awards scholarships and grants in several categories, including research, teaching, and mentoring.

In addition to merit-based scholarships and loans, the GSA also provides travel grants to graduate students attending professional conferences and offers a number of need-based scholarships, grants, and loans for current graduate students, including scholarships for childcare and medical hardships, loans for purchasing computer equipment, and grants for students experiencing unexpected financial crises. Additionally, the GSA Household Items program collects and distributes various furniture items and other household necessities for current graduate students. Visit the GSA website or in person at the Joe Crowley Student Union .

7.8 Writing & Speaking Center

The University Writing & Speaking Center provides writing assistance to the University’s entire student population, from undergraduate to graduate, at any stage of the writing process. Writing tutors assist students via one-on-one peer consultation or small group instruction.

The Writing Center is partially funded by student fees, and staffed entirely by a team of committed undergraduate and graduate students. New writing consultants are hired at the end of each semester. Find employment opportunities on the Writing & Speaking Center website .

7.9 Extramural Scholarships and Fellowships

Below is a brief listing of some of the many national and local financial aid opportunities available to qualified graduate students.

External search websites

Grapes: search engine for graduate funding.

The UCLA Graduate Division has an open search engine to identify funding sources for graduate students and postdocs. The UCLA GRAPES database contains information on over 500 private and publicly funded awards, fellowships, and internships for prospective and current graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.

Advanced search options allow users to refine their search by field, academic level, award type, award amount, and other criteria.

Humanities Fellowships for ABDs

Charlotte w. newcombe doctoral dissertation fellowships.

The Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships are designed to encourage original and significant study of ethical or religious values in all fields of the humanities and social sciences, and particularly to help Ph.D. candidates in these fields complete their dissertation work in a timely manner.

Henry Frank Guggenheim Emerging Scholar Awards

The foundation welcomes proposals from any of the natural and social sciences and the humanities that promise to increase understanding of the causes, manifestations, and control of violence, aggression, and dominance. Highest priority is given to research that can increase understanding and amelioration of urgent problems of violence, aggression, and dominance in the modern world.

Jacob K. Javits Fellowships Program

This program provides fellowships to students of superior academic ability—selected on the basis of demonstrated achievement, financial need, and exceptional promise—to undertake study at the doctoral and Master of Fine Arts level in selected fields of arts, humanities, and social sciences.

Mellon Fellowships for Dissertation Research in the Humanities and Original Sources

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation fellowships are for students in the humanities or in a related element of the social sciences who are planning to do dissertation research primarily in original source material in the holdings of archives, libraries, historical societies, museums, related repositories, or a combination.

Mellon Foundation/American Council of Learned Societies Dissertation Completion Fellowship

This program assists graduate students in the humanities or related social sciences in the last year of Ph.D. dissertation writing. Students must have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. except the dissertation.

Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowships

The Dissertation Fellowship Program seeks to encourage a new generation of scholars from a wide range of disciplines and professional fields to undertake research relevant to the improvement of education.

Grants for Women

American association of university women (aauw) fellowships.

The AAUW Educational Foundation supports aspiring scholars around the globe, teachers and activists in local communities, women at critical stages of their careers, and those pursuing professions where women are underrepresented. AAUW offers a variety of fellowships to both international and American female students. 

Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund Grants

Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund (MMMF) awards grants to outstanding women from developing countries, who are completing degrees at U.S./Canadian universities, and are committed to improving the wellbeing of women and children in developing countries.

Grants for Minority Students

Ford foundation predoctoral fellowships for minorities.

Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships for Minorities are three-year awards in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, literature and languages, history, philosophy and religion, life sciences, chemistry, earth sciences, physics and astronomy, engineering, mathematics and computer science. There are around 40 of these awards, which are open to U.S. citizens or nationals who are members of the following minority groups: Alaskan Natives (Eskimo or Aleut), Native American Indians, Black/African Americans, Mexican Americans/Chicanos, Native Pacific Islanders (Polynesian or Micronesian) and Puerto Ricans.

8. Health Insurance

All domestic degree-seeking graduate students, who are enrolled in six or more credits (regardless of the course level) in a semester, will be automatically enrolled and billed for the University-sponsored health insurance for each term they are eligible (fall and spring/summer). If a student has other comparable coverage and would like to waive out of the student health insurance, it is the student’s responsibility to complete the University online waiver form prior to the deadline. If approved, a health insurance waiver is good for the current academic year only. A new waiver must be submitted each academic year. All international graduate students are required to carry student health insurance, and the cost will be automatically added to your student account. Any international graduate students with insurance questions must contact the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS)  directly.

9. Leave of Absence

The Graduate School grants a Leave of Absence for medical reasons and other emergencies. Leaves of Absence are treated the same as Withdrawals for financial aid purposes. If the student returns to his/her study prior to the date indicated on the Leave of Absence Application, he/she needs to request to the Grad School to be reinstated. Note that the Graduate School’s clock still ticks during the student’s Leave—6 years for MAs, 8 years for Ph.D.s.

Continuous Enrollment: To maintain “good standing” all graduate students are required to enroll in a minimum of three (3) graduate credits each fall and spring semester until they graduate. International students may be required to enroll in nine graduate credits each fall and spring semester depending on the requirements of their visa. All students holding assistantships (whether teaching or research assistantships) are required to enroll in a minimum of six (6) graduate credits each semester they hold the assistantship.

Leave of Absence: Students in good standing may request a leave of absence by completing a   Leave of Absence form   during which time they are not required to maintain continuous registration. Usually, a leave of absence is approved for one or two semesters. The leave of absence request may be extended by the student filing an additional leave of absence form. Students applying for a leave of absence should not have any “incomplete” grades which could be changed to “F” and have a detrimental impact on their cumulative GPA. Requests for leave of absence must be received by the Graduate School no later than the last day of enrollment for the semester the leave is to begin.

Reinstatement: When a student has been absent for one semester or more without an approved leave of absence, he or she may request reinstatement via the   Reinstatement form . This form allows the program the option to recommend the student be re-admitted to their graduate program based on their previous admission OR require the student to re-apply for admission which would require students to submit a new application for admission and pay the application fee. The Notice of Reinstatement to Graduate Standing must be received by the Graduate School no later than the last day of enrollment for the semester the reinstatement is to begin.

10. Graduate Student Association

The  Graduate Student Association represents all graduate students and promotes the welfare and interests of the graduate students at the University of Nevada, Reno. The GSA works closely with appropriate University administrative offices, including the Graduate School and Student Services and reports to the President of the University. The GSA government functions through the Council of Representatives, Executive Council and established committees.

The Graduate Student Association functions as one of our graduate students’ greatest support services, offering funding to attend conferences, computer loans, and low-cost household items. In addition, the GSA offers a variety of loans and merit-based scholarships to graduate students.

GSA sponsors a number of social events throughout the semester, including a beginning-of-the-semester wine and cheese social, and an end-of-the-semester breakfast and massage.

Visit the GSA online in person at the Joe Crowley Student Union .

11. Campus Resources

The University of Nevada, Reno is dedicated to providing its students with all the resources they need to have a successful academic career. The University is a Research One university, and students have access to extensive print and media-based resources at the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center, the main University library.

Graduate students looking to take courses and get involved beyond the English Department may be interested in the University’s Gender, Race, and Identity Program. Students seeking options for additional funding, or for social, academic, and leadership opportunities can find them through the University’s Graduate Student Association. Additional support services and social opportunities can be found through the Center for Student Cultural Diversity, which welcomes all University students.

Visit Around Campus for a virtual tour of the University campus, including 360° panoramas.

11.1 Library

An indispensable resource on the University campus, the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center combines traditional library resources with new digital and multimedia technologies. At 295,000 square feet and five stories tall, the Knowledge Center is both the intellectual and cultural hub of the University campus.

In the main library, the Knowledge Center houses over 1 million volumes of books and journals, plus 15,000+ electronic journals and a growing collection of electronic books. In Special Collections, researchers have access to manuscripts, architectural records, and historical maps, in addition to more than 200,000 photographs, and over 20,000 volumes of historical, rare, and artists’ books. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, the Knowledge Center has excellent Interlibrary Loan agreements to make sure you always have access to all the research materials you need. Visit the University Libraries page for more information.

Additionally, the Knowledge Center is the home to the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame  the @One Digital Media and Technology Center , and the Basque Library and Center for Basque Studies , the only Center for Basque Studies in the United States.

The Knowledge Center also contains a 163-seat auditorium with a stage, an art gallery, a sculpture garden, and special exhibit areas.

The Knowledge Center is an ideal study location as there are computers available throughout the library featuring extensive online databases, multiple group study rooms, and quiet study locations. Graduate students have dedicated study space within the Faculty & Graduate Reading Room, a large, spacious, and comfortable area located on the fourth floor of the Knowledge Center. Private study carrels may be reserved on an annual basis.

Bytes Cafe, which serves the popular Peet’s Coffee, is easily accessible on the main floor of the library. Additional food and drink concessions are available next door at the Joe Crowley Student Union .

11.2 Gender, Race, and Identity Program

The Gender, Race and Identity (GRI) program is an umbrella of several majors and minors, with a graduate certificate program as well as an MA degree, designed to enhance students’ understanding of the roles gender, race, and difference have played in shaping history, culture, and identity. The program is designed to enrich participants’ scholarly understanding of these issues and is open to graduate students from multiple disciplines across campus, including English.

Students wishing to earn a GRI Certificate as part of their graduate studies must complete 12 credits of approved coursework.

11.3 Multicultural Center

The Multicultural Center is a critical hub of cultural, LGBTQIA+, gender-focused services, programs, and social justice initiatives that support student success and increase graduation rates of students at the University of Nevada, Reno. The Center empowers students to be innovative colleagues in creating a better-integrated community at the University and beyond.

All programs and services are offered at no cost and include: academic advisement, leadership development, retention services, financial management counseling, career and major exploration, time management, goal setting, and study skills training. Additionally, the Center sponsors a number of intercultural student organizations, while students who wish to simply study or relax can do so in the Center’s computer lab, study area, or plasma TV, Blu-Ray, and video game lounge.

12. Policies: Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to the most commonly asked questions about rules and regulations as well as the most important policies that apply to graduate students in English. If you have a question not answered here, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies.

12.1 Audits

To audit a class the student must sign up through Admissions & Records . You cannot sign up for an audit through MyNevada. Audit credits DO count toward the 6 credits required to maintain a TA-ship or the 3 credits required to maintain active standing. But audit credits do not count toward the total number of credits required for the degree, and audited courses may not be used to fulfill degree requirements. Audit credits are not always covered by Grant-in-Aid. Although audited courses cannot be applied to a degree program, they do appear on a student’s transcript.

12.2 Comprehensive exam (795), Thesis (797), and Dissertation (799) enrollment

To enroll in the Comprehensive Exam (795), students must have completed their foreign language requirement(s) and filed their Program of Study. To enroll in thesis (797) or dissertation (799) hours, students must have filed their Program of Study. Permission forms to register for these course numbers are available in NevadaBox and require your chair's signature.

12.3 Deadlines

The two most important sources for information about deadlines are the Graduate School’s website and the University Academic calendar, accessible from your MyNevada webpage. It is a good idea to consult these sources every semester, print the pages, and record key dates in your planner. Here are the links:

• Graduate School’s List of Graduation Deadlines
• Academic Calendar

12.4 Grant-in-Aid caps for TAs, and Letters of Exception

The Graduate School’s Grant-in-Aid for TAs is capped at 9 credits per semester, but exceptions can be made. If your curricular needs are such that you plan to enroll in more than 9 credits in a given semester, notify the Director of Graduate Studies a semester in advance, explaining what courses you will be taking and how they contribute to your graduate program. Pending approval of your request, the Director of Graduate Studies will send a Letter of Exception to the Graduate School, which will consider making an exception to the 9-credit fee waiver cap. There is a processing time involved, so notify the Director of Graduate Studies as soon as you know what courses you plan to take.

12.5 Grant-in-Aid for Foreign Language courses

If you are a TA and are registered for a foreign language course to meet requirements for your degree, you should notify the Director of Graduate Studies of the course. The Director of Graduate Studies will send a Letter of Request to the Graduate School, which will then consider covering your foreign language course through a grant-in-aid fee reduction. However, the Graduate School does not grant fee reductions for an open-enrollment course through the University department of Online and Independent Learning. Summer foreign language courses are not covered by grant-in-aid.

12.6 Incompletes for 795, the Comprehensive Exam

If a student does not take the exam in the semester for which he or she registered, the instructor assigns a grade of “I” (incomplete), and the student may take the exam the following semester without reregistering. After the student takes the exam, the instructor uses a “Change of Grade” form to submit the grade. 

If the student does not take the exam the following semester, the Incomplete will revert to a “U” (Unsatisfactory = Fail) unless an Incomplete Extension form is filed. That form is available from Admissions and Records (in person—it is not online).

12.7 Internships (ENG 736)

The steps to setting up an internship are as follows:

• Enlist an English Department faculty member to supervise the internship.
• Choose an internship and a site supervisor.
• Write an internship proposal that both the faculty supervisor and site supervisor agree to.
• Download ENG 736 Internship permission form from NevadaBox .
• Get your faculty supervisor's signature. (Must determine # of credits; internships are variable credit and can be taken from 1-4 credits.)
• Signatures needed: faculty supervisor, committee chair, site supervisor, Director of Graduate Studies
• Return signed form to the front office and you will be cleared to register.
• Internships may not be used to fulfill course requirements for the degree (unless the degree requires an internship).

No more than 4 credits of ENG 736 may be counted toward the degree.

12.8 Minimum Enrollment

Students in graduate programs at the University are required by the Graduate School to enroll in a minimum of 3 graduate-level credits in each fall and spring semester to remain in graduate standing. Those failing to do so will be dropped from graduate standing to graduate special status. It is at the discretion of the Department of English, subject to the regulations of the Graduate School, whether students who fail to maintain graduate standing are to be readmitted to the program at any subsequent date. Students who are unable to take the minimum number of credits in a given semester should thus request a leave of absence in writing, using the form available from the Graduate School, if they wish to retain their standing in a graduate program. (See Leave of Absence, above.)

To keep a teaching assistantship, a graduate student must continue to make satisfactory progress in a graduate degree program. A TA must register for a minimum of 6 graduate credits each semester to maintain an assistantship. In addition, he or she must pass at least 10 graduate credits each year. It should be noted that these are Graduate School minimums; meeting them does not prove satisfactory progress in English.

12.9 Overload work for those on TA

If you are a TA in English and you wish to take on additional work of any kind (e.g., tutoring, extra teaching, paid research help to a faculty member), please first talk with your committee chair about the advisability of that extra work. If your chair approves of that extra work in the context of your work for the TA and your progress on your degree, please ask your chair to send an email to the Director of Graduate Studies expressing approval of that extra work. If the Director of Graduate Studies approves the work overload, the DGS sends the appropriate form to the Graduate School. The overload work must be approved by the Graduate School before the TA begins the work.

12.10 Program of Study

The English Department strongly advises students to form their advisory committee and file their Program of Study form in a timely fashion. MA students should complete their Program of Study form in their second semester of study, while MFA and Ph.D. students should do so in their third semester. Filing your Program of Study on this schedule will reduce delays in your time to graduation. You may not sign up for the Comprehensive Exam (ENG 795) until your Program of Study is filed and your foreign language requirement has been met.

A PDF version of the Program of Study form (not accepted for formal submission, is available from the Graduate School.

The following is an ordered plan for Programs of Study, from the first to the last step. Although it looks involved, we have found that this procedure saves everyone time in the long run. Please bring your transcripts, course records, draft Program of Study, and checklist to all meetings.

• Fill out a draft Program of Study during or after consultation with your chair. Please note that, for English graduate students, the total credits required for the degree should be based on English program requirements (e.g. Non-thesis MA 33, thesis MA 31, MFA 60, Ph.D. 73) and not the minimums listed on the graduate school POS instructions.
• With your chair, check the form, look at transcripts, and use a degree checklist, making note of how the foreign language requirement has been met. The Chair does not sign in this step.
• Meet with the Director of Graduate Studies to check the form.
• After the Director of Graduate Studies okays the draft form, enter the information into the DocuSign powerform on the graduate school website. The powerform will be channeled to your chair, the members of your committee, and the DGS, before automatically going on file with the Graduate School. You will be notified that your approved Program of Study is on file or that revision is necessary.