The Department of English offers an intensive, accelerated combined
degree program leading to both the B.A. and M.A. degrees in five
years of full-time study. Students who have been accepted into the
program take one graduate course each semester of their junior and
senior years; this course counts toward both the B.A. and M.A.
degrees. In the fifth year students take the remaining seven
graduate courses needed to complete the degree.
All of the English graduate courses at St. John’s are seminars
taught by research faculty who are committed to teaching and
mentoring graduate and undergraduate students. The English
Master's degree curriculum offers students the opportunity to
develop programs of study that meet their intellectual and
professional goals. Because there is only one required
foundational course (Modern Critical Theories), the program
provides flexibility for students seeking either broad exposure to
advanced English studies or more intensive concentrations in
specific fields. Among the areas of study featured in the
program are British and American literary history, creative writing
and composition studies, and interdisciplinary fields such as
gender studies and postcolonial studies. The English
department has especially strong numbers of faculty in American
studies, modernist studies, and writing and composition
studies. It also features excellent faculty in British
literary studies.
The graduate program offers approximately 12 courses in the late
afternoon and evening each semester as well as several summer
classes. The graduate program offers a wide range of courses
each semester in the late afternoon and evening on the Queens
campus. It also offers on-line courses during the
summer. The Master’s program consists of 33 credit hours, or
11 courses, including the option to write a 3-credit Master’s
thesis in place of one course. In the final
semester of their coursework, all students submit a
portfolio of their graduate work. The portfolio consists
of three graduate course papers, including one extensively revised
paper, and a 10-page critical overview of the student's growth as a
reader, scholar, and writer. M.A. students are also
encouraged to participate in the annual St. John’s English graduate
student conference.
Complementing the graduate courses in the M.A. program are
opportunities for practical experience in tutoring, editing, and
research. A limited number of Graduate Assistantships are
available on a competitive basis to all qualified full-time
graduate applicants, while additional opportunities for tutoring
are available for all English graduate students. With the
2006 opening of the Institute for Writing Studies,
the graduate program in English features an exceptional new
environment for professional training and development in writing
instruction.
Entrance Requirements
Qualified undergraduate students who have completed their sophomore
year with a 3.0 cumulative average and a 3.5 for 12 or more credits
in English are encouraged to apply.
How to Apply
The process takes about 3-4 weeks. You may download an application, or
obtain one from the Graduate Office, St. John Hall, Rm. 135.
· Consult the most recent graduate
bulletin to check your eligibility for the program.
· It is recommended that you make an
appointment with the Chair to discuss the suitability of the
program for your career and graduate studies interests.
· Complete the top portion of the
application. Be sure to include email and a list of former
undergraduate institutions you have attended.
· Bring the application to the
Registrar (Newman 106) in order to print your transcript and have
it certified.
· Bring the application and certified
transcripts to the Dean's office in St. John Hall, Rm. 135. The
Dean will calculate your GPA and forward it to the undergraduate
Dean's office for review.
· The undergraduate Dean will review
the application and forward it to the English department chair.
· The English chair will review the
application and make a recommendation to the graduate Dean.
· The graduate Dean will then review
all recommendations. He will confirm whether each applicant meets
the entrance requirements and has enough cumulative credits, as
well as credits available in the major or electives for the twelve
(12) graduate credits required as an undergraduate. The Dean will
inform applicants in writing of their admission to the program.
Assistantships
A limited number of Graduate Assistantships are available on a
competitive basis to all qualified full-time graduate students.
Interested B.A./M.A. students should complete an English Master’s
program application, which includes a statement of purpose and two
letters of recommendation, and submit this application to the chair
by March 1. The application forms are available in the
Graduate Office, St. John Hall, Rm. 135.
Department
Contact
Stephen Sicari, Chair
St. John Hall B-16
(718) 990-6387
sicaris@stjohns.edu
Robert Fanuzzi, Assistant Chair
DaSilva Hall, Room 310
(718) 390-4416
fanuzzir@stjohns.edu
Dr. Stanley Bazile
Associate Dean
St. John’s Hall 135
(718) 990-6243
baziles@stjohns.edu
Undergraduate
Admission Contacts
Queens
Office of Admission
St. John’s University
8000 Utopia Parkway
Queens, NY 11439
1 (888) 9STJOHNS
admissions@stjohns.edu
Staten Island
Office of Admission
St. John’s University
300 Howard Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10301
(718) 390-4500
siadmhelp@stjohns.edu