Graduate School: How similar is it to my undergraduate degree?
Many students begin their graduate degree with the expectation that their experience will mirror that of their undergraduate work. They therefore anticipate a similar level of success and a similar workload. However, graduate courses are considerably different than undergraduate courses. Many instructors require a greater number of texts read during a single term; all expect more in-depth examination of the texts they do assign. Smaller classes make participation in class discussion essential. Writing about literature in graduate school includes considerable research and necessitates a critical, analytical ability. You may find a great deal more is expected of you overall than in your undergraduate program; however, you should also discover that your ability to understand and discuss literature is deepened and improved. You can make the most of your degree program by planning thoughtfully and allowing yourself the time and energy to prepare for and participate in classes and extracurricular programs offered to graduate students. The English department sponsors and Buffalo State offers many scholarly, informational, and creative talks every semester. It is imperative for your development as a scholar that you make plans to attend some of these events.
Planning Your Program
Course selection is by advisement. If you haven’t met your advisor already, make an appointment to see her early in your first semester.
Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 GPA (not including transfer credits) and must have the same 3.0 GPA to graduate. Grades of “C minus” or below may not be used for graduation, and “[t]ypically, no more than 9 credit hours with a grade of C can be accepted towards a master’s degree.” You may not register for more than 30 total credits. Your advisor will help you plan a program that will work best for you. However, you know yourself best. As you begin your degree, ask yourself the following questions:
What do I want out of this degree?
General knowledge? Attainment of credentials for your job? Preparation for future graduate study? Something else? Although the answer(s) to this question can change, knowing how you would answer this question now will help you think about what courses would most benefit you, and whether the optional master’s thesis would suit your goals.
How quickly do I expect to finish my program?
Knowing the answer to this question will help you think about whether our program is a good match for you, and how you might need to adjust your outside commitments in order to achieve your goals.
What other commitments do I have, and where does graduate school rank among the list of these commitments?
Ideally, graduate students would be able to devote full attention to study; however, the reality for many students is quite different. While it is impossible to prepare for changes that might occur in your life while you are completing your degree program, it is essential that you take realistic stock of your ability to give time and energy to your studies. Recognize the role that family, job, and other commitments play in your life, and do not over-commit yourself by trying to finish too many classes too quickly.
How can my past experience with the study of literature inform my master’s degree program?
A love of literature and a belief in its importance is common to every student pursuing graduate study in English. However, each individual student’s program will differ slightly depending on his or her needs. Think about both your strengths and weaknesses in literature. Did you take mostly American or British literature as an undergraduate? Do you have a strong background in criticism and theory? Do you need practice in research skills? What do you enjoy reading? The answers to these questions will help you build a program that you can enjoy at the same time that you are learning.
What if I want to continue studying literature after this degree?
The M.A. degree will complete the formal education of some students. If this is the case for you, Buffalo State’s programs will help you make a lifelong commitment to the understanding of literature, whether that is in a classroom setting, in another profession, or as an individual who loves books. Though most of our M.A. students are teaching or intending to teach and are getting the degree to make their certification permanent, several have other purposes: law school, editing, free-lance and professional writing, or getting the necessary background to enter a PhD program. In the recent past we have also had students from the West Bank, Japan, Korea, Italy, Taiwan, and China who were improving their credentials to teach English and literature in their home countries. Some of them have also gone on to American PhD programs. If you are considering further education in literary studies, there are some additional factors that you should consider early on in your program.
Culminating Work
Not every student needs to write a master’s thesis. For many of our students, particularly those employed full time, taking the two elective courses is a more pragmatic path to the M.A. degree. Typically, many PhD programs in English look for a completed thesis as evidence of preparation for doctoral work. (PhDs in Education may be more flexible about accepting a project rather than a thesis.) Any doctoral program, however, is going to expect evidence that candidates can commit to and produce a lengthy critical analysis of literature.
Options for future study:
The Ph.D. is one follow-up to the M.A. degree, but it is far from the only choice open to students interested in furthering their study of literature. Students who do not wish to or are not able to commit to doctoral work can consider the following (and see the alumni profiles on our English department website for more opportunities):
An additional master’s degree:
- Many students who wish to teach literature at community colleges or high schools pursue multiple M. A. or M. S. degrees (or one of each!). This allows them to increase their breadth of knowledge without requiring them to commit the time, energy, and financial resources to doctoral work. Please note, however, that this option is not viable for students who wish to teach full-time in a tenure-track position at a college or university, where in almost every case a doctorate is required.
An M.F.A.:
- If you are interested in the creative aspect of literature, you might want to consider finding a program that offers a master’s of fine arts in creative writing. Although many of these programs have a scholarly and/or research requirement, their main focus is on the development of your own creative work. This is a good option for students who wish to publish their own work, as well as for those who wish to teach creative writing.
Non-degree programs:
- Many national organizations—such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as many colleges, universities and private programs—offer courses of study that do not lead to any particular degree, but which can greatly enhance your understanding of literature. These could be anything from grants to participate in a writer’s colony, to research opportunities at special collections libraries (such as the Folger Shakespeare library in Washington D.C.), to short summer courses here and abroad open to interested and experienced scholars.
Participation in extracurricular activities and events:
If you are planning on furthering your education, it is essential that you become involved in literature in as many ways as possible. Take advantage of the variety of activities and events offered by the English department and within the Buffalo community. These can include author visits and readings, scholarly lectures, department events such as “Conversations in and out of the Disciplines,” and outside events such as poetry slams, plays, and film seminars. Think about participating and/or organizing literary events yourself, rather than just being in attendance. And plan to submit a scholarly paper to a conference or journal during your study at Buffalo State. (This will be explained in our required course ENG601, but also see the section below for more information.)
Writing in Graduate School
You will probably find that more is expected of you in terms of writing than in your undergraduate years. What may have made an excellent undergraduate paper might well turn out to be a mediocre or even unacceptable graduate-level paper. Below are some guidelines and definitions to help you produce your best possible work.
- Abstract: An abstract is a short, informative summary of a longer work (for example, a thesis, conference paper, or journal article). It focuses on the essential features of the larger work, giving the reader an overview of the material that will be laid out in the longer text. In the case of a master’s thesis (or journal article), the abstract is generally written after the paper is completed even though the abstract is intended to be read first. An abstract for a conference paper, on the other hand, essentially functions as a prospectus (see below) and is therefore written before the completion of the text for conference presentation.
- Précis: A précis is similar to an abstract, in the sense that it is a summary of a longer work; however, a précis is a summary of someone else’s work. You may be asked in your seminars to read a journal article or book chapter and write a précis of it. The précis is more than a book report, however, as it should contain some analysis of the work you are examining. (In other words, do the author’s ideas make sense? Can they be applied more universally? And so on). Make sure when you write your précis that you include an MLA-style citation of the work you are discussing, including page numbers where applicable.
- Prospectus: A prospectus is a document describing the major features of a proposed project in enough detail for the reader to evaluate the project. You may be asked in your graduate seminars to turn in a prospectus for a research paper, and specific requirements (such as length, amount of detail, etc.) will vary from professor to professor.
- Seminar and research papers: The format of seminar and research papers will vary from professor to professor. However, unless otherwise instructed, you should plan on the following when beginning your writing:
- Always use MLA-style citation, which is the standard for the field of English literature. If you are not sure how to cite works in this format, there are handouts available in the library and information online. You should buy a copy of the MLA Guide for Writing Research Papers (if you don’t already own one) if you plan to continue your study in the field.
- Spell-check and grammar-check before you turn a paper in, even with drafts. It is hard for a professor to focus on your ideas if your paper is filled with errors, and it also gives the impression that you are uninterested in or incapable of the task set.
- Your list of works cited should include any literary works you may be discussing, not just critical sources.
- Number your pages and staple or paperclip the entire paper together before arriving in class as a courtesy to the professor.
- Use actual quotations to substantiate your points, both from literary and (where required) critical sources. Make sure that your quotations are actually working for you—do not just throw them in for the sake of “using sources.”
- Avoid too much summary of a literary work. Generally speaking, if you are writing pages of summary, you are wasting space.
- Use critical sources. Avoiding internet sources such as author or book pages or encyclopedia references (online full-text journals are an exception to the rule). Remember that the web is largely unmonitored. Use sources that include refereed journal articles (articles that were sent out to experts for examination before publication). Use original sources where possible (try not to quote somebody quoting somebody else). Use your critical sources wisely; don’t lose your argument in someone else’s ideas, but engage the critical field in constructing your own thesis.
- Conference Papers: A conference paper is a written version of a presentation made at a conference devoted to a specific area of study. The field of inquiry may be broadly defined (international children’s literature) or more specialized (the role of book design in 19th- century children’s literature), but most conferences are organized around a certain theme. There is generally a call for papers that will outline requirements for submission: some conference organizers require a one-page abstract while others request completed papers; some limit presentation time to twenty minutes while others may allow thirty or even forty- five minutes for presentation; some welcome a wide range of approaches to the conference topic while others may focus on, say, critical perspectives rather than pedagogical discussions; some accept electronic submissions while others prefer work submitted by mail. These variables require careful scrutiny of the call for papers (or “CFP”) for individual conferences. It is absolutely essential that you follow directions if you want your paper to be considered for the conference. When sending in an abstract or paper, you will also need to add a cover letter/email that includes your contact information and your interest (briefly) in the conference. (You might discuss in a sentence or two why you feel your paper is well- suited to the conference). Address your letter to “Dear Professor X,” unless you are sure the title is different. This is true even if you know the professor in question. A useful website for keeping abreast of conferences in many areas of literature can be found at www.english.upenn.edu/CFP.
