7 Popular Culture/Cultural Studies
This emphasis is designed for students who intend to seek a non-traditional Ph.D. in popular culture/cultural studies or for those seeking a terminal M.A. degree with a focus on contemporary culture. Students may pursue this option either with thesis or directed portfolio.
M.A. with Thesis. Students choosing this option take
- 6 hours of Core Courses, including ENGL 6001: Research & Bibliography (taken in the first semester) and either ENGL 6701: History of Literary Criticism or ENGL 6705 Contemporary Critical Theory;
- 12 hours of Recommended Courses in the Emphasis, chosen from among the following: WGST 6000: Feminist Theory; ENGL 6511: History of Children’s Literature; ENGL 6515: Special Topics in Children’s and Adolescent Literature; ENGL 6551: Popular Culture Studies; ENGL 6301: Special Topics in Global English Literatures; ENGL 6715: Studies in Narratology; ENGL 6611: Selected Topics in Literature and Language; ENGL 6555: Special Topics in Popular Culture Studies; ENGL 6571: Studies in Folklore; ENGL 6575: Special Topics in Folklore; ENGL 6561: Film Studies; ENGL 6565: Special Topics in Film Studies.
- 9 hours of Electives. Any 5000- or 6000-level English courses will fulfill these electives. One 5000-level World Language for Reading Knowledge course may also be used as an elective.
- Thesis: At least 3 hrs. of ENGL 6640: Thesis Research must be completed with a grade of S, and the completed thesis must be successfully defended and accepted by the College of Graduate Studies.
M.A. with Portfolio. Students choosing this option take
- The same Core and Recommended Courses in the Emphasis as those choosing the Thesis Option. They take 12 hours of Electives fulfilled by any combination of 5000- or 6000-level English courses. One 5000-level World Language for Reading Knowledge course may be used as an elective.
- Directed Portfolio: Three (3) hrs. of ENGL 6913 must be completed with a grade of S. The portfolio is made up of three course papers revised according to the recommendations of the assigning professors (one of whom should act as portfolio director) into short essays appropriate for submission to relevant academic journals and an essay of at least 1500 words addressing the choice of essays and reflecting on the process of revising them into publishable articles. Final submission of the portfolio to the portfolio director should include the originally assigned papers, the revised articles, the reflective essay, and a sign-off sheet attesting to the directing professor’s satisfaction with the revisions. The portfolio director will assign a grade of satisfactory or unsatisfactory based upon the completed portfolio.
