English

M.A. Portfolio Criteria

 

Creative Writing Concentration

The M.A. Concentration in Creative Writing does not have a non-thesis option.

 

Professional and Technical Communication Concentration

The PTC portfolio option involves an internship and culminates in a portfolio project, consisting of four parts:

• » Project Proposal/Prospectus
  A Project Proposal/Prospectus which provides background on the projects, theoretical influences [drawn from courses] on their proposed redevelopment, a description of the specific projects included, and a timeline for completion.
• » Two Digital Artifacts
  Two Digital Artifacts from other graduate courses that have been redeveloped and expanded (Examples include but are not limited to podcasts, videos, social media creation and curation accounts, websites, technical reports, and grants.)
• » A Client Project
  This would be completed while a student is enrolled in a graduate-level internship.
• » A Critical Reflection
  This reflection integrates sources/theoretical background from previous courses as well as additional sources.

Literature Concentration

The Literature portfolio option involves extra coursework and a portfolio project consisting of three parts.

• » A Project Proposal/Prospectus
  A Project Proposal/Prospectus that provides background on the projects, theoretical and/or literary influences on their proposed (re)development, a description of the specific projects included, and a timeline for completion. (No more than 8pp. single-spaced.).
• » Three Projects
  Three projects from the list below, one of which must be research-based. These projects must be distinct from each other, and if the student wishes to create two different projects based on one work from a previous course, they must first obtain the permission of their chair.

  • Design a Course: The student would design a literature course at the high school or college level that they would want to teach. This would include a course justification / learning objectives, full syllabus, reading list, course calendar, and several potential lesson plans and/or learning activities or presentations. (Number determined in conjunction with their chair.) 
  • Professional Documents: The student would prepare materials needed for applications, either for continued Ph.D. study or future jobs in the field. This would include (but not be limited to) a CV, cover letter, and teaching philosophy. (Contents determined in conjunction with their chair.) 
  • Literature Review: The student would compose a lengthy and thorough review of the existing scholarship surrounding a text, author, or issue. The student would be expected to both research existing scholarship and synthesize it according to historical periods, recurring trends, conversations within the field, or other criteria to be determined by the student and their chair. It could take the form of a written literature review (as in a critical overview) or a lengthy annotated bibliography. (Length determined in conjunction with their chair.)
  • Theory Review: The student would compose a lengthy and thorough review of an existing theoretical conversation. The student would be expected to both research existing scholarship and synthesize it according to key theorists and/or concepts, historical periods, recurring trends, conversations within the field, or other criteria to be determined by the student and their chair. It could take the form of a written review (as in a critical overview) or a lengthy annotated bibliography. This could also include a discussion of the intersection of several fields. (Length determined in conjunction with their chair.)
  • Publication History: The student would choose a text they have studied in a previous course and research its publication history and reception. This project would focus on the history of a publication rather than its critical scholarship, investigating trends and shifts in the publishing industry, issues of reception across national borders, technological innovations or adaptations, or other issues related to publishing. (15-20pp. double-spaced.)
  • Expand an Existing Research Paper: The student would choose a research-based paper from one of their graduate-level seminars and substantially revise and expand it, incorporating more research and more thorough engagement with the primary text/texts. This option could be chosen twice if deemed appropriate by the student and chair. The two papers chosen should be significantly different in terms of subject, to differentiate this option from the thesis. (15-20pp. double-spaced.)
• » A Critical Reflection
  This reflection integrates research from previous courses as well as additional sources in order to establish connections across the projects, to think through the methods used and/or skills emphasized, etc. Its goal is to get the student to think holistically about their portfolio and how the documents within have prepared them for future goals, projects, employment, etc.) (3-5pp. double-spaced.)           

For curriculum information, please see the Graduate Catalog.