Graduate Program Learning Goals
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M.A.
Goal
1 : To learn the research methodology needed for the critical study
of literature.
[Assessment: English 701]
Goal 2: To acquire a familiarity with literary theory and history or theory
of the English language to inform the critical study of literature. [Assessment:
course work]
Goal 3: To increase knowledge of British and American literature and the critical
discourse about the texts under consideration. [Assessment: course work].
Goal 4: To develop a specialized area of study either in literature (thesis
plan), pedagogy (teaching composition plan), publishing (writing and editing
plan), or another appropriate discipline (minor plan). [Assessment: thesis
or internship]
MFA in Creative Writing
Goal 1: To develop artistic abilities and ultimately produce a
refined body of work by focusing intensively, under faculty guidance,
on poetry or fiction. [Assessment: thesis]
Goal 2: To learn sophisticated models for revision; sharpen reading,
editorial, and analytical skills; and cultivate the ability to articulate
matters of craft and literary theory. [Assessment: ?]
Goal 3: To become familiar with formal possibilities for writing
and explore the historical development of prosody and/or narrative
through a close study of the structure of poetry and/or the structure
of fiction. [Assessment: take Structure of Verse or Structure of
Fiction] :
Goal 4: To develop a broader knowledge base of contemporary works, the literary
canon, and periodicals in the field. [Assessment: course work for first two
items, ? for third)
Goal 5: To enhance professional development with the support of a community
of faculty, fellow students, and distinguished visiting writers and though
the teaching and editing opportunities the program affords. [Assessment: workshops,
meetings with visiting writers, St. Mary's House readings, Greensboro Review,
teaching assistantships, Writers in the Schools]
M.Ed.
The Department of English offers the Master of Education with two
options (A or M licensure). The North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction (NCDPI) approved the M. Ed. in English in 1999. Its courses
and goals are aligned with the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards (NBPTS) and the INTASC Standards for New Teachers used
in NCDPI's Performance-Based Licensure Project. The learning goals
for the Master of Education in English are based on the five NBPTS.
Goal 1: To show commitment to high school students and their learning of English
Studies by adjusting practices and curriculum to meet the needs of individual
learning styles and differences.
GoaI2: To know the specialized content of literature, language, and composition
and to employ appropriate pedagogies to create contextualized instruction as
well as crossdisciplinary connections for students.
Goal 3: To learn and employ a variety of management methods and responsible
and systematic assessment programs for high school English.
Goal 4: To reflect on their own learning and teaching, to critically analyze
their performance and that of their students, and to improve their practices
based on research and classroom and field experiences.
Goal 5: To collaborate with graduate faculty, other graduate students, and
classroom teachers in order to strengthen their professional development as
English teachers as well as their understanding of parents and community as
resources.
Ph. D.
Goal 1: To learn the research methodology needed for the critical study of literature. [Assessment: English 701]
Goal 2: To acquire a familiarity with literary theory and history or theory of the English language to inform the critical study of literature. [Assessment: course work]
Goal 3: To study composition theory and/or the history of rhetoric to improve teaching (if a TA) and/or as a field of specialization within the Ph. D. program. [Assessment: English.681 and mentoring by Director of Composition; for specialization, Ph. D. exam and dissertation]
Goal 4. To gain professional expertise in a field of British or American literature or Rhetoric and Composition in order to prepare for a career in college teaching. [Assessment: course work, Ph. D. exam, and dissertation].
Goal 5: To demonstrate professional development through such activities as peer mentoring, participation in conferences, submissions for publication or appropriate conduct of a job search. [Assessment: graduate students' achievements]