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If you have questions about the graduate program in written communication and you don’t find the answers here, feel free to contact Steven D. Krause, Writing Program Coordinator, at skrause at emich dot edu.
Many of the most frequently asked questions by prospective, incoming, and current students in written communication are the same asked by all graduate students in the EMU Department of English Language and Literature. So, as a first stop, take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions page on the EMU Graduate Studies in English web site.
Here are some more frequent questions and answers:
How do I apply for admissions? What are the requirements? When can I apply for admission?
See this section of the FAQ for EMU Graduate Studies in English. You can apply for admission to EMU online. You can apply for admission to the graduate program at any time, but you are most likely to be able to sign up for the courses you need if you accepted into the program at least three months before the start of the fall or winter term.
Can I be accepted into the program if I don’t have a degree in English?
Yes, though this is addressed on a case-by-base basis. We may ask you to take some 400-level writing courses as prerequisites for the graduate courses in writing. Keep in mind that by “English,” we don’t mean just “literature.” For example, if you have an undergraduate degree in journalism, public relations, or creative writing, you may be prepared to take graduate courses in our programs in professional writing or teaching of writing.
How do I find out information for graduate assistantships? What sort of work do graduate assistants typically do? What are the deadlines for GA applications?
See this section of the FAQ for EMU Graduate Studies in English. Typically, graduate assistants serve as tutors in the writing center, assistants to professors teaching large sections of literature, and instructors in first year composition and rhetoric courses. The deadline for application for a graduate assistantship is March 1 for the following fall term.
When are the graduate courses in written communication scheduled?
Graduate courses are almost always taught in the evening and usually meet once a week. Typically, graduate courses start at 6:30 or 7:00 pm and end at 9:10 or 9:40.
Most courses in the program are offered only once a year.
What is a Program of Study and how do I get one?
The Program of Study (POS) outlines the courses you will take in your graduate program, both required and elective. You should meet with your advisor and fill out a POS soon after you begin the program, but this doesn’t mean that your program is written in stone. Circumstances and your developing interests can result in changes to electives or substituted courses if a particular required course is unavailable for some reason.
However, you do need to have a current and correct POS completed and processed with the writing program coordinator before you apply to graduate. When you apply to graduate, the Records officer will check your transcript of completed courses against the POS to see if you have completed the courses you and your advisor agreed upon. They then inform the Graduate Director whether you have completed your program or what remains to be done. Consequently, it’s important to have your POS up to date when you apply for graduation.
What electives are allowed in the graduate program?
Electives vary a lot, depending on what a person wants to do when they finish their program. Some people want to teach or do professional writing exclusively; others want to combine a few courses from the other emphasis with their focus emphasis, such as focusing on professional writing but including a new courses in teaching writing as a secondary interest area. Some professional writers are interested in business management or design, so they take one or two elective courses from the School of Business or School of Technology. Many students in the teaching emphasis have found the summer EMU Writing Project experience to be especially valuable in their development as writing teachers. Some writing teachers are also interested in reading, so they take one or two elective courses from the School of Education.
As you can see, there isn’t a prescribed list of choices. We try to tailor the program to a student’s interests and future goals. When in doubt, check with the writing program coordinator.
When should I take ENGL 621 (the research methods course)?
This course is intended to prepare you for your master’s project, so you should wait to take it after you have had several of the courses in the program and have gotten to know some of the professors. That way you will be able to select a research topic for your final project that will be useful and interesting to you and you’ll have a good idea of which faculty member would be most appropriate to work with you in completing the project.
Who can direct a master’s project or thesis?
At its February 25, 2003, meeting the Writing Committee agreed to the following policy:
For your Master’s Project you will work closely with a member of your choice from the Department of English Language and Literature’s Writing Faculty as your director. Should you also wish to work with a faculty member from outside the department’s writing faculty or from outside the English department as a consultant who represents your special interests, you may do so based upon the approval of your project director and the Director of Written Communication. If you are working on a thesis, you will need a second reader as well as a director.
Typically, graduate students pick a written communication program faculty member who has a similar research interest or based on a previous experience as a student.
How do I go about getting department permission to register for 692 or 693, the final thesis or project?
The process can seem a little complicated, but it does follow a straight line.
First, you must complete 621. Among other things, this class will help you prepare a proposal for your final thesis or project. This is why it is important to take 621 near the end of your program.
Second, you select and work with a faculty member to serve as the the director of your thesis or project. Typically, this is a written communication program faculty member who has a similar research interest or based on a previous experience as a student.
Third, you work with the director of your thesis or project on a final version of your proposal. After your director approves the proposal, you circulate for signatures a copy of the proposal project/thesis and the project/thesis contract to your advisor, the program coordinator, and the director of graduate studies. They may raise questions and want a little clarification.
Fourth, after everyone signs the contract, the student registers for ENGL 692 (thesis) or ENGL 693 (project). You should discuss the differences of these approaches with your director, but most students currently sign up for ENGL 693.
Unlike normal courses, you can register for 692/693 at any time of the semester.
How do I graduate? How do I apply for graduation?
Once you complete ENGL 692/693/694, your thesis or project once again circulates for signatures to writing program coordinator and the department’s director of graduate studies. With your completed project and completed coursework, you are ready to graduate!
The EMU Graduate Studies in English FAQ page has more information for applying for graduation. Keep in mind that you will need to have a completed and approved Program of Study in order to graduate.
