Department of English
G raduate Student Handbook
C O L L E G E OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
U n i v e r s i t y o f North Carolina Wilmington
Contents
Contact Information for Faculty and Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
M.A. Degree Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Course Offerings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Graduate Grading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Comprehensive Examination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Thesis Guidelines and Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Application for Graduation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Email Accounts and Contact Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Mailboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Teaching Assistantships and Internships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Establishing Residency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Graduate English Association and Graduate Student Association . . . 11
Graduate Student Travel Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Graduate School Grants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Graduate Student Association Travel Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Resources and Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
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ii
Graduate Faculty and Staff
Graduate Faculty: Contact Information
and Research and Teaching Interests
Diana Ashe, Associate Professor
Professional Writing Coordinator
ashed@uncw.edu
Professional and technical writing; rhetorical
theory; and environmental and activist writing
Anthony Atkins, Associate Professor,
Composition Coordinator
atkinsa@uncw.edu
Professional and technical writing; visuality
and rhetoric; technologies and composition
pedagogies; classical and modern rhetorical theory
Mark Boren, Associate Professor
borenm@uncw.edu
18th and 19th century American literature;
romantic and Gothic literature; psychoanalysis;
critical theory; literature and the visual arts
Cara Cilano, Professor
cilanoc@uncw.edu
Postcolonial theory and literature; women’s
literature and feminist theory; literary/critical
theory; contemporary world literature; ethnic
American literatures
Janet Mason Ellerby, Professor
ellerbyj@uncw.edu
Narrative theory; history of literary theory; modern
period (1900-1945); nonfiction (particularly
autobiography); history of the novel
Tiffany Gilbert, Assistant Professor
Literary Studies Coordinator
gilbertt@uncw.edu
20th and 21st century American literature, film, and
popular culture, gender, race, and cultural studies,
nineteenth century British literature, composition
Christopher Gould, Professor
gouldc@uncw.edu
Composition; American literature; 18th century
British literature
Sarah Hallenbeck, Assistant Professor
hallenbecks@uncw.edu
Professional and technical writing; rhetoric and
composition; feminist rhetorics; rhetorics of science
and technology; English Education
Paula Kamenish, Associate Professor
kamenishp@uncw.edu
Comparative world literatures and cultures
(especially European, but including Latin American,
Asian, and West African); ethnic American literature
Nicholas Laudadio, Assistant Professor
laudadion@uncw.edu
Cultural studies; media studies; post-modern
fiction; science fiction and film
Katherine Montwieler, Associate Professor,
montwielerk@uncw.edu
18th and 19th century British literature; women
writers; feminist theory, and women’s studies
Marlon Moore, Assistant Professor
moorem@uncw.edu
African-American literature
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Jeff Neely, Assistant Professor
neelyj@uncw.edu
Journalism; youth and media; media and
communities; media ethics; online social networks;
virtual worlds; science writing
Keith Newlin, Professor
newlink@uncw.edu
American literary naturalism and realism; 20th
century American literature; early modernism;
American drama; scholarly editing
Katie Peel, Assistant Professor
peelk@uncw.edu
Young adult and children’s literatures; Victorian
literature; GLBTQ literature and theory; Holocaust
literature; Women’s Studies
Colleen Reilly, Associate Professor
Graduate Coordinator
reillyc@uncw.edu
Professional and technical writing; writing and
research in digital spaces; science writing; writing
program administration; distance education;
workplace writing
Kathy Rugoff, Associate Professor
rugoffk@uncw.edu
American and British poetry; literary texts, music,
and the visual arts
Lee Schweninger, Professor
schweningerl@uncw.edu
American literature to 1900; Native American
literature; 20th American literature; science,
humanities, and society
Jeremy Tirrell, Assistant Professor
tirrellj@uncw.edu
Writing and technology; professional writing;
gaming and game theory
Lewis Walker, Professor
walkerj@uncw.edu
Shakespeare; English Renaissance; Medieval English
literature (Chaucer, drama); 18th century British
literature; popular culture (comic strips)
Barbara Waxman, Professor
waxmanb@uncw.edu
Victorian literature; multicultural autobiography;
the food memoir; Latino/a literature; literature of
aging; feminist theory; women’s studies
Michael Wentworth, Professor
wentworthm@uncw.edu
English Renaissance; 20th American literature;
teaching of writing and literature; popular culture;
literature of American Midwest; beat generation
and hobo-vagabond traditions in American
literature
Cala Zubair, Assistant Professor
zubairc@uncw.edu
Sociolinguistics; syntax; discourse analysis; oral
narratives; language and gender; varieties of
English; youth culture; classical literature; 19th &
20th century Russian literature; poetry
Lauren Squires, Assistant Professor
squiresl@uncw.edu
Sociolinguistics; language and mass media, new
media, and technology; language attitudes and
ideologies; English dialects and language variation;
Standard English and language standardization;
popular representations of language; experimental
linguistics; psycholinguistics
Meghan Sweeney, Associate Professor
sweeneym@uncw.edu
Children’s and adolescent literature; women’s
studies; popular culture; American studies; literary
criticism
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M.A. Degree Requirements
Course requirements for students entering
the program in Fall 2010 or after:*
The MA degree in English requires a total of 36
hours of graduate coursework. These hours must be
distributed according to the following guidelines:
apply to the English Department and Graduate
School Dean to extend the degree time limit if
special circumstances arise that warrant such an
extension.
Required Courses
•
3 0 of the required 36 hours must be t a k e n
i n residence.
All students take two required courses and are
advised to do so during the first year of study:
•
Students may elec t to pursue a thesi s o r
n on-thesis option. For the thesis opt i o n , 6
o f the 36 hours will be dedicated to w r i t i n g
t he thesis, which is generally a t wo -s e m e ster projec t. While wor k ing on the the s i s,
s t udents enroll in 3 hours of ENG 599 : Th e s i s each semester in the second year.
1. English 501: Introduction to Research Methods
in English
As many as 6 of the 36 minimum hou r s
m ay be transfer red from another acc re di ted institution, subjec t to the approva l o f
t he English D epar tment ’s Graduate Co o rd inator. A student enrolled in the UN C W
E nglish Graduate Program who wish e s to
t ake one or more graduate English co u r s e s
e lsewhere for graduate credit must o b t a i n
p rior approval from the Graduate Co o rd in ator and the D ean of the Graduate S c h o o l.
Students must successfully complete a qualifying
written comprehensive examination in the
beginning of their third semesters in the program.
•
•
Students may take one course (3 hou r s )
f rom outside the depar tment with th e p r i o r
a pproval of the Graduate Coordinato r.
* St u dents who e nrolled in the program p r i o r
to Fa ll 2010 should consult the program’s
we b s ite for a summar y of their degree re q u i re m e nt s: http://unc w.edu/english/graduate /
gra d uate.html
Transfer Credits
Transfer of all graduate credits is subject to the
approval of the Graduate Coordinator, the English
Department Chair, and the Graduate School Dean,
and must be requested in writing. Ordinarily, course
work more than five years old is not accepted for
transfer credit.
Degree Time Limits
All degree requirements must be completed
within five calendar years from the date of first
registration in the graduate program. Students may
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2. English 502: Introduction to Literary Theory OR
English 552: Rhetoric and Culture
Comprehensive Examination
See the program’s website for a complete
description of the comprehensive examination:
http://uncw.edu/english/graduate/maexam.html
Thesis
Students can elect to write a thesis under the
direction of a faculty member. For students
pursuing the thesis option, 6 of their 36 hours
of coursework will be satisfied by enrolling in 3
hours of ENG 599: Thesis in each of their last two
semesters. See more specific information about the
thesis on page 7.
Graduate School Policies
All students need to be familiar with the various
Graduate School policies and deadlines as printed
in the annual Graduate School Catalogue. The
catalogue is available online at the Graduate
School’s website (http://uncw.edu/grad_info/
students.htm).
Registration, Course Information
and Grading
R e g i s t rat i o n
Al l s tudents must register for classes via
S e a N et (https://seanet.unc w.edu). To re gi s te r,
s t u d ents need their Banner ID number ( s e e
ht t p : //w w w.unc w.edu/reg/seanetfiles/
s t u s eanetguide.htm)and bir th date.
Pr i o r to registration each semester, stud e nt s
w h o have questions about their schedu l e s
a re e ncouraged to meet with the Gradu ate
Co o rdinator. Students should also caref u l l y
re v i e w the graduate course descr iption s o n
t h e English D epar tment website (http:// u n c w.
e d u / english/graduate/gcrsdescr iptions. ht m l )
a n d the list of classes found in S eaNet.
Co u r s e O f fe r i ngs
Pl e a se obtain a Graduate Catalogue from
t h e Graduate S chool ’s website (http://u n c w.
e d u / grad_info/students.htm). The catalo g u e
co nt ains general course descr iptions fo r a l l
o f t h e English D epar tment graduate cou r s e s,
a s well as the degree requirements for t h e
gra d uate programs, polic y statements, a n d
a we alth of other useful infor mation. Co u r s e
to p i c s var y, so please consult the class
s c h e dule at the English D epar tment web s i te
fo r s pecific course infor mation each sem e s te r.
G ra d u ate s t u d e nt s m ay re gi s te r fo r a n
u n d e rgra d u ate co u r s e, i n a ny gi ve n s e m e s te r,
e ve n t h o u g h t h e y w i l l n o t e a r n a ny c re d i t s
towa rd t h e M a s te r ’s d e gre e fo r u n d e rgra d u ate
co u r s e s. H owe ve r, s o m e s t u d e nt s e nte r i n g t h e
p ro gra m w h o s e m a j o r s we re n o t i n E n g l i s h
e l e c t to t a k e a n u n d e rgra d u ate co u r s e o r t wo
to b e t te r p re p a re fo r s u cce s s i n o u r gra d u ate
co u r s e s.
Fu l l - t i m e s t at u s re q u i re s a m i n i m u m
e n ro l l m e nt o f 9 c re d i t h o u r s. Te a c h i n g
a s s i s t a nt s m u s t b e f u l l t i m e a n d co m p l e te 1 8
h o u r s o f gra d u ate l e ve l co u r s e wo r k i n t h e i r
f i r s t t wo s e m e s te r s i n o rd e r to q u a l i f y to
te a c h i n t h e i r s e co n d ye a r a n d m a i nt a i n t h e i r
f u n d i n g.
A gra d u ate s t u d e nt m ay a l s o b e co n s i d e re d
f u l l - t i m e w h e n e n ro l l e d fo r l e s s t h an 9 h o u r s i f
t h e s t u d e nt :
1. i s e n ro l l e d fo r 1 - 3 h o u r s o f re s e a rc h t h e s i s
( E N G 5 9 9 ) wo r k
2. i s e n ro l l e d i n G R C 6 0 0 ( co nt i n u o u s
e n ro l l m e nt )
H a l f - t i m e s t at u s b e gi n s w i t h at l e a s t 4 . 5 c re d i t
Lorem Ipsum 2010 - Dolor 555-5555
4
h o u r s. Summer counts as one regular te r m .
St u d ents in a graduate degree program a re
p e r mitted to register for no more than 1 5
h o u r s in any one semester.
Co nt i n u o u s E nrollment
Any student engaged in thesis research a n d /
o r w r iting that involves universit y facul t y
o r f a cilities must be registered dur ing t h e
s e m e ster or summer session in which th e y a re
u s i n g facult y time or facilities, whether t h e y
a re i n residence or not. This registration m ay
b e fo r 1 to 6 thesis hours; however, if th e 6
t h e s i s hours have already been complete d a n d
t h e s tudent is not enrolled in other cou r s e s,
t h e y must register for “continuous enro l l m e nt,”
G R C 600. A student may not enroll in GR C 6 0 0
fo r more than t wo ter ms. Students must b e
e n ro lled in a course or in GR C 600 dur in g t h e
s e m e ster in which they plan to graduate.
G ra d u ate G ra ding
G ra d es for students enrolled in graduate
co u r ses must be one of the following:
A ( c l ear excellen ce); A-; B+; B (entirely
s at i s fac tor y); B -; C+; C (minimally accep t a b l e ) ;
F ( f a i l); S (satisfac tor y progress on thesi s ) ; U
( u n s atisfac tor y progress on thesis); I (wo r k
i n co mplete); WP (withdraw passing). Ple a s e
n o te that on the graduate level, a “B ” is a ve r y
g o o d grade, reflec ting a solidly compete nt
p e r for mance.
A s t udent receiving any grade of “F” is
i n e l i gible to continue in graduate schoo l. A
s t u d ent receiving grades of “C ” in any th re e
co u r ses is ineligible to continue in grad u ate
s c h o ol.
Wh e n special circumstances war rant, stu d e nt s
d e c l ared ineligible may be reinstated up o n
p e t i t ion by the s tudent to the D ean of
t h e Graduate S chool. Any reinstatement
i s p rovisional in that an additional grad e
b e l ow “B ” will again result in the student ’s
i n e l i gibilit y.
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Comprehensive Exam, Thesis Guidelines and
Process, and Application for Graduation
Co m p re h e n s i ve Examination
B e l ow are the goals for the exam and th e
i n fo r mation that you need to k now rega rd i n g
t h e reading list and the exam for mat.
G o a l s for the comprehensive exa m
•
O ur exam is designed to allow stude nt s
to demonstrate that they can do the
following:
•
Place and examine tex ts within theo re t i c a l,
c r itical, histor ical, and/or biographic a l
contex ts
•
Connec t ideas gleaned from multiple
courses
•
Wr ite clear ly and insightfully in resp o n s e to
q uestions about tex ts from var ious g e n re s
Re a ding list for the exa m, timefra m for
p o s t ing it, a nd comp osition of the exa m
co m mitte e
Fa c u lt y who are scheduled to teach a gra d u ate
co u r se in the subsequent year will subm i t
a tex t for consideration to the Graduate
Co m mittee by Januar y 31. This will help u s to
co n n ec t the tex t s on the exam to the co u r s e s
t h at are being taught in the same acade m i c
ye a r.
i n a co m p u te r c l a s s ro o m o n c a m p u s a n d
p ro c to re d by t h e G ra d u ate Co o rd i n ato r. I n t h e
Fa l l s e m e s te r, t h e ex a m w i l l b e a d m i n i s te re d
o n t h e t h i rd Fr i d ay a f te r n o o n i n S e p te m b e r.
I n t h e S p r i n g s e m e s te r, t h e ex a m w il l b e
a d m i n i s te re d o n t h e f i r s t Fr i d ay a f te r n o o n i n
Fe b r u a r y.
St u d e nt s w i l l b e re q u i re d to a n s we r a l l t h re e
q u e s t i o n s ; t h e re fo re, s t u d e nt s s h o u l d s t u d y
a l l f i ve b o o k s o n t h e re a d i n g l i s t. St u d e nt s
w i l l s i gn a n h o n o r co d e p l e d g e p r i o r to t a k i n g
t h e ex a m . Th e y w i l l b e a l l owe d to b r i n g t h e
e d i t i o n s o f t h e tex t s re co m m e n d e d o n t h e
re a d i n g l i s t w i t h t h e m to t h e ex a m . Th e tex t s
c a n b e a n n o t ate d, b u t n o ex te r n a l n o te s
o r p a p e r s w i l l b e a l l owe d. St u d e nt s w i l l b e
ex p e c te d to i n c l u d e a p p ro p r i ate b u t b r i e f
d i re c t q u o t at i o n s f ro m t h e tex t s i n t h e i r
a n s we r s a n d c i te t h o s e q u o t at i o n s i n t h e tex t
co r re c t l y a cco rd i n g to M L A g u i d e l i n e s.
P l e a s e b e a d v i s e d t h at o n ce a s t u d e nt e nte r s
t h e ex a m ro o m o n t h e d ay o f t h e ex a m , t h ey
w i l l b e re co rd e d a s h av i n g at te m p te d t h e
ex a m . I f t h e s t u d e nt d o e s n o t re ma i n to
t a ke t h e ex a m , d e p a r t s w i t h o u t atte m p t i n g
Th e Graduate Co mmittee will selec t five tex t s
fo r i nclusion on the reading list, and th e
G ra d uate Coordinator will post the list d u r i n g
t h e t hird week o f Februar y.
Fo r e ach of the t wo administrations of t h e
ex a m dur ing the academic year, the Gra d u ate
Co o rdinator will selec t three of the five
tex t s at random. The facult y whose tex t s a re
s e l e c ted will each wr ite a question for t h at
a d m i nistration of the exam and will ser ve o n
t h e grading committee.
Fo r ma t a nd da tes for the exa m
St u d ents should elec t to take the exam i n
e i t h er the Fall or Spr ing semester. The ex a m
w i l l be a four hour exper ience administe re d
Lorem Ipsum 2010 - Dolor 555-5555
6
to complete it, and/or fails to submit t h e i r
re s p onses within the allotted time fra m e,
t h ey will receive a failing grade for th at
at te mpt.
Pr e p a ra tion for the exa m
St u d ents should read and study all five b o o k s
o n t he reading list. The exam questions w i l l
p ro mpt students to contex tualize the tex t s by
d e m onstrating an awareness of their hi s to r i c a l,
t h e o retical, cr itical, and/or biographica l
co ntex ts.
St u d ents should prepare to answer the
q u e s tions on the exam by reading caseb o o k s,
c r i t i c al editions, and/or scholarship abo u t
t h e tex ts. I n addition, doing some readi n g
a b o u t the per iod in which the tex t is wr i t te n
w i l l also be useful. Students might cons u l t
t h e histor ical introduc tions in standard
a nt h ologies for this pur pose.
Ad d i tional informa tion
Th e three essays are graded Pass/Fail by t h e
ex a mination committee, with a consens u s
o f t wo members needed for a decision.
G ra d ing is done anonymously, with stud e nt
n a m es removed from papers. Students w i l l
b e i nfor med in wr iting by the Graduate
Co o rdinator about whether or not they h ave
p a s s ed the examination. I n accordance w i t h
G ra d uate S chool polic y, a student who d o e s
n o t pass must wait until the nex t semes te r
b e fo re retak ing the examination. No stu d e nt
m ay take the exam a third time without
p e r mission of the Graduate Coordinator,
t h e D epar tment Chair, and the D ean of t h e
G ra d uate S chool.
U n l e ss there are charges of racial, sexua l, o r
o t h e r for ms of discr imination, or charge s o f
i m p roper procedures, which allegedly h ave
l e d to a failed examination, students may
n o t a ppeal until they have retaken the ex a m .
Ap p eals made af ter a second failure of t h e
ex a mination will be handled in keeping w i t h
p o l i c ies established by the Graduate Co u n c i l
a n d approved by the D ean of the Gradu ate
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S c h o o l a n d t h e Provo s t.
Thesis G uidelines and Pro cess
St u d e nt s c a n e l e c t to p u r s u e a t h e s i s o r n o n t h e s i s o p t i o n ; t h e d e f a u l t o p t i o n i s n o n - t h e s i s.
St u d e nt s w h o d e c i d e to w r i te a t h e s i s s h o u l d
fo l l ow t h e g u i d e l i n e s b e l ow.
Thesis Committee
St u d e nt s s h o u l d b e gi n to t h i n k a b o u t
d e ve l o p i n g a fo c u s fo r t h e i r t h e s i s a n d
co n f i g u r i n g t h e t h e s i s co m m i t te e d u r i n g
t h e i r s e co n d s e m e s te r o f co u r s e wo r k . Af te r
co n s u l t i n g w i t h a n u m b e r o f gra d u ate f a c u l t y
a n d fo r m u l at i n g a fo c u s t h at c a n a r t i c u l ate d
b r i e f l y i n w r i t i n g, s t u d e nt s s h o u l d re q u e s t to
m e e t w i t h a m e m b e r o f t h e gra d u ate f a c u l t y
a n d a s k t h e m to s e r ve a s t h e c h a i r o f t h e i r
t h e s i s a d v i s o r y co m m i t te e. B e c a u s e t h e
c h a i r w i l l b e t h e s t u d e nt ’s m e nto r d u r i n g t h e
w r i t i n g o f t h e t h e s i s, s t u d e nt s s h o u l d s e l e c t
a c h a i r w i t h w h o m t h e y h ave a g o o d wo r k i n g
re l at i o n s h i p a n d f ro m w h o m t h e y c a n re ce i ve
co n s t r u c t i ve fe e d b a c k .
I n co n s u l t at i o n w i t h t h e t h e s i s d i re c to r, t h e
s t u d e nt w i l l s e l e c t t wo a d d i t i o n a l m e m b e r s o f
t h e t h e s i s a d v i s o r y co m m i t te e ; o n e m e m b e r
m ay b e f ro m o u t s i d e t h e E n g l i s h D ep a r t m e nt,
i f a p p ro p r i ate. I f a s t u d e nt c h a n g e s t h e i r a re a
o f co n ce nt rat i o n i n t h e p ro ce s s o f p re p a r i n g
t h e t h e s i s, a n e w t h e s i s d i re c to r, w h o w i l l a c t
a s c h a i r o f t h e co m m i t te e, s h o u l d b e fo u n d.
To fo r m a l i ze t h i s c h a n g e, s t u d e nt s n e e d to
co m p l e te t h e re q u i s i te C h a n g e o f Th e s i s
D i re c to r fo r m , w h i c h c a n b e fo u n d o n t h e
MA p ro gra m we b s i te ( ht t p : / / w w w. u n c w. e d u /
e n g l i s h / gra d u ate / m at h e s i s. ht m l ) .
Th e t h e s i s co m m i t te e w i l l re a d a n d co m m e nt
o n d ra f t s o f t h e t h e s i s a n d a d m i n i s te r t h e
o ra l d e fe n s e o f t h e t h e s i s. Th e d e c i s i o n o f
t h e co m m i t te e co n ce r n i n g t h e s t u d e nt ’s
p e r fo r m a n ce d u r i n g t h e o ra l d e fe n s e i s f i n a l.
Thesis Proposal
Th e t h e s i s s h o u l d b e p ro p o s e d a s s o o n a s
p o s s i b l e a f te r p a s s i n g t h e co m p re h e n s i ve
ex a mination; it may be proposed soone r, i f
t h e topic is definite and the thesis advi s o r y
co m mittee believes doing so is appropr i ate.
Th e proposal should be developed in
co n s ultation with the chair and thesis a d v i s o r y
co m mittee; the thesis advisor y committe e
w i l l signify its approval of the proposal by
s i gn i ng a cover sheet and giving a copy o f t h e
a p p roved proposal and signed cover sh e e t to
t h e Graduate Coordinator, who will place i t
i n t h e student ’s file. The cover sheet can b e
o b t a ined from the depar tment website: ht t p : / /
w w w.unc w.edu/english/graduate/mathe s i s.
ht m l
Th e for mat of the proposal is as follows :
1. Proposals are generally three to five
p ages long and include a statement o f t h e
research question; a descr iption of t h e
t heoretical approach and/or method o l o gi e s
e mployed; and some indication of th e
a nticipated struc ture/organization o f t h e
f i nished thesis. The proposal should a l s o
s t ipulate the for m that the projec t w i l l
t ake. Finally, the proposal should ex p l a i n
to readers clear ly and succinc tly what t h e
s t udent hopes to demonstrate throu g h
w r iting the thesis.
2. A wor k ing bibliography of appropr iate
l ength that includes relevant second a r y a s
well as pr imar y sources.
3. A timeline of significant milestones i n
t he research and wr iting process and t h e
a pproximate dates of their completi o n .
Writing, Revising, Defending and Submitting
the Thesis
I n g e neral, students wr ite their theses d u r i n g
t h e i r last t wo semesters in the MA progra m .
D u r i ng each semester, students should re gi s te r
fo r t hree hours of ENG 599: Thesis. ENG
5 9 9 should treated as a regular course a n d
s t u d ents should spend significant time e a c h
we e k doing research and wr iting in orde r to
co m plete their projec ts in a timely fash i o n .
I n co njunc tion with developing their th e s i s
p ro p osal, students should develop a sch e d u l e
fo r completing draf ts of sec tions of the t h e s i s.
K e e p ing to this schedule aids in success f u l
co m pletion of the projec t. Thesis direc to r s
s h o u l d re s p o n d to d ra f t s o f t h e s e c t i o n s o f
t h e t h e s i s a s t h e y a re w r i t te n , a n d st u d e nt s
s h o u l d b e p re p a re d to a d d re s s t h e c h a i r ’s
re s p o n s e t h ro u g h s i gn i f i c a nt re v i s i o n s, w h i c h
m ay re q u i re re w r i t i n g, f u r t h e r re s e a rc h , a n d
e ve n re co n s i d e rat i o n o f s o m e p o r t i o n s o f
t h e i r a rg u m e nt s. St u d e nt s s h o u l d n o t co n s i d e r
f i r s t ve r s i o n s o f t h e i r t h e s i s s e c t i o n s a s f i n a l
ve r s i o n s. I n s o m e c a s e s, o t h e r m e m b e r s o f t h e
a d v i s o r y co m m i t te e m ay wa nt to s e e e a r l i e r
d ra f t s o f s e c t i o n s. St u d e nt s s h o u l d wo r k w i t h
a l l m e m b e r s o f t h e i r co m m i t te e to l e a r n a n d
m e e t t h e i r ex p e c t at i o n s i n t h i s re g a rd.
Th e l e n g t h o f t h e t h e s i s s h o u l d b e a gre e d
u p o n b e t we e n t h e s t u d e nt a n d t h e i r c h a i r.
Th e s e s g e n e ra l l y ra n g e b e t we e n 6 0 - 8 0 p a g e s
in length.
O n ce t h e t h e s i s h a s b e e n d ra f te d a n d re v i s e d,
s t u d e nt s s h o u l d gi ve t h e re v i s e d ve r s i o n s to
t h e o t h e r t wo m e m b e r s o f t h e co m m i t te e.
Th e co m m i t te e s h o u l d re ce i ve t h e re v i s e d
d ra f t n o l ate r t h a n a m o nt h b e fo re t h e e n d o f
c l a s s e s i n t h e s e m e s te r i n w h i c h t h e s t u d e nt
p l a n s to gra d u ate. B e c a u s e t h e re a d e r s m ay
h ave f u r t h e r s u g g e s t i o n s fo r re t h i n k i n g a n d
re v i s i o n , f a i l u re to a l l ow t h e m a m p le t i m e to
re s p o n d to t h e t h e s i s m ay re s u l t i n t h e d e l ay
o f a s t u d e nt ’s o ra l d e fe n s e a n d gra d u at i o n .
A d ra f t o f t h e t h e s i s m u s t b e s u b m i t te d to
t h e G ra d u ate S c h o o l fo r fo r m at t i n g a p p rova l,
to g e t h e r w i t h a Fo r m at Ap p rova l S h e e t ( fo u n d
at ht t p : / / w w w. u n c w. e d u / gra d _ i n fo /fo r m s s t u d e nt s. ht m ) ; t h e d e a d l i n e e a c h s e m e s te r i s
a n n o u n ce d at t h e G ra d u ate S c h o o l we b s i te,
u s u a l l y t h e e n d o f M a rc h fo r S p r i n g gra d u ate s
a n d t h e m i d d l e o f N ove m b e r fo r D e ce m b e r
gra d u ate s. Th i s d ra f t s u b m i s s i o n i s c h e c k e d fo r
p ro p e r fo r m at t i n g ; co nte nt i s n o t re v i e we d at
t h i s t i m e.
A m o nt h p r i o r to t h e e n d o f t h e s e m e s te r,
s t u d e nt s s h o u l d a l s o s c h e d u l e a d ate a n d t i m e
fo r t h e i r t h e s i s d e fe n s e s i n co n s u l t at i o n w i t h
t h e i r c h a i r s a n d a d v i s o r y co m m i t te e s. Th e
s t u d e nt o r t h e c h a i r s h o u l d fo r m a l l y re s e r ve
a ro o m fo r t h e d e fe n s e w i t h t h e h e l p o f t h e
o f f i ce s t a f f. Th i s d ate s h o u l d a d h e re to t h e
G ra d u ate S c h o o l ’s d e a d l i n e fo r co m p l e t i o n o f
o ra l d e fe n s e s, w h i c h u s u a l l y s t i p u l ate s t h e f i r s t
o f D e ce m b e r fo r Fa l l gra d u ate s a n d m i d -Ap r i l
fo r S p r i n g gra d u ate s.
Lorem Ipsum 2010 - Dolor 555-5555
8
St u d ents should give their advisor y
co m mittees a clean and revised copy of t h e
t h e s i s at least t wo weeks before the the s i s
d e fe nse. Assuming that the thesis defen s e i s
s u ccessful, the student will have a week o r
t wo to complete additional revisions be fo re
t h e Graduate S chool ’s final deadline for
s u b mission of approved theses.
I f t h e chair or advisor y committee mem b e r s
i n d i c ate that the thesis is not defensibl e,
t h e y may ask the student to do fur ther
re v i s ions and postpone the defense unt i l t h e
n ex t semester. S cheduling the defense d o e s
n o t i mply that the thesis is ready to defe n d
o r i mply a requirement for the committe e
m e m bers to sign- off on the thesis. The
c h a i r and the committee should only ho l d
t h e defense whe n the projec t is comple te.
G ra d uate facult y should not be pressure d
by t he student or the student ’s chair to s i gn
o f f o n a thesis that they do not believe i s
co m plete.
Th e student ’s pe r for mance at the thesis
d e fe nse is evaluated by the committee a n d
f a c tors into their assessment of the succe s s f u l
co m pletion of the wor k for the MA degre e.
Th e for mat for the presentation and the
d e fe nse should be developed in conjun c t i o n
w i t h the student, their chair, and the ad v i s o r y
co m mittee. The decision of the committe e
co n cer ning the student ’s per for mance d u r i n g
9
Lorem Ipsum 2010 - Dolor 2005 555-5555
t h e o ra l d e fe n s e i s f i n a l.
Af te r t h e fo r m at o f t h e t h e s i s h a s b e e n
a p p rove d, t h e t h e s i s h a s b e e n d e fe n d e d,
a n d t h e c h a i r a n d a d v i s o r y co m m i t te e h ave
a p p rove d a ny a d d i t i o n a l re v i s i o n s, t h e
s t u d e nt s h o u l d s u b m i t a p d f o f t h e t h e s i s
e l e c t ro n i c a l l y to t h e G ra d u ate S c h o o l ; co n s u l t
t h e G ra d u ate S c h o o l ’s we b s i te fo r g u i d e l i n e s
( ht t p : / / u n c w. e d u / gra d _ i n fo / t h e s e s. ht m ) . A p d f
o f t h e a p p rove d t h e s i s s h o u l d a l s o b e e m a i l e d
to t h e G ra d u ate Co o rd i n ato r fo r a rc h i v i n g. Th e
p re p a rat i o n o f t h e t h e s i s m u s t fo l l ow t h e M L A
St y l e M a n u a l g u i d e l i n e s, to g e t h e r w i t h t h o s e
re g u l at i o n s i s s u e d by t h e O f f i ce o f t h e D e a n
o f t h e G ra d u ate S c h o o l. St u d e nt s s h o u l d re fe r
to t h e Th e s i s Fo r m at M a n u a l, ava i l a b l e f ro m
t h e G ra d u ate S c h o o l, fo r f u r t h e r d e t a i l s a b o u t
t h e s i s fo r m at a n d s u b m i s s i o n p ro ce d u re s
( ht t p : / / u n c w. e d u / gra d _ i n fo / t h e s e s. ht m ) .
Th e E n g l i s h D e p a r t m e nt ’s p u b l i c at i o n p o l i c y i s
t h at t h e gra d u ate s t u d e nt w i l l b e n o te d a s s o l e
a u t h o r o f t h e i r p u b l i s h e d t h e s i s.
Applic ation for G raduation
Th e G ra d u ate S c h o o l re q u i re s a l l s t u d e nt s to
f i l l o u t a G ra d u at i o n Ap p l i c at i o n d u r i n g t h e
s e m e s te r t h at p re ce d e s t h e i r l a s t s e m e s te r ( s e e
ht t p : / / w w w. u n c w. e d u / gra d _ i n fo / a p p l i c at i o n .
ht m ) .
General Information
E m a i l Acco u nt s and Contac t information
E m a i l is the most reliable means of stay i n g
i n to uch with colleagues and for getting
i n fo r mation about deadlines, impor tant
a n n o uncements, and upcoming events f ro m
t h e D epar tment of English and the unive r s i t y.
St u d ents should check their UNC W ema i l
a cco unts regular ly so as not to miss imp o r t a nt
i n fo r mation.
Pl e a se give D onna Car lton in the main E n g l i s h
o f f i ce your local address, UNC W email a d d re s s,
a n d phone number and notify her of ch a n g e s
i n yo ur contac t infor mation.
M a i l b oxe s
E a c h graduate student has a mailbox wi t h i n
t h e D epar tment of English located in th e
co r r i dor behind the Facult y Commons. I f a
s t u d ent cannot f ind their mailbox or ha s n o t
b e e n assigned a mailbox, they should n o t i f y
t h e office staff as soon as possible.
St u d ents should check their mailboxes
f re q uently. Any i nfor mation that does n o t
g o o ut over email will be placed in the
d e p a r tmental mailbox; in addition, the
m a i l box area is a site for the posting of c a l l s
fo r p apers and infor mation on new cour s e
o f fe r ings. Graduate students do not have
m a i l boxes in the War wick Center ; all gra d u ate
s t u d ent mail will come to the D epar tme nt.
Te a ch i n g As s i stantships and I nternships
Th e Graduate S chool has given the Engl i s h
D e p ar tment eleven Teaching Assistants h i p s
fo r t his academic year. These assistants h i p s
a re awarded by the D epar tment ’s Gradu ate
Co m mittee to English MA students on a
co m petitive basis.
Fo r s tudents who are not TAs but would
l i k e to acquire teaching exper ience, som e
gra d uate teaching inter nships are avail a b l e
at e d u c at i o n a l i n s t i t u t i o n s i n t h e Wi l m i n g to n
a re a fo r s e co n d -ye a r s t u d e nt s w h o h ave
e a r n e d at l e a s t 1 8 h o u r s o f gra d u ate co u r s e
wo r k .
O t h e r k i n d s o f i nte r n s h i p s a re a l s o ava i l a b l e to
s t u d e nt s. St u d e nt s w i l l e a r n t h re e c re d i t s fo r
a o n e - s e m e s te r gra d u ate i nte r n s h i p, a n d s o m e
i nte r n s h i p s a l s o c a r r y a s t i p e n d. Th e G ra d u ate
Co o rd i n ato r a n d I nte r n s h i p Co o rd i n ato r w i l l
wo r k w i t h i nte re s te d s t u d e nt s to d ec i d e o n a n
a p p ro p r i ate i nte r n s h i p ve n u e a n d s u p e r v i s o r.
St u d e nt s s h o u l d m e e t w i t h t h e Co o rd i n ato r
we l l b e fo re t h e s e m e s te r i n w h i c h t h e y i nte n d
to re gi s te r fo r a n i nte r n s h i p. Th e n ece s s a r y
fo r m s fo r re gi s te r i n g fo r a n i nte r n s h i p a re
ava i l a b l e f ro m t h e G ra d u ate Co o rd i n ato r.
I n a d d i t i o n to Te a c h i n g As s i s t a nt s h i p s, U N C W
h a s a va r i e t y o f G ra d u ate As s i s t a nt s h i p s
ava i l a b l e t h ro u g h t h e D i v i s i o n o f St u d e nt
Af f a i r s. Th e s e a s s i s t a nt s h i p s a re u s u a l l y 2 0
h o u r s p e r we e k a n d u s u a l l y i nvo l ve wo r k i n g
f ro m Au g u s t 1 t h ro u g h M ay 3 0 ; m o re
i n fo r m at i o n , co nt a c t t h e D i v i s i o n o f St u d e nt
Af f a i r s at 9 6 2 - 3 1 1 7 o r s e e t h e G ra d u ate S c h o o l
we b s i te u n d e r Cu r re nt St u d e nt s.
Employment
Th e Ca re e r S e r v i ce s O f f i ce i n t h e U n i ve r s i t y
U n i o n h a s a we b s i te co nt a i n i n g o n - a n d o f f c a m p u s e m p l oy m e nt i n fo r m at i o n ( ht t p : / / w w w.
u n c w. e d u / s t u a f f / c a re e r / ) . H u m a n R e s o u rce s
also publishes on-campus job openings on
t h e i r we b s i te ( ht t p : / / w w w. u n c w. e d u / h r /
e m p l oy m e nt. ht m l ) .
B e fo re yo u s e e k a n d a cce p t e m p l oy m e nt, k e e p
i n m i n d t h at t a k i n g t h re e gra d u ate co u r s e s i n
a s e m e s te r i s re q u i re d fo r f u l l - t i m e s t at u s a n d
i s ve r y t i m e - co n s u m i n g.
G ra d u ate s t u d e nt s s h o u l d a l s o a l l ow
t h e m s e l ve s s u f f i c i e nt t i m e to t a k e p a r t i n
c a m p u s a c t i v i t i e s, s h a re i d e a s w i t h o t h e r
s t u d e nt s a n d w i t h p ro fe s s o r s o u t s i d e o f t h e
c l a s s ro o m , u s e t h e l i b ra r y, at te n d l e c t u re s,
Lorem Ipsum 2010 - Dolor 555-5555
10
a n d par ticipate in conferences. Par ticip at i n g
i n t h ese ac tivities becomes more difficu l t fo r
s t u d ents who wor k long hours off camp u s. To
g e t t he most out of your graduate educ at i o n
at U NC W, we recommend that you not co m m i t
to m ore than 20 hours of employment i f yo u
a re t ak ing three classes per semester.
E s t a b l i s h i n g R esidenc y
G ra d uate students who move here from o u t
o f s t ate specifically to go to school are l i k e l y
to b e considered out- of-state students d u r i n g
t h e i r graduate school careers. I n order to
d e m onstrate the ir intension to remain i n
N o r t h Carolina and become a residents, t h u s
q u a l i fying for in-state tuition, students n e e d
to b egin to establish residenc y immediate l y by
d o i n g the follow ing:
1. Conver t your automobile registratio n to
N or th Carolina
Th e G E A a l s o s p o n s o r s a ye a r l y co n fe re n ce a n d
wo r k s w i t h f a c u l t y to d e ve l o p p re s ent at i o n s
a n d wo r k s h o p s re l e va nt to gra d u ate s t u d e nt s.
N e w s t u d e nt s w i l l re ce i ve i n fo r m at i o n f ro m
G E A o f f i ce r s a b o u t h ow to j o i n a n d a b o u t t h e
l o c at i o n a n d t i m e s o f m e e t i n g s a n d e ve nt s.
Th e G ra d u ate St u d e nt As s o c i at i o n (G S A)
i s d e d i c ate d to i m p rov i n g t h e l i ve s o f a l l
s t u d e nt s s e e k i n g a gra d u ate d e gre e at U N C W.
Th e G S A wo r k s to m a k e t h e co n ce r ns a n d
i nte re s t s o f t h e gra d u ate s t u d e nt p o p u l at i o n
a d r i v i n g fo rce i n t h e u n i ve r s i t y. Th e G S A
re p re s e nt s t h e g e n e ra l i nte re s t s o f gra d u ate
s t u d e nt s, n o t i n d i v i d u a l d e p a r t m e nt s. Th e
G S A h a s b e e n re s p o n s i b l e fo r t h e c re at i o n
o f t h e gra d u ate co m p u te r l a b i n t h e l i b ra r y
a n d s p o n s o r s a p ro gra m to b r i n g s p e a k e r s to
c a m p u s to d i s c u s s gra d u ate s t u d e nt co n ce r n s.
M o re i n fo r m at i o n a b o u t t h e G S A c a n b e fo u n d
o n t h e i r we b s i te ( ht t p : / / s t u d e nt. u n c w. e d u /
o rg / g s a / ) .
2. O btain a Nor th Carolina Dr iver ’s Lice n s e
( or NC Identification Card from the D r i ve r ’s
L i cense office)
3. R egister to vote in Nor th Carolina an d vo te
w hen possible
4. L i st your personal proper t y at the Ne w
H anover Count y Tax O ffice for taxati o n
5. Fi le a Nor th Carolina tax retur n as a
resident at the nex t appropr iate time
6. Conver t your bank ing, club/organizat i o n
m embership, etc., to Nor th Carolina
Th e s e ac tions begin the one -year (12
m o nth) waiting per iod to attain residen c y.
Th e Graduate S chool ’s website offers in d e p t h infor mation on the residenc y pro ce s s
( ht t p://w w w.unc w.edu/grad_info/R esid e n c y _
I n fo r mation.htm).
G ra d u ate E n g l ish Asso ciation and
G ra d u ate St u d ent Asso ciation
Th e re are t wo campus associations that s e r ve
gra d uate students. The Graduate English
As s o ciation (GEA) is open only to D epar t m e nt
o f E nglish graduate students. The GEA h o l d s
re g u lar meetings, readings, and social e ve nt s.
11
Lorem Ipsum 2010 - Dolor 2005 555-5555
G raduate Student Travel G rants
Th e re a re s e ve ra l t y p e s o f f u n d i n g ava i l a b l e
to h e l p s u p p o r t gra d u ate - s t u d e nt t rave l to
p re s e nt p a p e r s at p ro fe s s i o n a l co n fe re n ce s.
I n g e n e ra l, re c i p i e nt s a re n o t p e r m i t te d to
“d o u b l e - d i p,” i . e. , s t u d e nt s m ay n o t u s e m o re
t h a n o n e o f t h e fo l l ow i n g t y p e s o f gra nt s to
cove r a par ticular tr ip.
Graduate School Grants
St u d ents who are presenting a paper,
p a r t i cipating in a panel discussion, or gi v i n g
a p o ster presentation at a professional
co n ference may be eligible for $400 in
G ra d uate S chool travel funding through t h i s
gra nt program. The eligibilit y details an d
a p p l i cation for m for these grants are on t h e
G ra d uate S chool website (http://w w w.u n c w.
e d u / grad_info/for ms-students.htm). Stu d e nt s
m u s t be presenting, not simply attendin g, to
b e e l igible for these grants. Students no r m a l l y
w i l l be awarded no more than one such gra nt
p e r academic year.
v i s i b i l i t y o f t h e U n i ve r s i t y o f N o r t h Ca ro l i n a
Wi l m i n g to n’s gra d u ate p ro gra m s w i t h i n t h e
a c a d e m i c co m m u n i t i e s. Fu n d s a re l i m i te d, a n d
a l l g u i d e l i n e s a re s t r i c t l y e n fo rce d.
I n t h e e ve nt o f l i m i te d f u n d s, p re fe re n ce w i l l
b e gi ve n to s t u d e nt s b e yo n d t h e i r f i r s t ye a r
o f gra d u ate s t u d y w h o h ave n o t re ce i ve d a
t rave l gra nt f ro m e i t h e r t h e G ra d u ate S c h o o l
o r t h e G ra d u ate St u d e nt As s o c i at i o n . St u d e nt s
a re o n l y e l i gi b l e to re ce i ve o n e t rave l gra nt
p e r s e m e s te r, a n d s t u d e nt s w h o h ave re ce i ve d
a gra nt a re a u to m at i c a l l y i n e l i gi b l e fo r t h i s
t rave l gra nt awa rd i f a p p l y i n g fo r t h e s a m e
e ve nt.
Graduate Student Association Travel Grants
Th e Graduate Student Association provi d e s
gra d uate students with a travel grant of u p
to $ 250 to attend professional conferen ce s,
wo r k shops, or to complete thesis researc h .
Th e s e grants are designed to reward
exce llence in scholarship and to increas e t h e
Lorem Ipsum 2010 - Dolor 555-5555
12
R e s o u rce s a n d Contac t I nformation
The Career Center
U n i versit y Union, R oom 2035
9 6 2 - 3174
ht t p : //w w w.unc w.edu/stuaff/career/
Graduate Computer Lab
R a n dall Librar y, 2nd Floor
The Graduate School
J a m e s Hall, 2nd Floor
9 6 2 - 3202
St a f f listing:
ht t p : //w w w.unc w.edu/grad_info/staff.ht m
Office of the Registrar
J a m e s Hall, 1st Floor
9 6 2 - 3125
ht t p : //w w w.unc w.edu/reg/
Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid
K i n g Hall, 2nd Fl oor
9 6 2 - 3177
ht t p : //w w w.unc w.edu/finaid/
Student Health Center
We s t side Hall, 2nd floor
9 6 2 - 3280
ht t p : //w w w.unc w.edu/stuaff/healthser v i ce s /
Student Affiars Counseling Center
We s t side Hall, 2nd floor
9 6 2 - 3746
ht t p : //w w w.unc w.edu/stuaff/counseling /
Information Technology Systems Division
H o g gard Hall, 1st Floor
9 6 2 - 4357 (962-HELP) / tac@unc w.edu
ht t p : //w w w.unc w.edu/itsd/
13
Lorem Ipsum 2010 - Dolor 2005 555-5555
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