All students must meet the Requirements for the Accelerated Master’s Degree Pathway
Overview
The Accelerated Master’s Degree Pathway (AMP) is designed to allow current UVM undergraduate students to earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees within a total of 5 years. Accepted AMP students in the department of English begin work toward their M.A. during their senior year while completing the B.A. Up to 9 credits may be taken in the senior year that count toward both the B.A. and the M.A.. 3 credits toward the MA are then taken in the summer after graduation, and the remaining MA credits (9 per semester) are completed in year 5.
Specific Requirements
Requirements for Admission to Graduate Studies for the Degree of Master of Arts for Accelerated Students
An undergraduate major in English or its equivalent with evidence (in the form of transcripts, letters of recommendation from UVM faculty members, and writing sample) that the applicant’s undergraduate career has adequately prepared him or her for the particular demands of graduate study (please contact the Director of Graduate Studies with questions regarding preparedness for graduate-level study of English); minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0; and demonstration of proficiency in writing (both by a statement of purpose detailing the applicant’s academic interests and research agenda and by the writing sample). GRE scores are not required.
AMP students must choose the thesis or comprehensive option before the end of their senior year. Those AMP students electing to follow the thesis track must identify the thesis advisor before the end of the senior year. By the end of that academic year these thesis students will also submit a comprehensive reading list that will be the basis of preparation for the thesis exam. Those AMP students electing to follow the comprehensive track will choose advisors and submit reading lists for 3 field exams by the end of their senior year.
Minimum Degree Requirements for the Degree of Master of arts
| OPTION A (THESIS) | ||
| Completion of 24 credits of course work (normally 8 courses) | 24 | |
| ENGL 6391 | Master's Thesis Research | 6 |
| Following completion of the Bachelor's Degree, students may take 1 3000- or 4000-level course for graduate credit with approval of the course Instructor, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate College. Courses at the 3000- or 4000- level taken before completion of the Bachelor's will not count toward the Master's Degree. At least 6 credits of graded coursework must be at the 6000-level. Candidates must also submit a relevant reading list, pass a 4-hour written comprehensive exam based on it, write an acceptable thesis, and defend the thesis successfully in a 1-hour oral exam. | ||
| OPTION B (COMPREHENSIVE OPTION) | ||
| Completion of 30 credits of course work (normally 10 courses) | 30 | |
| Following completion of the bachelor's Degree, students may take 1 3000- or 4000-level course for graduate credit with approval of the course Instructor, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate College. Courses at the 3000- or 4000- level taken before completion of the Bachelor's will not count toward the Master's Degree. At least 6 credits of graded coursework must be at the 6000-level. Candidates must submit 3 reading lists (covering 3 different areas of the discipline) and pass a 4-hour written comprehensive exam based on them. | ||
Comprehensive Examination
AMP students writing a thesis take their exam in the fall of their fifth year of study (first year following completion of the bachelor's degree). Students completing the Comprehensive Option track take their exam in the spring of their fifth year of study (first year following completion of the bachelor's degree). In both cases, the exam consists of three 75-minute essays. Exams are open-book and open-notes, but no portion of the exam may be pre-written.
For the Thesis Option exam, the student's first and second readers evaluate all 3 essays. If their assessments differ on any essay, the Director of Graduate Studies will ask an appropriate third reader to break the tie. Students who fail 1 or more essays have failed the examination and may ask to be re-tested not less than 1 month after the examination date. The first reader, in consultation with the second reader, will determine what constitutes a fair re-examination. Both readers assess the re-examination essay or essays. Students who fail all or part of their re-examination must leave the Master's program.
For the Comprehensive Option, each of the student's 3 examiners will provide the student with an examination question. (A faculty member may write more than 1 question and offer the student a choice of essays to write.) The composer of each question grades that response. Students who fail 1 of their 3 essays may be re-tested in that area. Students who fail 2 or 3 areas must retake the entire examination. Any student who fails any part of the re-examination must leave the Master's program.
Requirements for Advancement to Candidacy for the Degree of Master of arts
Completion of the above requirements.