M.A. ENGLISH Exam
All students who are enrolled in Arkansas Tech's M.A. in English and are not completing the TESL option or writing a thesis are required to pass the M.A. in English Exam.
Dates
The M.A. in English Exam will be administered on the second Saturday in November for the Fall semester and the second Saturday in April for the Spring semester. You will be notified of exam results within two weeks of the exam date.
Contact the M.A. English Program Director, Dr. Paola Gemme, at pgemme@atu.edu to register for the exam by November 1 for the Fall and April 1 for the Spring.
Exam Structure
The exam will be based on the M.A. English Exam Reading List. You will have three hours to answer two questions out of a choice of three with a thesis-driven, multi-paragraph essay. Your responses should not dwell on plot summary. They should, instead, provide analysis of your chosen texts from the reading list and, as appropriate, identify similarities and/or differences among them. A successful response includes a thesis that is an argument; fully addresses the question; accurately depicts the chosen texts using specific details of plot, setting, characterization etc.; and, as mentioned above, does not rely on plot summary. You will have to use texts from both the American Literature and the British Literature lists in your answers. You will not be able to use any of the same texts for both responses.
Here are a couple of sample questions to help you reflect on the reading:
The Exam Committee
An exam committee, composed of three English graduate faculty members appointed by the English Department Head, will be responsible for writing and grading the examinations as pass or fail. Two of the three graders will have to assign a passing grade to the exam for a student to pass.
Retaking the Exam
A student who fails the exam may retake it on the next regularly scheduled test date. A student who fails the exam on a second or subsequent attempt may petition the Department Head for an additional chance on the next regularly scheduled exam date. A student whose petition is denied may appeal the decision to the Dean of the Graduate College. If an additional attempt is approved, the Department Head may assign the student a graduate faculty mentor to monitor the student's preparation for the retake.
Preparing for the Exam
Give yourself enough time: The M.A. English Exam covers a considerable body of literature, so it is important that you begin to prepare several months in advance of the exam date.
Ask for help: English faculty members are willing to help you in your preparation. For example, after reading one of the authors on the list, a brief discussion about the work with a faculty member could improve your understanding. If you do not know which faculty member might be able to help you with a particular author, ask the Program Director for a suggestion.