Non-thesis Option Portfolio
The following requirements apply to students who choose the non-thesis option for the M.A.
- The student must indicate upon entering the program that he or she intends to pursue the non-thesis option by completing the Declaration of Intent Form.
- The student must complete a 33-hour curriculum that includes (1) completing the required core courses for the regular M.A. curriculum (ENG 501, ENG 505, and LING 501),
- (2) completing 18 hours of electives in English or other fields (with the restriction that only 6 hours may be taken outside the department),
- (3) taking two additional courses from the following list: ENG 570 Technical Writing, ENG 586 Practicum in Teaching Composition, ENG 591 Independent Study (for students working on projects), ENG 620 Classical Rhetoric, ENG 622 Seminar on Writing Problems, LING 504 Applied Linguistics, LING 509 Modern Trends in Grammar, LING 511 Linguistics and Pedagogy, LING 512 Second Language Teaching, or LING 514 Linguistics in Education.
- and (4) completing a non-thesis option portfolio and oral presentation(at the discretion of the adviser) that adhere to the criteria in the following list.
Guidelines for the Non-thesis Option Portfolio
List of Recommended Journals for the Non-thesis Option Portfolio
Forms Required for the Non-thesis Option Portfolio
More About Us
The department of English, Foreign Languages, & Speech Communication at Jackson State University is a unified, multidisciplinary marketplace of ideas committed to creating a more equitable global society that supports diverse cultural experiences, fosters professionalism, and honest academic integrity and responsibility. It is our goal to foster independent, innovative, and ethical leaders who take initiative to make decisions and solve problems in their communities.
Major Objectives
The area of English at Jackson State University has established the following major objectives:
- To help students develop the ability to read, think, and write clearly and critically.
- To help students understand and appreciate good writing and literature.
- To help students become aware of the truth, beauty, and wisdom of our culture to the extent that they are able to make value judgments about the society in which they live.
- To prepare students for teaching English and for other careers that require critical thinking, cultural awareness, and clear writing.
- To provide the necessary courses for all students to fulfill state and university requirements.
- To encourage students to engage in creative and scholarly writing.
“Challenging Minds, Changing Lives.”
Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to draw on relevant cultural and historical information to analyze and interpret a literary text.
- Students will be able to demonstrate familiarity with literary traditions pre- and post-1800, including identifying authors, genres, literary movements, and styles.
- Students will be able to analyze underrepresented experiences and cultural diversity, including issues of race, gender, class, sexuality, and ethnicity through the study of ethnic minority or non-Western texts.
- Students will be able to research and write focused, convincing analytical essays in clear, grammatical prose.
- Students will be able to read, write, and speak effectively in at least one foreign language.
Career Opportunities
English, Foreign Languages, and Speech majors have a plethora of career options:
- Social Media Manager
- Technical Writer
- Teacher or Private tutor
- Interpreter
- Translator
- Speech Language Pathologist SLP- PR
- Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
- Registered Behavior Technician (RBT)
Resources
Department of English, Foreign Languages and Speech Communications
For more information, please contact us at (601) 979-2249. We look forward to meeting with you and seeing how our program can help you achieve your goals.
P.O. Box 17600
Jackson, MS 39217-0300
(601) 979-5105 Fax