Master of Arts in English Culminating Project

The Master of Arts in English degree requires students to take ENG 7800 (offered in Spring semesters) and complete a culminating project that speaks to the student’s personal or professional goals. Working with the instructor of ENG 7800 and a second approved faculty mentor, students develop their culminating projects by revising and conducting additional research relative to a major assignment they have previously completed as part of their graduate coursework.

Examples of Projects

Examples of culminating projects include:

• a revised essay suitable for use as a writing sample for Ph.D. applications or for submission to a peer-reviewed journal or academic conference
• a teaching portfolio that includes a statement of teaching philosophy and sample assignments, lesson plans, in-class activities, and other materials (such as a teaching video, cv, and evaluations) suitable for use in professional educational contexts; students in the TESOL pathway will submit their Exit Portfolio as their culminating project
• a collection of revised poems, short stories, or other examples of creative writing suitable for submission to professional creative writing venues
• a portfolio demonstrating the student’s aptitude for professional and technical writing and editing
• a scripted podcast, video series, or digital project suitable for inclusion in a professional portfolio

Requirements

All culminating projects must evince research conducted by the student in the fields associated with English studies and be based on work previously submitted in a graduate-level course taken while enrolled in the Master of Arts in English degree at Wright State.

Culminating projects must also be accompanied by the following, which students will prepare as part of their coursework in ENG 7800:

• an abstract of 150-250 words
• an introductory essay of 1250-1500 words; the essay should describe the project, articulate how it engages peer-reviewed research, and explain how the project reflects the student’s intellectual development over the course of their graduate studies as well as fulfills the student’s personal and/or professional goals
• a substantial bibliography of relevant and focused peer-reviewed sources that have informed the project; students completing projects that do not rely on conventional citation practices may be required to submit an annotated bibliography
• a 15-20 minute presentation (with slides) about the project developed by the student and delivered in person at a scheduled Scholarship Day held during finals week.

Evaluation

Culminating projects—including their introductory essay, abstract, bibliography, and presentation—will be evaluated by at least two graduate faculty in English based on a standard rubric.