English and Comparative Literature

Graduate Information

OFFICE: Arts and Letters 226
TELEPHONE: 619-594-5307 / FAX: 619-594-4998
E-MAIL: EandCL@sdsu.edu
WEBSITE: http://literature.sdsu.edu

Faculty

Phillip R. Serrato, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Chair of Department
Sandra B. Alcosser, M.F.A., Professor of English and Comparative Literature, M.F.A. Program Director
Joanna Brooks, Ph.D., Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Faculty Advancement
Laurie Champion, Ph.D., Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Laurie D. Edson, Ph.D., Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Peter C. Herman, Ph.D., Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Harold Jaffe, Ph.D., Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Ilya V. Kaminsky, J.D., Professor of English and Comparative Literature, M.F.A. Program Director
Stephen-Paul Martin, Ph.D., Professor of English and Comparative Literature
William A. Nericcio, Ph.D., Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Jeanette Shumaker, Ph.D., Professor of English and Comparative Literature, SDSU Imperial Valley
Joseph T. Thomas, Jr., Ph.D., Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Quentin J. Bailey, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature (Graduate Director)
Michael K. Borgstrom, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Clare E. Colquitt, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Kathryn R. Farris, M.F.A., Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Yetta Howard, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Jessica Pressman-Lupien, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Barry G. Stampfl, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature, SDSU Imperial Valley
Angel D. Matos, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English and Comparative Literature

Associateships and Scholarships

Graduate teaching associateships and graduate assistantships are available to a limited number of qualified students. Teaching associates teaching English 100 and 200 must have completed Rhetoric and Writing Studies 609, attend Rhetoric and Writing Studies 796A during the first semester of their associateship, and have the consent of the RWS GTA program director. Applications and additional information are available from the graduate director and from the department office.

General Information

The Department of English and Comparative Literature offers graduate study leading to a Master of Arts in English and the Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. The M.A. student can choose one of five areas of specialization: American literature, British literature, children’s literature, comparative literature, or rhetoric and writing. The M.A. is a 30-unit degree program particularly well-suited for students who anticipate further graduate work in a literature or rhetoric Ph.D. program or who intend to teach English in a community college or, after obtaining a credential, in a secondary school. The M.F.A. in creative writing is a 54-unit program which offers study in poetry or fiction with a balance between studio and academic, traditional and experimental, commercial and aesthetic approaches. The program has two stages - graduate seminars followed by intensive study with one or more professors in tutorials and manuscript preparation. The M.F.A. is a professional program intended for full-time students who wish to receive a terminal degree in creative writing. Each year, in addition to the resident faculty, the department invites approximately twenty writers and editors to the campus for readings and residencies.

The department offers a wide range of courses and approaches to the study of literature and writing, many of which are outlined in English 600, Introduction to Graduate Study, required of all entering M.A. students. Faculty publications in literature and rhetoric are similarly diverse. They include major literary biographies, historical studies, critical analysis from various current perspectives, reviews of and interviews with contemporary writers, as well as a broad spectrum of original poetry and fiction. The department also sponsors the literary periodicals Fiction International, Poetry International, and The Pacific Review.

Admission to Graduate Study

Students applying for admission should electronically submit the university application available at http://www.calstate.edu/apply along with the $55 application fee.

All applicants must submit admissions materials separately to SDSU Graduate Admissions and to the Department of English and Comparative Literature.

Graduate Admissions

The following materials should be submitted as a complete package directly to:

Graduate Admissions
Enrollment Services
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182-7416

Official transcripts (in sealed envelopes) from all postsecondary institutions attended;

NOTE:
- Students who attended SDSU need only submit transcripts for work completed since last attendance.
- Students with international coursework must submit both the official transcript and proof of degree. If documents are in a language other than English, they must be accompanied by a certified English translation.
GRE scores (http://www.ets.org SDSU institution code 4682);
English language score, if medium of instruction was in a language other than English (http://www.ets.org SDSU institution code 4682).

Master of Arts Degree in English

The following materials should be submitted by February 1 for the fall semester to:

Department of English and Comparative Literature
(Attention: M.A. Program)
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-6020

Three letters of recommendation (in sealed and signed envelopes) from persons in a position to judge academic ability;
A 750-1000 word statement of purpose;
A 10-page writing sample from a previous literature course, preferably an analytical essay involving research.

Students applying for admission should electronically submit the university application available at http://www.calstate.edu/apply along with the $55 application fee.

All applicants must submit admissions materials separately to SDSU Graduate Admissions and to the Department of English and Comparative Literature.

Master of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing

The following materials should be submitted by February 1 for the fall semester to:

Department of English and Comparative Literature
(Attention: M.F.A. Program)
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-6020

A sample of creative work (15 poems or 30 pages of prose) to enable the creative writing faculty to assess the candidate’s suitability to pursue an M.F.A. in creative writing;
A 750-1000 word statement of purpose;
Three letters of recommendation.