Literature *

Graduate study in English provides a rigorous and comprehensive approach to the mastery of British and American literature.  The range of advanced level courses offered by the English Department--more than twenty-five in all--thoroughly covers every major area within each literary domain.  Regular offerings focus on important literary figures (e.g., Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton), periods (e.g., Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, Restoration and 18th-Century drama), and genres (e.g., the contemporary American novel, modern American poetry, American drama).

Special topics in British, American, or world literature (such as American Pop Novels and Social Intolerance, The Connecticut Wits, Emily Dickinson, Boswell and Johnson, and Victoria's Secret) supplement standard courses.  Students may also work with faculty members from the department on approved independent projects in various literary areas not included in the curriculum as regular class offerings, or may undertake conference courses with faculty based upon a planned program of guided reading.

The use of contemporary critical approaches in evaluating and reviewing the work of various authors adds vitality and depth to the English program and courses.  Students investigate the techniques and resources for literary research as well as the theory, history, and practice of literary criticism in English 598 (Research in English).  Guided by faculty advisors, graduate students develop study plans that balance British and American literary periods, writers, and genres.  Additional independent research related to the content of course selections is encouraged to permit greater understanding of textual questions, constellations of writers within a period, and historical perspectives affecting literary production.  The option of writing a master's thesis offers further opportunity for focused research and specialization within a literary area.

Planned programs of graduate study in English are designed by faculty advisers for each student to provide training in research, critical theory, and literature.  Advisers address the needs and interests of students who, on one hand, seek a master's degree, a sixth-year certificate, or entry into a doctoral degree program at another university, or on the other hand, continue in teaching careers on an elementary, middle, or secondary school level.  While all programs incorporate courses designed to deepen the student's understanding of British and American literature, some contain experiences intended to improve pedagogical skills.  The thorough and careful preparation of responsible professionals in the field regardless of their instructional grade-level (elementary through collegiate) is paramount.  Full-time and part-time graduate students are welcome in all English Department programs.

TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) * (detailed program brochure)

Graduate TESOL programs at Central prepare teachers to use modern methods to meet the varying instructional needs of students of English as a second or foreign language while encouraging such students to maintain their native language and cultural competency.  Students who graduate from the master's or certification programs can expect to be prepared not only for first jobs teaching English, but for full and long-lasting careers in this field.  They receive a thorough grounding in practical skills and methods of language teaching to develop communicative competence and appropriate academic skills in English, and become very familiar with issues involving the nature of language and language acquisition and the role of language in society.

Planned programs of study are designed by faculty advisers to meet the needs and interests of students in the program as well as program requirements based on TESOL's Guidelines for the Certification and Preparation of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages in the United States.  Students have opportunities to develop specialized areas of competence in individual research projects and in the research seminar, English 598 TESOL.  The option of writing a thesis is also available to M.S. students in TESOL.

Some graduates of the TESOL M.S. program go on to doctoral study in TESOL or theoretical or applied linguistics.  Others teach in many countries around the world and in Connecticut schools, adult education programs, intensive language institutes, and community colleges.

Policy on Comprehensive Exams

Contact Information

For more information about graduate studies in English, contact Dr. Zidani-Eroglu, director of the TESOL program, or Dr. Leonidas, chair of the department's graduate committee.

* - Program requirements are subject to change. Advising and program information provided on this website is for general information and guidance only. It does not constitute a contract, either expressed or implied, and is subject to revision at the University’s discretion. Students should be further aware that additional licensure and certification requirements may be imposed by outside licensing or accrediting agencies even after a plan of study has been approved or after a student has entered a professional program. A plan of study may be subject to revision to reflect such additional requirements.