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5. Special English Department Programs |
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5.1 Honors
Thesis
The Honors Program in English
provides the opportunity for qualified majors to undertake
advanced literary research or creative work. Successful performance
in the Program leads to graduation "With Distinction in the
Major." This program is especially recommended for students
who plan to pursue a graduate degree in literary studies.
Majors who have completed at least two quarters of the junior
year with a minimum Grade Point Average of 3.5 (overall
and/or in the major) may apply for admission to the
Program. Students interested in the Honors Program should
inquire of the Staff
Adviser for further information.
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5.2 English
199: Independent Studies
As defined by the guidelines
set by the College of Letters and Science, English 199 is
intended for qualified students who wish to pursue a directed
and advanced study of a particular subject in British or American
literature. English 199 may NOT be used for internships, general
interest reading, fulfillment of any part of the Option 2
language requirement, the exclusive or preponderant study
of foreign literature in translation, or study that is normally
available in regular classes. In special cases, a creative
writing project may be accepted by the Department, usually
under the direction of those teaching creative writing in
the Department.
English 199 is likely to be
your experience closest to individual, original research at
the graduate level. Inasmuch as this study is to be directed
reading at an advanced level, you should have completed an
upper division course relevant to your subject. You should
have a good idea of the area you wish to study, the
problems you wish to solve, and the methodology to
solve them. For a 4-unit course, the departmental norm for
the writing requirement is 15 pages (approximately 4,000 words)
of sustained writing.
The requirements of the independent
study program are as follows:
- Overall Grade Point Average must be at least 3.0 for the
preceding three quarters.
- At least 84 units must have been completed overall.
- At least two upper division English courses must have
been completed, one of which should be relevant to your
subject.
Approval for a 199 cannot be
rushed and is to be completed within the quarter before you
undertake your project. Do not begin your project without
full approval.
If you decide on a particular
area of study that is not normally available in departmental
courses, and if you believe that you meet with all of the
above requirements, then approach a regular faculty member
whose area of specialization corresponds with this study.
If the instructor agrees, then discuss readings, bibliography,
and writing requirements. During the project, the instructor
will meet with you once a week for 1-2 hours to direct your
reading and research.
To apply, ask the Staff
Adviser in the English office for a 199 petition
form.
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5.3 English
199RA: Independent Research Assistance
This course gives qualified
undergraduates the chance to take part in a faculty research
project. It is designed not only to forward the instructor's
research interests, but also to give you a significant learning
experience, comparable to what you would receive in an ordinary
course. It is a good opportunity to learn in a practical way
what is involved in academic research.
For each four-unit course,
you can expect to do ten to twelve hours of work per week,
including a one-hour meeting with the instructor and a significant
amount of reading and writing. Professors actively seeking
assistants will include a description of their projects in
the quarterly course outline booklet. If you are interested
in working with a regular faculty member whose area of specialization
corresponds with your interests, but he or she has not included
a description in the quarterly course outline booklet, you
may wish to ask if they would be interested in sponsoring
you as a research assistant.
The requirements for the research
assistance program are the same as those listed above for
English 199: Independent Studies. Once an instructor has agreed
to work with you, a 199RA petition, available from the staff
advisor, must be filed with the department. The petition will
then require the approval of the faculty chair of the undergraduate
committee. This approval process should be completed within
the quarter before you begin the work.
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5.4 English 195I: Internships
This course provides qualified students the opportunity to experience a period of training in a real working situation.
Majors who have upper division standing and a GPA of 3.0 may apply for an intership. The application requires a form available from the Department office, a written explanation of work to be performed, a faculty sponsor signature, a Company Supervisor signature and the Department chair signature.
Under supervision of English Department faculty, English majors may obtain credit for work with/without pay in publishing, editing, journalism, or other employment related to English literature. Before the beginning of the quarter, the student and supervising faculty member must submit a course description (form available from the Undergraduate Advisor) detailing the internship site and the kind of work expectedthere, the supplemental reading and writing for the course, and the contact hours with the supervisor. The Undergraduate Staff advisor will notify you after the Undergraduate Committee has reviewed and approved the application.
Credit for an Internship can range from 1 to 4 units. This course may be repeated for credit to a maziumum of 8 units, but only 4 units may count for the major.
English 194I may be taken for a letter grade or pass/not pass, but may only qualify for elective credit with a letter grade.
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5.5 Supplemental
Seminars
Qualified students may take
advantage of special seminar course that are often offered
in conjunction with large lecture courses. These one-unit
seminars provide an opportunity for motivated students to
work closely with faculty members while enriching their large
lecture experience. The requirements of the seminar will include
reading and/or writing beyond that already assigned in the
lecture course. The seminar does not take the place of the
regular discussion section for the lecture, which is conducted
by a teaching assistant.
If a special seminar will be offered, the faculty
member will announce the course on the first day of lecture,
along with his or her criteria for admitting students. If
you are admitted to the seminar, the instructor will give
you a course approval code that will allow you to add the
course to your schedule during the third registration pass
of RBT.
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5.5 English
Club
Sponsored by the Department,
the English Club
is organized to provide students with an opportunity
to meet with one another outside of the classroom, to
discuss academic subjects in an informal setting, to
consider career options, and to meet with writers and
journalists. The Club holds meetings about four times
during each quarter; anyone may attend. Notices announcing
Club activities will be posted on the bulletin board
by the English Office, and a newsletter will be mailed
to you once a quarter. See the Academic
program adviser if you would like to make any suggestions
about Club activities. |
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