Composition (M.A.)

Post Fall 2019 Requirements & Courses

• Core Requirements (15 Units)
  • ENG 702 - Introduction to Graduate Study of Composition, Linguistics, and TESOL
  • ENG 707 - Topics in Language Analysis
  • ENG 728 - Topics in Sociolinguistics
  • ENG 733 - Seminar in Student Teaching
  • Culminating Experience (Choose one):
    • ENG 895 - Field Study or Applied Research  Project
    • ENG 898 - Master's Thesis
• Concentration Requirements (15 Units)
  • ENG 700 - Introduction to Composition Theory (3 units)
  • ENG 709 - Seminar in Teaching Integrated Reading and Writing (3 units)
  • ENG 710 - Course Design in Composition and Post-Secondary Reading (3 units)
  • Electives selected with an advisor's approval (6 units)

Pre Fall 2019 Requirements

See the previous bulletin for more detailed information. 

Please review before applying:

• Graduate Studies: Application for Admission Instructions
• International Applicants: also see Graduate Studies International Admissions
• Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP): Eligible out-of-state students can now pay in-state tuition in the M.A. Composition program

The application process for the M.A. Composition program is as follows. If you have questions about the process, please contact: English@sfsu.edu.

1. Complete the online application through Cal State Apply. Create your account AND Complete your profile. 

   TIP: Students who will study on a F1/J1 visa must select Non-Resident for U.S. Citizenship Status under your Extended Profile.

   Please note: You will only see a list of programs that aligns with your academic degree objective.
    

2. Submit the following online (A-C) by uploading on the Cal State Apply site’s “Program Materials” section:
   • A 1-2 page typed statement of purpose. In your statement of purpose, please address the following 3 questions. In your statement, be sure to include the 3 headings below and write about 200-300 words for each question. (Please review the program website and program course requirements so that you can be specific in your answers.)
     • Prior experiences: Tell us about your prior experiences that have led you to pursue a career in teaching. (How did you become interested in teaching? How did you become interested in teaching college-level reading and writing specifically?)
     • Current perspectives on teaching:  Currently how would you define good teaching, particularly in the context of teaching reading and writing? What do you hope to learn about teaching in our program?
     • Future teaching plans: Most of our graduates seek a career in teaching writing at California community colleges or in other adult educational settings. Other graduate students plan on teaching high school and seek additional professional preparation in our program. Tell us about your anticipated career path and how SFSU’s MA Comp program in particular will support your goals.
   • A recent writing sample (approximate length: between 7 and 10 pages). This writing should be analytic in nature. It may be from a previous course you have taken or it may be writing you undertook in your professional pursuit beyond the classroom. Please include a statement with your signature that certifies that the writing sample is your own.
   • Please upload legible unofficial copies of transcripts from each college or university attended. Including study abroad coursework, or community college coursework, even if this coursework appears as transfer credit appears on your degree transcript.  Full academic disclosure is required.  Photographs or screenshots of transcripts will be rejected. An incomplete academic history will significantly delay review of your application. The Division of Graduate Studies may request official transcripts from you at any point during the application review process.  
      
3. If selected for admission, you will be required to submit official transcripts to the Division of Graduate Studies in order to secure your offer of admission. Please note: if you previously attended SF State, you do not need to submit a SF State transcript.
   If selected for admission, please mail official transcripts to:
   Graduate Admissions Office, ADM 250
   San Francisco State University
   1600 Holloway Ave.
   San Francisco, CA 94132
    
4. International applicants who are non-native speakers of English must also have official TOEFL scores sent (institution code: 4683, department code:14). IELTS scores are also accepted.
   International applicants who are non-native speakers of English must also submit a certified financial statement.
    
5. Two letters of recommendation that speak to your academic potential. Use the Evaluations tab to manage submission of letters of recommendation. Letter writer email addresses should be from professional or academic organizations (ex. @sfsu.edu, @CA.gov or @ibm.com), not personal email addresses. Cal State Apply instructions on how to submit letters of recommendation.

Deadlines

Applications for Fall admission: Accepted starting October 1 – early deadline February 1, regular deadline April 1, and final deadline July 31.

Applications for Spring admission: Accepted starting August 1 – early deadline November 15, regular deadline December 1.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

International applicants should submit their materials by January 1 for fall admission or September 1 for spring admission. 

The documents on this website/webpage might not be fully accessible to persons with disabilities. We are working to fix these accessibility barriers by June 15, 2022. If you experience difficulty in accessing this content, please contact the Department of English by email at engdept@sfsu.edu and we will provide you with accessible alternatives.

The M.A. in Composition prepares students for a variety of career pathways. Most graduates of our program obtain positions teaching college composition and reading particularly in the Bay Area and Northern California. Other graduates enter doctoral programs in areas such as Rhetoric, Composition, Writing Studies and Educational Administration. And some graduates use the M.A. degree to advance in other professional roles in college writing programs, campus writing centers and education-related organizations.

The Certificate in Teaching Composition is incorporated directly into the M.A. degree and is typically completed during the first year of graduate study; no additional coursework is necessary. 

The Certificate in Teaching Post-Secondary Reading may be obtained by selecting electives focused on reading theory and pedagogy (ENG 701, ENG 715). No additional coursework is necessary.

Students may also take additional courses to obtain the Certificate in Immigrant Literacies; the Certificate in Computational Linguistics; or the Certificate in TESOL (undergraduate).

• The Conference on College Composition and Communication: The world’s largest professional organization for researching and teaching composition.
• Two Year College Association: TYCA unites teachers committed to the teaching and study of English in the two-year college, to advancing the profession, and providing a national voice for the two-year college in postsecondary education.

Current Student Checklist

Obtaining Classified Status

Students admitted with Conditionally Classified status normally obtain Classified status after Graduate Division reviews and approves the Advancement To Candidacy (ATC). Under certain circumstances, you may wish to obtain Classified status before filing the ATC. If you have met the conditions outlined in your Notice of Admission, contact your department office about the procedure for changing your status from Conditionally Classified to Classified. If your program requires you to provide evidence that you have met these conditions, bring proof of completion (such as a transcript) to the department office and ask that it be added to your file.

Semester Before Taking English 895

Submit your Advancement To Candidacy (ATC)

• Use this form to describe how you will fulfill the requirements of your degree.
• The Graduate Coordinator of the M.A. Composition Program will guide you through the process of preparing and submitting your ATC. Prepare the ATC form online before printing. If necessary, print out a blank copy and type in the information. If the form is handwritten, it will be rejected by Graduate Division.
• Submit your ATC to the department office.

Submit your Proposal for Culminating Experience (CE) and your Protocol Approval Form (PAF)

• The Graduate Coordinator of the M.A. Composition Program will guide you through the process of preparing and submitting both your Proposal and the paperwork related to obtaining Protocol Approval for conducting research with human subjects.
• You will use the Proposal form "895: Thesis with Human/Animal Subjects"; include the title of your thesis and a brief abstract, and list the members of your thesis committee, all of whom must sign the form. Your "committee chair" is your first reader.
• Prepare your Proposal form online before printing. If necessary, print out a blank copy and type in the information. If your Proposal is handwritten, it will be rejected by Graduate Division.
• Submit your Proposal and your Protocol Approval paperwork to the department office.

Do you have questions about the ATC, Proposal for Culminating Experience, or Protocol Approval Form? Ask in your department office, consult with your advisor, or visit the Graduate Division website. Note that we prefer that you submit your ATC and Proposal forms and your Protocol Approval paperwork to the department office at the same time.

Semester of Graduation

Enroll in ENG 895

• Your ENG 895 instructor will give you a permit number to use for adding the class online.

Apply for graduation

• The deadline to apply for graduation is the 4th Friday of the semester.
• The graduation application is available on the Division of Graduate Studies website.

Check your transcript

• Complete any necessary paperwork to change Incomplete grades.

Submit your thesis to Graduate Division

• The usual deadline is the last day of classes.
• Check the requirements for thesis formatting and submission in advance on the Division of Graduate Studies website.

When Graduation Is Delayed

Re-apply for graduation

• If you do not graduate during the semester in which you initially enrolled in 895, you must re-apply for graduation in the semester in which you will complete your requirements.

Maintain enrollment status

Students admitted before Fall 2008

• If you do not submit your thesis by the deadline, your instructor will assign you a grade of ‘RP’ (report in progress).
• You do not need to re-register for ENG 895 in subsequent semesters.
• You do not need to pay fees for subsequent semesters.

Students admitted beginning Fall 2008

• Graduate students who earn RP in ENG 895 have an additional “grace semester” after the posting of the RP grade to continue writing the thesis. To maintain current status during this grace semester, students do not have to pay fees or register for courses.
• If students do not graduate at the end of the grace semester, they must enroll in a 0-unit Culminating Experience course via the College of Extended Learning for each subsequent semester.

Check your transcript

• When you submit your thesis to your readers, you must also provide your 895 course instructor with a Petition for Grade Change.
• Fill in your name, SF State ID#, and the semester of enrollment in ENG 895; your professor will note that the RP grade should be changed to CR and will submit the petition to the department.

Note your seven-year deadline.

If you do not graduate during the semester of your initial enrollment in your culminating experience course, we recommend that you remain mindful of your seven-year deadline. Your degree must be awarded within 7 years from the start of the term of the earliest course listed on your ATC. EXAMPLE: if the earliest course listed on your ATC was taken in the Spring 2008 semester, you must graduate no later than the January, 2015. Students whose deadline has expired must petition for an extension of the seven-year limit; such an extension may be granted only once.

For more information contact:
Department of English
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway
San Francisco, CA 94132
(415) 338-2660

Inquiries concerning admission to the university, application forms, the university Bulletin, financial aid, etc. should be addressed to:
Graduate Studies Division, ADM 250
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, California 94132.

Graduate Division

(415) 338-2234