Master of Arts in English with Concentration in Composition San Francisco State University, USA

All students pursuing the MA in English are required to complete a 30-unit program consisting of 15 units of core requirements (including a 3-unit culminating experience course) and 15 units in an area of concentration: Composition, Linguistics, or TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

The Composition concentration provides students with a broad background in the theory, research, policy, and practice of teaching composition and postsecondary reading to diverse student populations.  

Students completing the Master of Arts with a Concentration in Composition typically either teach at community colleges or go on to doctoral work with a view to teaching at a college or university. At the university level, specialists in composition and rhetoric are in increasing demand as researchers and directors of undergraduate writing programs. Two-year colleges are increasingly recognizing the need for professional training in the teaching of composition and are hiring accordingly.

Program Learning Outcomes:

1. English MA students will critically evaluate scholarship using knowledge of disciplinary history, foundational theories, epistemologies, and scholarly debates in order to participate in professional communities of Composition, TESOL, and Linguistics.
2. English MA students will conduct principled inquiry (critical reflection, observation, and/or formal research) using appropriate methods and tools of analysis in order to address disciplinary questions and problems of practice.
3. English MA students will produce effective written and oral presentations that follow professional disciplinary standards of Composition, TESOL, and Linguistics.
4. English MA students will apply pedagogical knowledge and skills to the teaching of language, literacy, or linguistics.
5. Composition students will articulate a coherent teaching philosophy that has been informed by practical experience and knowledge of relevant teaching principles and research.
6. Composition students will create appropriate lessons and curricula for students in postsecondary reading and writing classes.
7. Composition students will produce critical reflections on teaching practices and materials and how they embody educational values of ethics, social justice, diversity, and globalization.