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MA

 

Graduate coordinator: Dr. Kinereth Meyer: kinerethm@gmail.com


 

Four categories of M.A. information are available on this page
Please choose the one you are interested in:

 

   Information for Prospective students

Candidates who are interested in continuing or renewing their studies should consider the following possibilities for earning an M.A. degree in literature or in Creative Writing in the English Department at Bar-Ilan.

The English Department is particularly interested in encouraging experienced teachers of English in the Israeli school system to rethink their assumptions about classroom interaction. We try to schedule at least two courses a year which are designed for teachers needing refreshment. The courses are open to students in all of the graduate programs.

 

 What degrees are offered and for whom are they designed?

 

M.A. Thesis Track (track a)

This is the program for students who want to take some new and exciting courses and then to do independent research in literature. This is the M.A. program for you if you want to leave open the possibility of continuing on beyond the M.A. to a Ph.D. degree at some time in the future.The students will be reviewed by the graduate coordinators after the first year to see if they should continue on for the thesis or be directed to the non-thesis track.
requirements

 

M.A. Non-Thesis Track (track b)

This is the right program for students who prefer the stimulation of interaction with other students and teachers in courses rather than independent research and writing, and who don't expect to pursue a doctoral degree in the future. Choosing this program, they opt for additional coursework as a substitute for the thesis they don't write. Track B students take an oral exam at the end of their studies on topics of their own choosing.
requirements

 

M.A. in Creative Writing, Track A

If you have a B.A. in literature, or in any other field, and are interested in a program that combines practical training to develop your skills as a creative writer with graduate level courses in English and American literature, you might want to apply to the Shaindy Rudoff Graduate Program in Creative Writing. Our professional (i.e., published) writers will work with you in three workshops in either poetry or fiction writing. Applicants need to present a portfolio of their work in poetry or in prose fiction with their application. See the program's website for details.
requirements:  poetry/fiction
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    How long does it take to complete an M.A.?

The University assumes that it takes two years to finish an M.A. degree (track A or B), although a third year is usually allowed (never in the Direct M.A. programs) on the recommendation of Department. It is our experience that most of our students, as they are usually working while studying, do in fact take the full three years to finish. The following suggestions are offered to deal with this time pressure:

  • If after consultation with one of the graduate advisors you find you are required to make up for holes in your earlier education, take the required prerequisite courses before applying for admission, before the clock starts ticking, as it were.
  • Consider how you might rearrange or even reduce your hours at work on the basis of the schedule of courses. The Department tries to schedule its graduate courses on two days of the week. These days should be kept clear for coursework. Teachers entitled to sabbatical leave should take the sabbatical during the second year of the M.A. program
  • Recognize before you commit yourself to the program that the due dates for course obligations must be taken seriously. You won't be allowed to let overdue seminar papers pile up on the assumption that you can do them "later." Although the Department tries to be understanding, the University may not to let you enroll for a second year if you haven't completed your first year's obligations.
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  •   Direct M.A.,  Thesis Track A in Literature or in Creative Writing

    Highly qualified students in the Bar-Ilan English Department working toward their B.A. may want to investigate this way of getting to an M.A. degree speedily. At the end of your first year you may ask about your eligibility for this program. It allows you to earn two degrees - the B.A. and the M.A. - in 5 years.
    The Department does not offer a direct Track B M.A.
     requirements: literature / cw poetry / cw fiction 

Note: students who opt for the "Direct" M.A. (Track A or Creative Writing) have five (5) years to complete all the requirements for BOTH the B.A. and the M.A. degrees (including writing the M.A. proposal and thesis). Note that the direct M.A. degree actually contract with the University to finish in the times allotted. Don't consider entering one of these programs unless you can devote yourself virtually full time to your studies

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  Is there any scholarship aid?

There are a limited number of scholarships and grants administered by the University M.A. Scholarships Committee. Funding is allocated on the basis of financial need as well as on merit. Rarely, a lecturer in the Department may hire an assistant for their funded research. Note that even if you receive financial aid from the University, they won't tell you this until the school year has begun, and you've had to make your first payment

The Dean of Students can lend students up to $1000.

Fliers describing scholarships are periodically posted on the bulletin board outside of Shleiffer 304

New immigrant students depending on age and date of aliyah may be eligible for scholarship aid from the Student Admininstration (Minhal Hastudentim). Ask your aliyah shaliach.
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    Am I qualified to apply to one of the programs?

Students applying for admission to the Literature M.A. programs are expected to have completed an undergraduate program in English literature. Creative writing applications will be received from students with any B.A. degree or equivalent. The nature of the undergraduate degree (discipline, institution, date of graduation) will determine whether prerequisite courses must be completed before enrollment in the program. If you have a BEd degree in English, or an undergraduate major other than English, you are probably going to need to take a set of survey courses in English and American literature chosen from the undergraduate literature program.

Compensatory programs are made up individually in consultation between the candidate and the graduate advisor according to a student's needs and interests and must be approved by the University M.A. Committee. Students doing compensatory courses must normally earn a grade of 85 in these courses in order to be accepted to the Department as a regular student in the M.A. program.

We suggest that students who need these extra courses enroll in them as Auditors and then apply for admission to one of the regular M.A. programs after they have finished the make-up work. Note that meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the Department. Each application is considered on its own merits.
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   Can talk to someone about what's best for me?

The Graduate coordinators will be happy to talk to you about your individual situation. Their e-mail addresses are at the head of this page. You are encouraged to come to the Bar-Ilan campus, talk to the Coordinator and students, and sit in on a class or two.
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  How do I apply?

Applicants may purchase the official application forms at Bar-Ilan's bookstore (Akademon) or at many branches of Steimazky's book stores. Full instructions are included in the packet.

Applicants might find it easier to find the application forms on line (on-line application forms and on-line application fee). Follow instructions, and send them with the proof of payment of application fees and required documents (original documents) to:
The M.A. Committee
Bar-Ilan University
Ramat Gan 52900
Israel

At the same time as you submit your official application for admission all applicants (except those interested in the creative writing program), please send the English Department a sample of your academic writing, for example, a paper you've written for an undergraduate class. Attach a note with your name and address and let us know that you have submitted an application. Send the paper to:
English Department
Bar-Ilan University
Ramat Gan 52900
Israel

Or send it as a Word attachment to depteng (at) mail.biu.ac.il.
writing applicants see the CW web admission pages.

If you are applying from outside of Israel, or if you have any difficulty with the procedures as described on the website, please contact the English Dept. and we will gladly assist you through the M.A. application process.
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   Information for Students in the M.A. Programs

 

Libraries

Short courses or series of lectures intended to help graduate students are offered periodically at the Main Library. Students can learn how to make best use of the library resources including on line catalogues, data bases, interlibrary loan, etc.. Announcements of these course offerings are posted in or outside the English Department Library. You are welcome to consult Smadar Wisper, our most user-friendly librarian.

You should be able to access the library catalogues and the on-line data bases from your home computer. Ask Smadar for instructions

Foreign Language Requirement

M.A. Students studying in the department are exempt from the Foreign Language courses requirement.

Basic Jewish Studies Courses for M.A. students

Students who have their first degree from Bar-Ilan will take two additional hours of coursework in Jewish Studies. Students who come from other institutions of higher learning will take four hours of coursework in Jewish Studies.

 

    Information for MA ThesisTrack students

 

   Course Requirements

Students in the Track A M.A. Program are required to take the course in Contemporary Theory (829), the course in Research Methodology (919) and 5 graduate level seminars (courses numbered in the 700, 800, or 900 range). They then write their proposal and the thesis.

Students in the Direct M.A. Track A should consult the department secretaries about their course requirements. They take all of the courses mentioned above, but fewer undergraduate courses.
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    Writing Requirements

Track A M.A. students fulfill the writing requirements for 3 of the 5 seminars they take during their studies as do Track B students, with one or two short assignments. In the other 2 seminars, they write long papers (approx. 17-20 pages). The students themselves will choose the seminars in which they want to write long papers. It is hoped, but not required, that one of these papers will be suitable for expansion into a thesis.

Ordinarily, Track A students may not fulfill their seminar requirements by taking undergraduate classes (although they are always welcome to sit in on any course that interests them). However, in certain exceptional cases (e.g., when a student wants to work in a field in which no graduate seminar is offered), Track A students may register for an undergraduate seminar with special permission of the instructor and a graduate coordinator. In those cases, the student will be expected to fulfill graduate level writing assignments.
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 Switching to the Ph.D. Program before writing the thesis

Students who have begun studying for an M.A. degree, but whose ambitions have expanded, may be eligible to move directly into the Ph.D. program without writing the M.A. thesis. If you are interested, you should discuss this with one of the graduate advisors.
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  The M.A. Thesis: what is it?

The M.A. thesis is based on a research project in a particular area of interest within literary study that the student undertakes under the guidance of an experienced member of the literature faculty.

The thesis should demonstrate both the student's knowledge of that particular area of interest within literary study including a close acquaintance with the significant primary materials in the field, as well as a familiarity (both bibliographical and theoretical) with the scholarly discourse related to that field.

The student's ability to formulate a thesis and develop an argument relating to material within that area of interest may involve: [i] reading a familiar text or series of texts in an unfamiliar way (e.g., looking at the material through a different critical lens or placing it within a different historical, cultural, or literary context); or [ii] reading an unfamiliar (but significant) text or series of texts in a familiar way.

Generally, the thesis should be between 50 and 70 double-spaced typed pages, (including bibliography) divided into three or four chapters. (An introduction followed by two or three chapters, each on a separate work or aspects of a single work or theme is reasonable and appropriate.) The thesis may be an expansion of one or more seminar papers, e.g., by considering additional texts and/or enriching the contexts.
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  When is the M.A. thesis proposal due?

The proposal is due after the break between semesters in the student's second year of studies. Students are encouraged to meet with a faculty adviser as soon as they feel even a flicker of interest in a topic they have encountered in their studies. The earlier this is done the better. At latest, the student must be in discussion with a potential thesis advisor by the end of the first year of graduate study to discuss their ideas and devise a research strategy. The graduate coordinators are available for consultation and advice regarding appropriate advisers.

  What does the proposal look like?

 Guidelines for Writing M.A. Proposals (PDF)

  Proposal Submission

After the proposal has been approved by the student's advisor, 2 hard copies + an electronic copy are submitted to the department and the student  fills out the accompanying form. The proposal is sent to two additional readers by the department. If corrections are required the student revises the proposal accordingly and then one copy together with the accompanying form and the evaluation of the two readers is sent to the MA committee for approval. The MA committee sends the student, advisor and the department a letter of approval specifying the date the thesis must be submitted and defended by.
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  Thesis Defense

After the thesis is completed to the satisfaction of the student and his or her advisor, an oral thesis defense is conducted. Two other faculty members in addition to the student and advisor are asked to read the thesis and invited to an informal discussion of it. After the Defense, final corrections are made and the thesis is given a grade.

  Thesis Submission

The procedure following the defense is that the student submit two copies, soft bound , of the thesis + a CD in Word to the main library, mador rechesh, basement floor, together with a letter from the department , that it has been defended and it is ready for submission. The student also has to request his degree. It is NOT automatic. This is done on the internet through their Meda Ishi password. The form has complete instructions for the students to follow.
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  Information for Non ThesisTrack students

   Course Requirements

Track B M.A. students take 8 graduate seminars (numbered in the 700, 800, or 900 range) and 3 additional courses from the undergraduate course offerings (numbered in the 400 or 600 range).

   Writing Requirements

Track B M.A. students fulfill the writing requirements for each of their seminars with one or two assignments. The types of assignments will vary from instructor to instructor and from seminar to seminar, but they may include: short critical or research papers, reviews of scholarship, take-home exams, or bibliographical exercises. The total length of these assignments is ordinarily 10-15 pages.

Track B students generally fulfill some of the course requirements by taking undergraduate courses (400 level seminars or 600 level lectures). They may include up to three of these in their programs and are not expected to do any additional work beyond that required of the undergraduates.
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   What is the Final Oral Exam?

The final oral exam is a intended to demonstrate the student's familiarity with the canon of English and American literature in three areas, to be specified by the student, at the level appropriate to a person with an M.A. in English. As well, it allows the student to demonstrate fluency in English, at the level of proficiency (in syntax, vocabulary, and pronunciation) appropriate to a high school teacher of English.

The format of the exam is an informal discussion among three members of the faculty and the student, lasting usually about an hour. The student may bring texts to the exam. The examiners will assume the student is familiar with the texts on the reading lists, but will not be interested in finding out whether the student can provide plot summaries of novels or recall the names of all the characters in a play. Examiners will have prepared questions to begin discussion, questions that give the student a chance to talk intelligently and thoughtfully about aspects of the text under consideration and their cultural and historical contexts. Reading lists will generally include a few critical essays about the primary texts and their context.

Example: the examiners may read, or give the student a paragraph or two from a critical work as a way of beginning the discussion, and the student will be expected to respond intelligently. No one, however, will ask "what did Sandra Gilbert think of George Eliot?"

The examiners will confer and give a grade immediately after the exam and will inform the student of the decision immediately.
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   When does one begin to think about the Final Oral Exam?

In the second semester of the student's second year of studies, together with the Coordinator of Graduate Study, the student will chose three areas of study and appropriate department members to be the examiners. Together, the student and faculty members will agree on the list of texts to be studied. Who the examiners will be will depend on the student's preferences, but also on who is available at the time set for the exam. It is to be noted that last minute substitutions may have to be made in examiners.

Having completed all course work by the end of the second semester of the second year, the student will study for the oral exam over the summer immediately following, and will ordinarily take the exam just before the beginning of the new school year, although there is some flexibility here. An actual date for the exam will be set by the secretarial staff only when ALL the course work has been completed and ALL the grades have been recorded in the student's file. The student's reading list will be sent to the examiners at least three weeks before the exam is to take place.
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   What are my choices for the Final Oral Exam?

The student will choose three areas she or he wishes to be examined in: one historical period, one genre or special topic, one individual author.

There should be as little overlap as possible between the three areas. It would be acceptable to chose, for example, The Victorian Age, the Elegy, and Toni Morrison, even though there is at least one important Victorian elegy. It would not, however, be acceptable to choose the 16th Century British Literature and Shakespeare.

It is assumed that the three areas chosen will largely coincide with the student's course work.

When the student has chosen his topics, she or he should consult directly with the specialist examiners listed to obtain their agreement, and inform one of the graduate coordinators of the choices. Together, the examiner and the student will decide on the reading list, and all three examiners will be given copies of all three lists. Examples of past lists are available in the English Department.
Suggested topics for the Final Oral Exam
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