MA Pedagogy Thesis

Students in the Concentration in Teaching Literature and Writing are asked to complete a pedagogy thesis: candidates offer an essay and accompanying portfolio that demonstrates how their graduate study for the Master's has informed and deepened their thinking about teaching English at the high school or undergraduate level. The thesis and portfolio are evaluated in the same way as any other M.A. thesis but may consist, instead of the usual 10,000-15,000-word essay, of an essay from 7,500-10,000 words accompanied by lesson plans, syllabi, and/or other materials demonstrative of serious thinking about teaching; thus, evaluation may focus not only on the essay's excellence in critical analysis, literary approaches, and/or research methods but also in the quality of thinking about pedagogical practice that is demonstrated in such supplementary materials.

The essay must engage a contemporary conversation or debate in the field of study; afford some rationale for its interest or its impact; discuss what may be innovative and/or interdisciplinary about its approach; and illuminate the context and specific conditions or situations with which it might engage most productively. The pedagogy thesis for the MA degree entails a substantial bibliography with brief annotations where appropriate.

The MA pedagogy thesis should be prepared and submitted in the same manner as the MA critical thesis, as specified by GSAS guidelines.