In addition to these traditional specializations, the Department offers course work in linguistics, literary theory, cultural studies, folklore, professional and technical writing (including electronic editing and publishing), and secondary teacher preparation. Faculty also participate regularly in courses offered by the Honors Program, the Department of African American Studies, and the Women's Studies Institute.
We emphasize teaching, research, and service to students and the community. All faculty teach lower-division as well as advanced courses, and in recent years a large number of English Department faculty members have won teaching awards from the Honors Program, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the University. Faculty research and creative writing have been recognized by major awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Fulbright Commission and the Guggenheim Foundation. Both undergraduate and graduate students have opportunities to participate in international exchange programs, faculty research, service learning and internships, and to gain editorial experience through one of the many publications the Department sponsors: Five Points (our award-winning literary journal), the South Atlantic Review, Studies in the Literary Imagination, the on-line Journal of Advanced Composition, the GSU Review, and The Eudora Welty Newsletter. Our location in the heart of downtown Atlanta and our diverse student population allow us to take advantage of both the historical and cultural richness of the region and the resources of its fastest-growing and most international urban center.
The B.A. in English requires a core of coursework in writing and literature courses designed to acquaint students with the canon of literature in English and to enable them to become skillful writers who can analyze and interpret a variety of complex texts. Majors have the choice of five concentrations: literary studies, rhetoric and composition, creative writing, secondary education, and British and American cultures (which is a joint studies/exchange program offered with the University of Northumbria-Newcastle in the UK). All concentrations require a senior seminar (maximum enrollment 15) and the development of an extensive portfolio. While many undergraduate majors go on to graduate/professional school and teaching, the BA in English allows students to pursue a variety of careers, such as editing and publishing, technical writing, public relations, advertising, business, law, and (increasingly) information technology.
The Department offers the M.A., the M.F.A. in poetry or fiction, and the Ph.D. with concentrations in literary studies, rhetoric and composition, and creative writing. For well-qualified graduate students, the Department offers a variety of financial aid instruments, which may include tuition waivers, research assistantships, laboratory assistantships (for tutoring in the Writing Center), and teaching assistantships. GTAs have both practical and financial support. The Department provides extensive training and mentoring to help graduate students succeed as teachers. In academic year 2006-7, financial aid packages for beginning MA students averaged approximately $6,000, plus tuition waiver; more experienced MA students may teach and earn more. Ph.D. packages averaged $12,000, plus tuition waiver.
The Department offers the M.A., the M.F.A. in poetry or fiction, and the Ph.D. with concentrations in literary studies, rhetoric and composition, and creative writing. For well-qualified graduate students, the Department offers a variety of financial aid instruments, which may include tuition waivers, research assistantships, laboratory assistantships (for tutoring in the Writing Center), and teaching assistantships. GTAs have both practical and financial support. The Department provides extensive training and mentoring to help graduate students succeed as teachers. In academic year 2006-7, financial aid packages for beginning MA students averaged approximately $6,000, plus tuition waiver; more experienced MA students may teach and earn more. Ph.D. packages averaged $12,000, plus tuition waiver.
The Department sponsors a regular lecture series as well as a reading series in poetry and fiction, each of which brings distinguished speakers to campus. Recent readings, for example, have included John Barth, Philip Levine, Pattiann Rogers, E.D. Hirsch, Joyce Carol Oates, Reynolds Price, and J.D. McClatchy. The Department also offers regular colloquia and seminars on scholarly and pedagogical topics. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for study abroad programs sponsored by the Department and the College at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany; the University of Northumbria-Newcastle in the UK; and the University Ca' Foscari in Venice, Italy. The University supports a student literary magazine, the GSU Review, edited by students in the English Department, and the Graduate English Association sponsors an annual scholarly conference and regular symposia. The proximity of Georgia Tech and Emory University provides many additional opportunities for professional enrichment.
Georgia State University offers a wide range of cultural, recreational, and entertainment programs, including concert series, plays, movie screenings, and a broad range of recreational activities at its own facilities and on the nearby lakes, mountains, and coast. Downtown Atlanta and the metro area, of course, offer extensive cultural and entertainment opportunities including the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta Symphony, the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts (at GSU), the Alliance Theater, professional sports, good restaurants, and numerous vibrant in-town neighborhoods.
Georgia State University offers a wide range of cultural, recreational, and entertainment programs, including concert series, plays, movie screenings, and a broad range of recreational activities at its own facilities and on the nearby lakes, mountains, and coast. Downtown Atlanta and the metro area, of course, offer extensive cultural and entertainment opportunities including the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta Symphony, the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts (at GSU), the Alliance Theater, professional sports, good restaurants, and numerous vibrant in-town neighborhoods.