Q. Do international
graduate assistants teach English composition?
A. International
applicants should be aware that if they are awarded an assistantship, they
will be expected to teach American students academic writing skills. They
will also be asked to display the skills that will demonstrate their ability
to do so.
Q: What is
a residence requirement?
A: The residence
requirement is the minimum number of hours you must earn at BGSU towards your
degree. For the master's degree it is 24 hours; for the Ph.D., it is 16 hours.
For more detailed information, see the Graduate Catalog.
Q: What is
the time limit for the completion of works towards my degree?
A: For the Master's
degree, it is six years from the end of the first semester you registered
with the Graduate College. For the doctorate, the time limit is eight years.
Q: What is
continuous registration provision:
A: This is the
minimum number of hours you must be enrolled at various stages of the degree-seeking
process. Consult the Graduate Catalog for details. Usually one hour is necessary
for continuous registration. Summer is exempt unless you graduate in August.
Q: How to
I get Incomplete ("I") grades removed from my transcript?
A: There are
two ways: complete the required coursework before the deadline, or re-take
the course. See the Graduate Catalog for specific dates and details.
Q: How many
hours do I need to be enrolled each semester to be considered a full-time
student?
A: For funded
students you need to be enrolled in 12 hours per semester, but remember that
you will receive 3 hours for each course that you teach.
Q: What is
a Tentative Degree Program form?
A: The Tentative
Degree Program (a.k.a. "TDP") shows when you plan to take courses and meet
all degree requirements. The form can be obtained from the English Graduate
Office and should be filed at the end of your first year of study with the
Graduate College. The student is responsible for completing the form.
Questions Regarding
the Ph.D. Program
Q: Is there
a language requirement for the doctoral program.
A: All doctoral
students must satisfactorily fulfill the department language requirement before
being admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree. This means each doctoral
student must fulfill the language requirement before she or he is permitted
to convene a dissertation committee. Usually it is completed the semester
immediately before their schedule preliminary exams. The Language Requirement
Policy handout is in the English Department graduate office.
Q: What are
Preliminary Exams?
A: The Preliminary
Exams (a.k.a. "Prelims") are designed to verify your expertise in a genre
and a literary period. For all Ph.D. students, the written exam is in two
parts and each part may be repeated once. These written exams are supplemented
by a two-hour oral exam.
Q: What is
the purpose of the Graduate Lecture?
A: The purpose
of the graduate lecture is to give the members of your Dissertation Committee
a chance to hear, in detail, the work you hope to accomplish in your dissertation.
You will meet with your Dissertation Committee and give them your dissertation
prospectus which includes your methodology and approach.
Q: What exactly
do I have to do to get my graduate lecture topic approved through the graduate
college?
A: You are to
complete the necessary form and have all members of the graduate lecture sign
it. You should attach a 1000-word statement about your topic to the form,
get the required signatures and return the completed form to the English Department
graduate office.
Q: Is my
Dissertation Committee made up of the same people as my prelim committee?
A: Your dissertation
committee may be the same, or you may choose to replace either of the people
you chose and/or the committee chair. The people assigned by the English Department
and the Graduate College for the prelim committee are frequently retained
on the dissertation committee.
Q: Should
my dissertation topic be directly related to the areas in which I complete
my prelims?
A: The dissertation
topic is related to your growth and development as a scholar. Because the
prelims often help students redefine their areas of specialization, the prelims
may cause you to have new questions and to develop new areas of scholarly
interest. Thus, the Graduate Adviser and Dissertation Chair should help you
to resolve any questions about the dissertation topic.
Q: What is
the Dissertation Defense?
A: The Dissertation
Defense is one of the final steps students must complete before receiving
the Ph.D. The Graduate College suggests that the defense should take place
6-8 weeks before the final dissertation is due to the Graduate College.
