Department of English and Modern Languages

Dr. Ebony Lumumba, Associate Professor and Chair

Dr. Shanna Smith, Associate Professor and Asst. Chair

Dr. RaShell R. Smith-Spears, Professor, Graduate Program Coordinator, and Associate Dean

P.O. Box 17600
Telephone: (601) 979-2249
E-mail: lit.language.speech@jsums.edu

Faculty

Dr. H. Crump, Associate Professor
Dr. T. Cunningham, Associate Professor
Dr. D. Ginn, Associate Professor
Dr. E. Lumumba, Associate Professor
Dr. P. McDaniels, Professor
Dr. B. Phillips, Associate Professor
Dr. L. Pérez Alonso, Associate Professor
Dr. C. Pizzetta, Professor
Dr. S. Smith, Associate Professor
Dr. R. Smith-Spears, Professor
Dr. Wonderful Faison, Associate Professor
Dr. Candice Love-Jackson, Associate Professor

Mission

The mission of the Department of English and Modern Languages is to provide a general, liberal, and professional education to students in languages, literature, grammar and usage, and composition. The programs enable students to communicate clearly, to think critically, to develop an understanding of self and others, and to demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of aesthetic principles underlying the study of language, literature, and composition. To this end, the department offers courses in the core to the general student population and specialized courses to its majors, all of which promote student preparedness for both career success and engaged and informed citizenship.

Program Objectives

The graduate program in English is designed:

• To prepare students for advanced programs of study in English and related areas.
• To prepare well-qualified teachers of English for secondary schools and community colleges.
• To provide an in-service program for teachers of English who serve in secondary schools and community colleges.
• To prepare students for careers in the mass media.
• To prepare for classroom diversity in the sociolinguistics of languages.

Admission Requirements

In accordance with the admission requirements of the Graduate School, admission to the graduate degree program in English requires the following:

1. The Graduate Application for Admission
2. An official copy of transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
3. Three letters of recommendation uploaded to the online admissions portal
4. Writing Sample: Students must submit via email to the department chair or graduate coordinator an electronic copy of an undergraduate research paper
5. A personal statement
6. A satisfactory score on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) for International applicants.

Degree Requirements

The Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Speech Communication offers the following degrees in English:  Master of Arts in English and Master of Science in Education with concentrations in French or Spanish.  Thirty to thirty-six semester hours are required, depending on the degree program offered.

Master of Arts in English

Note: No more than six (6) hours earned outside the major field may be counted toward the degree.

Non-thesis Option: Students may elect to pursue the non-thesis option, but they must declare their intent upon entering the program. Students choosing this option must satisfy the following:

1. Complete a 33-hour curriculum, which must include the core courses:

   Course List

   Code	Title	Hours
   ENG 501	RESEARCH & BIBLIOGRAPHY	3
   ENG 505	CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF LITERATUR	3
   LING 501	FUNDMNTLS OF LINGUISTICS	3

   and two courses from the following list: 

   Course List

   Code	Title	Hours
   ENG 570	TECHNICAL WRITING	3
   ENG 586	PRACTICUM IN TCHNG COMPO	3
   ENG 591	INDEPENDENT STUDY	3
   ENG 620	CLASSICAL RHETORIC	3
   ENG 622	SEMINAR ON WRITING PROB	3
   LING 512	SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING	3
   LING 514	LINGUISTICS IN EDUCATION	3

2. Prepare a portfolio.
3. Present the portfolio as a part of an oral examination to be held no later than six weeks prior to the expected date of graduation.