Master of Arts Applied Project Option

The MA Applied Project option is available to students in literature, rhetoric, linguistics, and comparative literature.

30 hour program: 27 coursework and 3 hours of Applied Project (ENG 593 or LIN 593)

Foreign Language Requirement

Faculty Committee: Applied Project Committee Chair and one additional member is required on the iPOS (participation of this additional member in the project is optional, but required for the iPOS).

Registration: Students will fill out the Independent Study Form for ENG/LIN 593. The Applied Project Committee Chair will sign the form (or if they are unable to sign the form, their email approval serves as the signature) and students will email the complete form to englishadvising@asu.edu. Our front office staff will process the form and give the student access to register. Note: the default is one credit hour so students will need to ensure they register for three credit hours. 

Please note that the Department Chair serves as a placeholder on all independent study courses and should not be contacted about the project. Students should only contact their Applied Project Committee Chair about registering and to discuss the specifics of the project/timeline of completion.

Oral presentation of project

Note: A Capstone Project is the culminating experience required for the MTESOL, MTESOL Online and MA English (English Studies) Online programs.

Applied Project Options:

If students choose this option, they will register for Applied Project in the last semester of their studies. Students who choose this option will produce a project under the supervision of an Applied Project Committee Chair and present their work at the end of the semester to the public at an oral presentation in a conference format along with other students who have chosen this non-thesis option. Students will choose an Applied Project Committee Chair to work with on one of the following projects:

1) Research Paper. Under this option, the student will work with the Applied Project Committee Chair to write a scholarly paper of article length (approximately 7,000-10,000 words).

2) Curriculum Design. Under this option, the student will work with the Applied Project Committee Chair to design a course for a specific instructional context. It will include an overview of the course, a detailed description of each component of the course, a sample syllabus, sample teaching materials and a relevant bibliography.

3) Professional Portfolio. Under this option, the student will work with the Applied Project Committee Chair to develop a portfolio to document his or her professional credentials, experiences and achievements in ways that are appropriate for their professional goals. In addition to a selection of papers (approximately 3 unrevised papers) written during the student's course of MA studies, the content of the portfolio must include a teaching philosophy statement taking into account current theories of pedagogy in field of specialization (approximately 7,000 words); or, a review essay plus an annotated bibliography of a topic within field of specialization; the essay should contain an overview of the topic and summarize current trends in research, scholarship, and/or pedagogy (approximately 7,000 words).

One additional committee member is required on the Plan of Study (iPOS). Only the chair is required to direct the project. The member's participation in the project is optional.

Final Examination

An oral presentation based on the applied project is required. A grade of B or better or a Y in ENG/LIN 593 is required to graduate. Other than applying for graduation, no further paperwork is required.