Applied Linguistics MA Program
| MA Exam Option
THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAM (PLAN B)
In lieu of a thesis, an M.A. comprehensive exam option is available to M.A. students in the Applied Linguistics specialization.
The Comprehensive Exam consists of two ‘sit-down’ exams and one week-long take-home exam. The sit-down exams are available in two formats, depending on the preference of the professor who administers the exam: a short 24-hour take-home exam or a 3-hour sit-down exam. The student chooses the areas in which to take the two sit-down exams from a list provided by the Graduate Advisor. Students should only choose exam areas in which they have taken the relevant courses. As of 2010, applied students can choose from the following topics:
Sit-down exam Topics*
Historical Linguistics
Phonology
Psycholinguistics/Language & Cognition
Second Language Acquisition
Semantics/Pragmatics
Sociolinguistics
Syntax
Applied Linguistics Seminar topic
Research Methods
Computer-Assisted Language Learning/Teaching |
Relevant Courses
610
521, 621
552, 654
652
525 (570 is also relevant)
524, 551, 651
522, 622
795 (Applied Lgx. content)
656
556 |
*Available topics are subject to change. Please consult the Graduate Advisor for the most up-to-date list when
declaring your intent to take M.A. exams.
The content of the week-long take-home exam depends on the specialization courses that the student took. The student should consult the Graduate Advisor and the faculty of his/her specialization for more information about the exam format.
On each portion of the exam, students will be given one of the following scores: Pass, Commendable, or Fail. To pass the whole exam, the student must receive a score of ‘pass’ or ‘commendable’ on all three exams. A student whose score on an exam is good but still not passing may be asked to revise his/her answer immediately after receiving feedback.
To prepare for taking the M.A. Comprehensive Exam, ask for a packet in the Department office or from the Graduate Advisor. The packet contains procedural information, sample questions from previous years, the most recent M.A. reading list, time tables for exam dates, a list of topics for the sit-down exams and suggested preparatory courses, as well as other information.
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