California State University, Dominguez Hills

What you'll study

Coursework combines core graduate seminars, rotating literature offerings, and specialized modules used for comprehensive-exam preparation. Core course rotations include:

• English 501 — offered fall (recommended in your first semester)
• English 545 — offered spring (recommended in your second semester)
• English 575 — offered fall (recommended in your third semester)
• English 570 and English 577 — offered fall; repeatable for credit when seminar topics change
• English 571 and English 576 — offered spring (576 should not be taken in the first semester)

Literature seminars rotate so that at least one course from each category is available each semester. The program also uses defined reading lists and theory modules for comprehensive exams; examples listed for a recent term include James Joyce's Dubliners (Norton Critical Edition) with associated theory modules such as Formalism and Global/Postcolonial studies, and William Shakespeare’s The Tempest (Norton) with Global/Postcolonial and Structuralism/Deconstruction/Poststructuralism modules. Rhetoric and composition theory modules are also specified for students taking the rhetoric track.

Entry requirements

Applicants must submit the university graduate application via Cal State Apply and hold a baccalaureate from an accredited institution. A minimum GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 semester units of upper-division coursework is required. Candidates with majors other than English may be admitted but should expect to complete additional work to gain necessary background. Applicants slightly below a 3.0 may apply by sending a personal statement and recommendation letters to the English Department email (english@csudh.edu) as supplementary materials.

Career prospects

Graduates leave with advanced skills in literary analysis, critical theory, and research methods applicable to careers in education, publishing, cultural institutions, writing and editing, and further academic study. The program’s emphasis on theory and close reading also supports progression to doctoral study or roles that require strong analytic and communication abilities.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

Specific scholarships are not detailed on the programme page; prospective students should consult the university’s Office of Graduate Studies and the Toro Graduate Student Handbook for information on fellowships, assistantships, and campus funding opportunities. Applicants may also investigate departmental support, external fellowships, and campus financial aid options.

Additional programme procedures and milestones

Students must file the Advancement to Candidacy form before their final semester to be eligible for comprehensive exams or thesis work. To sit for comprehensive exams students must be in good academic standing (3.0 GPA or higher), be enrolled, and have applied to graduate. The department circulates a Preparation Guide and exam reading lists; exams are administered remotely in some terms, with questions provided one week in advance. Students with a 3.75 GPA may elect to write a thesis with an approved committee and proposal; exceptions for lower GPAs require mentor and graduate committee approval. Thesis prospectus, timelines, and final-submission deadlines are administered by Graduate Studies (examples of final-submission dates given: November 1 for fall graduation, April 1 for spring, June 10 for summer) and students are advised to allow time for revisions (e.g., first-draft targets such as February 1 for spring graduation or September 1 for fall graduation). The department provides a Thesis Guide and links to Graduate Studies forms and policies.