MAWP Qualifying Exam

In order to achieve their degrees, students in the M.A. in Writing and Publishing must pass the program's Qualifying Examination before the completion of six courses. The remaining Quals of the 2008-2009 academic year will be given on these dates:

Saturday, March 28, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009

All exams will take place in a computer lab (TBA) on the Lincoln Park Campus and will consist of one two-hour morning session and one two-hour afternoon session.

As stated in the graduate Bulletin, this examination must be taken after the completion of at least two courses and before the completion of six courses. All first-year students who expect to have completed at least two courses by the end of the current fall term are strongly encouraged to take the Quals on January 10 or, at the latest, on the March test date. Students who do not take the Quals, or who receive a grade of "No Pass" on it, may not complete a sixth course in the program. The examination may be retaken once; a student who receives a second grade of "No Pass" may not continue in the program.

All Qualifying Examinations offered in 2008-2009 are based on the following two texts:

1. Kramer, Mark. "Breakable Rules for Literary Journalists" (from Kramer/Sims, eds. Literary Journalism. Ballentine Books, 1995). This article is available in .pdf format by clicking on http://condor.depaul.edu/~csirles/extra/kramer-article.pdf (Adobe Reader software required).

2. Orlean, Susan, ed. The Best American Essays 2005. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 0-618-35713-0. You can purchase this book online (amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, or similar) or order it from any full-service bookstore. The text itself contains a short introduction plus about 20 essays written by some of the top writers of modern nonfiction.

In order to take the Quals, you must fill out and submit a Qualifying Examination Application Form. Download the file into a MS Word document, fill in all requested information, and save it. Then e-mail the completed form as an attachment to Ms. Jan Flood, Assistant Director of Graduate Programs, at jflood@depaul.edu. You can also mail a hardcopy of the application form to: Ms. Jan Flood, English Department, 802 W. Belden Ave., DePaul University, 60614-3214.

The application deadline for the March exam will be released soon. Remember that you must have completed at least two courses by the end of the current quarter to write the exam in March, and you must be in good academic standing (cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher). Remember, too, that you may not complete a sixth course in the program until satisfactory completion of the exam. If you have questions about your eligibility to take the Quals in March, contact Ms. Flood.

Students who register for the March Quals will receive more information about the exam at a later date.

Best wishes in your classes this quarter and, from the entire graduate writing faculty, good luck on the Quals!