I. Level One Written English Proficiency
Level One writing proficiency will be evaluated on the basis of applicants’ personal statement prior to admission into the program. This statement should be between 500-750 words and should address students’ goals for pursuing the degree, academic preparation for graduate studies in Women and Gender Studies, and personal motivations. The statement should also demonstrate writing skills appropriate for graduate work, including clarity of writing and appropriate academic tone and voice.
A graduate admissions committee comprised of full-time faculty will review student statements using a 3-level rubric (below). The levels are 1= Needs Improvement, 2= Emerging, and 3= Competent. The rubric will evaluate the following: 1) mechanics and style, 2) coherence and argumentation and 3) content, particularly the relevance of students’ goals and experience for the demands of the program.
Applicants earning overall averages between 1.0-1.5 (Needs Improvement) on the rubric for the Statement of Purpose will not be admitted.
Applicants earning overall averages between 1.6-2.5 (Emerging) may be admitted conditionally if all other aspects of their application materials are strong. Conditional admits must enroll in WGS 300 and/or another WGS upper-division undergraduate course that is writing intensive. Appropriate conditional requirements will be determined by the graduate admissions committee. To fulfill the Level-One proficiency requirement students must earn an overall grade of at least a B in the designated writing intensive course, and must clearly demonstrate graduate level writing appropriate to the discipline.
Applicants earning averages between 2.6-3.0 adequately demonstrate competence in entry-level academic writing and have met the Level-One proficiency in writing at the time of admission.
Students admitted conditionally or not meeting stated written English proficiency standards must meet Level-One written English proficiency by the end of their second semester. However, students may ask for an extension to this deadline in special circumstances (courses not offered, courses conflict with other requirements, and so on). Permission will be granted or denied by the Graduate Advisor. Students must meet Level One written English proficiency prior to advancing to Level-Two.
| Needs Improvement (1) | Emerging (2) | Competent (3) | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mechanics and Style |
Significant issues with style, grammar, spelling, and punctuation that interfere with reader comprehension.
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Some issues with style, grammar, spelling, and punctuation, although meaning is mostly retained.
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Effective written style, correct grammar usage, and accurate spelling and punctuation.
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Coherence and Argumentation |
Limited organization and ineffective or absent argumentation. No clear statement of student goals and preparation for graduate study in Women and Gender Studies.
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Some evidence of organization and partially effective argumentation about student goals and preparation for graduate study in Women and Gender Studies.
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Good organization and persuasive argumentation about student goals and preparation for graduate study in Women and Gender Studies.
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Content: Relevancy of applicant experience and goals for the program. |
Statement evidences little or no direct experience working in Women and Gender Studies or demonstrates little to no fluency in the disciplinary scholarship. Applicant goals and intentions for graduate study in Women and Gender Studies are not clearly stated or do not fit into the department’s overall mission. |
Statement evidences substantial direct experience working in Women and Gender Studies and/or demonstrates adequate fluency in the disciplinary scholarship. Applicant goals and intentions for graduate study are may be unclear, but applicant provides other compelling factors that demonstrate promise as a successful Women and Gender Studies graduate student. |
Statement clearly evidences extensive direct experience working in Women and Gender Studies and/or demonstrates a sophisticated and extensive fluency of disciplinary scholarship. Applicant describes clear and realistic intentions for pursuing the degree, and these goals mesh well with the structure and philosophy of our program. |
II. Level Two Written English Proficiency
WGS graduate students satisfy the SFSU Level Two Writing Requirement with successful completion of the Culminating Experience, which can take the form of a thesis, field study or creative project (WGS 898, 897, 896). All projects include a written component that situates the research question in relevant fields of study and demonstrates expertise and engagement with feminist literatures.
The research involved in any Culminating Experience project requires extensive reading, synthesis of multiple bodies of literature, and the construction of a sustained argument relevant to the field of Women and Gender Studies. Culminating Experience projects may also include a creative component or field study notes/transcript.
In presenting drafts of their written work to their committees, and in receiving feedback, which they use to revise their drafts, students gain facility with the peer-review process.
In presenting arguments in written form students execute advanced writing skills.
Faculty committee members evaluate Culminating Experience projects based on validity and soundness of argument, demonstration of breadth and depth of knowledge, facility in navigating relevant Women and Gender Studies literatures, and precision and clarity of writing. Level Two writing requirements are thus fulfilled through the written portions of the Culminating Experience project.
Criteria for Evaluating Level Two
Writing Skills:
- Adequate: The author’s facility in language use, range of diction, and syntactic variety contributes to the paper’s enhanced readability. The author uses correct grammar, sentence structure, and spelling throughout document.
- Deficient: The author makes errors in grammar, sentence structure and/or spelling that impede in conveyance of claims.
Thesis:
- Adequate: The thesis presents an original analysis as well as synthesis of multiple fields of study/bodies of literature. The thesis claim is presented and demonstrated constantly through original analysis as well as through appropriate reference to exisiting literatures. Thesis provides both analysis of primary sources and synthesis of secondary sources. The thesis has a scope that can be defended in a 50-70 page paper.
- Deficient: One or more of the following: the thesis is under-developed, incoherent, or fails to engage in multiple bodies of relevant literatures; the thesis is either too narrow or too broad in scope to be defended in a 50-70 page paper.
Creative Project and Field Study:
- Adequate: The written portions of the creative work or field study demonstrate synthesis of multiple fields of study/bodies of literature as well as expertise of relevant literatures in Women and Gender Studies. Written portions of 20-30 pages use critical lenses and analytical tools supported by feminist literatures in situating creative project or field study.
- Deficient: One or more of the following in the 20-30 page written portion of the creative project or field study: the project is under-developed, incoherent, or fails to demonstrate critical engagement with feminist and other relevant bodies of literature.