Regulations and Procedures for MA Program in Literature
Department of Foreign Languages and Literature
National Tsing Hua University
Approved at Departmental Affair Meeting June 19, 1996
Revision Approved at Departmental Affair Meeting September 20, 2000
Revision Approved at Departmental Affair Meeting September 13, 2006
Revision Approved at Departmental Affair Meeting September 12, 2007
Revision Approved at Departmental Affair Meeting November 10, 2010
Revision Approved at Departmental Affair Meeting November 02, 2011
Revision Approved at Departmental Affair Meeting February 25, 2015
I. Admission
1. Domestic applicants must have a baccalaureate degree granted by an accredited college or university, or an equivalent qualification approved by the Ministry of Education. They must also pass entrance examinations run by the Department before admission can be granted.
2. International applicants must follow the “Instructions for Graduate Applicants” issued by the University’s Office of Academic Affairs.
II. Years of Study
The Ministry of Education requires all MA students to complete their studies within a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of 4 years.
III. Courses and Credits
1. Students must complete 27 credits in addition to the thesis requirement (4 credits).
2. Students must take “Bibliography and Research Method” (3 credits) and “Literary Theory” (3 credits) in the first year of study.
3. Beginning in the Fall semester of 2015, newly enrolled students are required to register for the “National Tsing Hua University Academic and Research Ethics” Course (“the Course” hereafter) during their first year of enrollment. The Course is available online and confers zero credit. All students taking the Course must pass the exams. Those who fail the exams must re-take them and complete all other Course requirements before they apply for their thesis defense.
4. A minimum of 12 credits offered by the Department are required. Given the approval of academic advisor and the Departmental Affair Meeting, students can take up to 9 credits from other programs or institutes.
5. Transfer/Waive credits: (1) The deadline for completing your credit transfer application is the last working day of the first week of the first semester during which you are officially registered. (2) You should consult your advisor regarding the credit transfer. (3) The department will let you know the results by the end of the first semester of your] first academic year. (4) You will be allowed to transfer in a maximum of 9 credits for elective courses. (5) Regarding transfer of credits for required courses, the department will review each case individually.
IV. Second Foreign Language Requirement
1. Students must take a second foreign language other than English for a minimum of 2 years (4 semesters).
2. A minimum of 2 years (4 semesters) of undergraduate studies of a second foreign language with passing scores may fulfill the requirement. Students must provide transcripts and apply at the time of admission to the Departmental Affair Meeting.
Students with proven proficiency of a second foreign language (by accredited tests or equivalents) may apply for a waiver of the requirement to the Departmental Affair Meeting.
Students may also take proficiency tests (including written tests) issued by the Department and apply for a full or partial waiver of the requirement.
V. Thesis
1. Only full-time faculty of the Department can serve as thesis directors. Students who wish to have a joint advisory board or a thesis director from other departments or institutes must obtain written approval from the Department’s Literature Faculty Meeting.
2. Each faculty must not direct more than 3 theses at one time. Special cases must obtain approval by the Departmental Affair Meeting.
3. Students should select a thesis director by the end of the second year of study and apply to the Literature Faculty Meeting for approval. Change of thesis director must be applied in the same procedure. See note 3 for regulations to be applied to students working on theses during the transitional period.
4. Students must provide a written explanation and apply for an extension to the Department if they cannot complete the thesis abstract by the end of the second year of study.
5. Students should present a 1-page abstract before registering for the thesis credits. An abstract should include the thesis title and the general structure of the thesis, and must be approved by the thesis director. The abstract is then presented to the Literature Faculty Meeting 2 weeks before the add/drop period starts. If the thesis abstract is rejected by the Literature Faculty Meeting, students should drop the thesis credits during the second period of add/drop.
6. A thesis proposal should include background information of the study, the approach of the study, a survey of criticism, and a bibliography. Oral defense of the thesis proposal should involve a minimum of 2 committee members. The result of the oral defense should be submitted to the Department within a week of the defense.
7. Students must complete all required course work and pass the oral defense of thesis proposal at least three months before submitting the examination copy of the thesis to the thesis director. Students then may apply for an oral examination in defense of the thesis to the Department with a “Thesis Director Recommendation Form” signed by the thesis director.
8. Students must also satisfy the second foreign language requirement before submitting the examination copy of the thesis for an oral examination in defense of the thesis. A minimum of 2 weeks is required between the thesis submission and the oral examination.
9. Both the oral defense of thesis proposal and the oral examination in defense of the thesis are open to the public; the time and place should be announced a week before the scheduled date. Attendants may make suggestions and comments to the students and the committees.
10.After the oral examination, students should revise the thesis according to the suggestions of the committee. Having obtained approval by the thesis director, students may submit the final copy of the thesis to the Department. The Department will then submit the grades to the Office of Academic Affairs in a week for student graduation.
11.Students should submit 1 copy of thesis to the Department and 3 copies to the Office of Academic Affairs.
12.The thesis and thesis proposal should be written in an appropriate foreign language and adopt the MLA style; students should also follow the University’s “Format Regulations for Theses and Dissertations.”
VI. Additional information can be found in the University’s “Student Regulations” and “Procedures for MA Degree Examinations.”
VII. Items 1-4 of these regulations apply to students admitted after 1996; item 5 applies to students who start their theses after 1996.
VIII. These regulations are activated by the Departmental Affair Meeting; so are revisions of regulations.
Notes:
I. First- and second-year MA students may receive a scholarship from the Ministry of Education. Students on scholarship should assist the Department in research or teaching. The Department reserves the right to terminate scholarships if students fail to perform their duties or violate appropriate rules. Currently the work hours are 4-8 hours per week. Students who choose not to receive a scholarship are not required to work for the Department.
II. After passing the oral examination in defense of the thesis, students must revise the thesis according to the committee’s suggestions. The examination process is not completed before the thesis director approves and signs the revision (see items 10 and 12 of the University’s “Procedures for MA Degree Examinations.”) According to item 64 of the University’s “Student Regulations,” there are 3 graduation dates. Students who complete all the requirements in the fall semester graduate on September 31; students who complete all the requirements in the spring semester and before the congregation takes place graduate on the day of congregation; students who complete all the requirements after the congregation day and before July 31 graduate on July 31. All theses examined after the last day of semester and before the registration day of the next semester are classified as graduates of the previous semester (Item 14, “Procedures for MA Degree Examinations.”) (For example, students who pass the oral examination before July 31 and submit the final copy of thesis before September 15, the registration day of the next semester, will have July 31 as the graduation date on official record.)
III. Students who register for the thesis credits on 1996 must get approval from the Departmental Affair Meeting before having a thesis advisor from other institutes. Students who register for the thesis credits after 1996 must have a full-time or part-time faculty member for 1 of the thesis directors. To students admitted after 1996, the above Item 5.1 is applied.
IV. The oral defense of thesis proposal serves to verify the student’s approach after some preliminary research. The defense committee should provide feedback and suggestions for improvement. Students should therefore schedule the oral defense early in the process of thesis writing.
