Overview

As the needs of those seeking an MA in English studies have evolved, so too have the degree’s mission and identity. Margaret M. Strain and Rebecca C. Potter, editors of Degree of Change: The MA in English Studies, argue that the MA is positioned in a dynamic contact zone - “a place where disciplinary knowledge, student need, and local exigencies interact and where disciplinary identity is constantly negotiated”. Looking primarily at stand-alone master’s programs, this volume examines the design, delivery, and value of a master’s degree in English in the twenty-first century and challenges the characterization that MA programs in English serve primarily as stepping-stones to the PhD. Rather, contributors reveal how central the MA is to shaping the purpose and identity of contemporary English studies, through descriptions of a variety of specific MA programs. Gathering perspectives from faculty, program directors, and students from across the country, Strain and Potter showcase not only the diversity of such programs, but also the ways in which program identity and mission are richly interwoven with concerns about local needs, graduate student career trajectories, and the effects of a market-driven educational climate. This collection provides a substantive discussion that goes beyond questioning the state of English studies - it points to curricular, programmatic, and professional innovations that are transforming the field, calling for new dialogue in higher education about the pivotal role of the MA in English.

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9780814110799

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Dr. Margaret M. Strain is a Professor in the Department of English and former director of the Graduate Program. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in writing, the history of rhetoric, composition theory, theories of embodiment, and Irish drama. She became a faculty member of the Building Communities for Social Justice Living-Learning Community in 2004, has served as its Faculty Coordinator since 2008. Dr. Rebecca Potter is Professor of English and affiliate faculty at the Hanley Sustainability Institute. She has been the inaugural director of the academic Sustainability program at the University of Dayton, and is a national leader in Sustainability education. Dr. Potter is lead editor of the book series, Practical Approaches to Teaching Sustainability, published by the Sustainability Curriculum Consortium and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

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