Grad school for Lit

[sithkittie]

Hello General Chat forum. :) I have a question or two, since I'm noticing a lot of people seem to either be in or have been in grad school for literature.

I was accepted into an online program this fall, but for a number of reasons I withdrew. Partly, I want to be a professor and online programs don't lend themselves to GAs which I've been told would really help me get a job after graduation. That, and I had no end of trouble getting in contact with the university either by email or phone.

Anyway, the point is, I'm really quite torn on what exactly to go to school for (another reason I withdrew... $750/credit is not worth it when I'm not certain). I love literature, and I love history. History is probably my first love, and I'd planned on going to school in Japan for Japanese history but that's not in the realm of possibilities and I'm bored with living here. I love medieval history, military history, Native American history, Japanese history, all kinds of history (except modern)... but I love lit too, and to me it feels like they go hand-in-hand a lot of the time. So jokingly talking to my mother a week or so ago I said, because I was frustrated trying to decide, that I would just apply to all three programs I was looking at and see who took me... that's going to backfire, but I'm probably going to do it anyway. Still, I would like to know more about what one actually does in graduate school for a literature master's, aside from attending classes. What kind of things do you write your thesis on? The program I was in didn't have a thesis portion, so I never got to ask there. If the ultimate goal is teaching probably at a college, what should I be looking for in a program?

My plan is to move back to Michigan, US, in the spring (wish me luck, please, I'm moving on my own and with two cats *death*) and work on getting applications together over the summer. I would like to go to a Michigan university (in state tuition and all), and I've been eying Michigan State's lit program. Does anyone know about grad programs in Michigan, some better than others?

That got really long. Thank you for reading the whole thing. :D

[Wilde woman]

Hmmm, are you more interested in teaching or research?

I ask because it may greatly affect what you're looking for from a graduate program. If you're more interested in teaching, a master's program may be worth your time, but if you want to do research, a Ph.D. program may make more sense. You should know, though, that you get more experience teaching in the Ph.D. program than a Master's. Most master's programs don't require their students to teach, because they have to get in and out so fast. In a Ph.D. program, you're required to teach (undergrad writing courses, at my university) for at least 3 years, though it varies depending on what fellowship offers you get.

That's another thing to think about. Usually masters students don't get much funding, if any. Very rarely do masters students get full rides. On the other hand, Ph.D. students not only get full rides (meaning, your department pays for your tuition and fees), but get a teaching stipend on top of that. What that means is that they pay you for teaching their undergrads. Some schools, like mine, will also offer incoming Ph.D. students some service free years, meaning that you get the stipend without having to teach. But it really depends on the school, program, and student. (P.S. You might want to consider private schools. They generally have more money than bigger public schools, so you get smaller classes, more personalized attention with professors, and generally more funding. My university even partially funds our trip to the Shakespeare festival every year!)


Still, I would like to know more about what one actually does in graduate school for a literature master's, aside from attending classes.

What do I do when I'm not in class? The short answer is I READ, WRITE, and maybe maybe sleep. Seriously, reading becomes your life. At the end of the semester, writing becomes your life, usually at the expense of reading. If you somehow have a life outside of reading, there are any number of lectures, symposiums, round table discussions to go to, if you'd like.


What kind of things do you write your thesis on? The program I was in didn't have a thesis portion, so I never got to ask there. If the ultimate goal is teaching probably at a college, what should I be looking for in a program?

Can you be more clear? You write your thesis on whatever you want, as long as you can get it cleared with your adviser. In general you want to stick to your historical field of specialty, but your actual topic is really anything you want. Generally, your department will provide you with a recommended reading list for your historical field. But most students get ideas for their theses from the classes they take.

I would be able to be more helpful if you had more specific questions. Feel free to PM me. I'm a first year doctorate student in an English program, btw.