Master of Arts in English degree program approved

At its meeting on March 13, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education gave final approval to the University of Southern Indiana's new Master of Arts in English degree program.

Dr. Charles Conaway, associate professor of English, serves as director of the Master of Arts in English program.

"The program is designed to accommodate a number of student interests," he said. "It will offer advanced studies for area teachers who want to develop their credentials in order to teach in dual credit programs at their schools. It will likewise offer the credentials required to teach in two-year and four-year post-secondary institutions. Professional writers in the area workforce in business, industry, and the non-profit sector will be able to develop their expertise, and students can, if they choose, shape a course of study that would prepare them for further work at the graduate level."

The program will emphasize hybrid courses, combining classroom and online instruction.

Students interested in enrolling in the Master of Arts in English in fall 2014 should contact the Office of Graduate Studies. Conaway said two courses likely to be offered in the fall are a required course introducing students to professional studies in English and an elective seminar in early American literature.

Information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System shows that the workforce in jobs traditionally held by English graduates is underdeveloped in the state of Indiana. Categories designated as common options for English graduates are expected to see strong growth, including editors, technical writers, authors, public relations specialists, and postsecondary educators. The Master of Arts in English will allow current and future members of the workforce to gain greater levels of expertise in fields that are projected to grow.

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education is a 14-member public body created in 1971 to define the missions of Indiana's colleges and universities, plan and coordinate the state's postsecondary education system, and ensure that Indiana's higher education system is aligned to meet the needs of students and the state.