mouthfulofstars

Michigan State University has the largest public comics collection and they host the Comics Forum every year. Gary Hoppenstand and Ann Larabee are two of the faculty who teach classes on comics there.

I'd also like to add that Washington University in St. Louis' English department is very interdisciplinary and has close connections to the American Culture studies program in which you can get a certificate in AC. The American Culture studies program has concentrations in Popular Culture and students in the English department have been able to propose and teach courses in multiple subjects, including Comic Studies.

To streamline program info that I'm aware of:
- English PhD: U Dundee, UC Irvine, UC Davis, U Wisconsin, CUNY-GC, Maryland, Ohio State, CU-Boulder, Northeastern, Oregon, Michigan State, UGA, U Florida, Bowling Green, Texas Tech
- There are a lot of options for folks interested in an MA
- Most American Studies programs are open to the idea of Comics Studies
 
I think the biggest thing for anyone interested in Comics Studies is for them to read relevant journals (i.e. ImageText, Inks, Popular Culture, American Literature), read notable books in the field, and consider going to comics specific conferences (Comics Arts Conference in Anaheim is a blast, as it is held at WonderCon). Doing these three things will help establish:
A. if you really want to do Comics scholarship
B. where the field is at right now
C. who you might want to work with
D. if you actually want to work with them after meeting them in person (real talk, y'all)
E. if getting an MA might be worthwhile in the name of working with certain faculty
 

This thread is everything I've been thinking about lately. I've been quite unexpectedly lucky in my applications this year and now that I'm trying to make a decision, I'm feeling incredibly frustrated, anxious, and worried. A lot of the schools that accepted me are immediately out because the funding offers are far too low when you factor in university fees. I accrued a lot of debt in my undergrad years, so there's no way I'm going for more loans. I'd finally figured out that KSU was my top choice (good stipend plus an additional scholarship, low university fees, great professors who have shown a lot of interest me) and I actually placed a deposit on a graduate apartment, which is itself an incredibly good deal. Then, my funding offer from FSU came through and it's unexpectedly high. Even though I don't think it's as good of a fit, it's still a great offer and it's in-state, which means I would be only three hours from my family. I keep having this guilt over saying no to more money, to a good school that's higher ranked (although neither are 'top' rankings, so does it even matter?), and to a place that's so close to my mom. On the other hand, I went an expensive route for undergrad and I don't regret it for a second because I learned so much. Long story short: I am confused!

@piers_plowman I'm a bit of a lurker, but I know *exactly* how you feel. I'm weighing between four offers (which kind of feels like an embarrassment of riches, to be honest), and feel like my decision could tip any which way at the drop of a hat. I specialize in children's literature, so the rank of a school (which is already a wonky term anyway) actually has very little to do with how good a school is in my field. It's then super difficult to balance the different benefits of each of my offers because when it comes to the job market, if a school is looking for their one children's lit faculty member, they may not quite know that just because a school is lower ranked they have excellent children's lit. And to add more stress, since the field is super small, every professor I'm in contact with from each school is someone I'll come across in the profession (not just figuratively in the distant future--literally at the big children's lit conference this summer), and it's stressing me the heck out.
My advisor and rec letter writers have been super helpful  in talking through my options, but I honestly wish they would do more to just tell me which one is the best in children's lit and they won't do it (which I'm sure I'll thank them for later). I'm waiting to decide until I've gotten a chance to visit all of them to decide, but in the mean time I'm spending wayyy too much time agonizing over it. I'm trying to cope by doing a lot of yoga and making a lot of informational charts about the different programs, but I'm not sure it's working to decrease stress haha

@mouthfulofstars So, I can't speak to your other offers, but I actually go to K-State right now, and if you have any questions, feel free to pm me about it! I can say that if you're thinking about more grad school after the MA, everyone who applied this year (me and two other people to PhDs, three other people to creative writing MFAs and PhDs) has gotten into their first and/or second choice programs. More specifically, my roommate and I both got into four R1 programs. Even though K-State isn't so highly ranked, it hasn't limited anyone's options for what to do next. (Also possibly I'll meet you at Visiting Day?) 
Anyway. Back to agonizing and guilt! 

This thread is everything I've been thinking about lately. I've been quite unexpectedly lucky in my applications this year and now that I'm trying to make a decision, I'm feeling incredibly frustrated, anxious, and worried. A lot of the schools that accepted me are immediately out because the funding offers are far too low when you factor in university fees. I accrued a lot of debt in my undergrad years, so there's no way I'm going for more loans. I'd finally figured out that KSU was my top choice (good stipend plus an additional scholarship, low university fees, great professors who have shown a lot of interest me) and I actually placed a deposit on a graduate apartment, which is itself an incredibly good deal. Then, my funding offer from FSU came through and it's unexpectedly high. Even though I don't think it's as good of a fit, it's still a great offer and it's in-state, which means I would be only three hours from my family. I keep having this guilt over saying no to more money, to a good school that's higher ranked (although neither are 'top' rankings, so does it even matter?), and to a place that's so close to my mom. On the other hand, I went an expensive route for undergrad and I don't regret it for a second because I learned so much. Long story short: I am confused!

Whoo! Who got into FSU?! Who?! MEEEEEEEE!
*dances*

They just emailed me back and responded with the correct letter, so that's good. I was seriously worried I was mistakenly accepted.

They just emailed me back and responded with the correct letter, so that's good. I was seriously worried I was mistakenly accepted.

I hope to see you at the open house!

Thanks, Commissioner Gordon.

But yes -- there are lots of funding options on campus, though they're typically "competitive." I would indeed say that most M.A. students in the English department have full or partial funding through TAships or GAships. Personally, I've had a full ride the whole way through, and even managed to teach 101 as an overload...which meant that I actually made more money than the Ph.D. students.

At the risk of being a little lazy, I'm going to copy and paste what I mentioned via PM to another UMD M.A. acceptance's query recently -- it's all relevant, I believe:

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Assistantships are officially "competitive" and not guaranteed. That being said, in past years (under a different DGS, mind you) five M.A. students were offered a 1/2 TAship, which allows you to teach in your second, third, and fourth semesters for a stipend of around $9000, and half tuition remission. Not a bad option if you can get it. Beyond that, you are able to mix and match GAships / TAships / RAships (the latter are rare in our field) up to twenty hours per week. In other words, if you are granted the 1/2 TAship option (which is possible, given your interest in rhet-comp), then you can be on the lookout for a 1/2 GAship in any department to make for a FULL assistantship...which will pay all of your tuition and give you a stipend of 18 - 21k per year. You can look for all active GAship / RAship postings here. Bear in mind that anything you find there you will have to interview for.

Having said that, you can also sort of root out GAships by being diligent, sending emails to the right people, checking into alternative possibilities, and being in the right place at the right time. This was the case for literally all three of my assistantships. When I first accepted my admission offer to UMD, I figured I might try to supplement my 1/2 TAship offer with working as a tutor in the undergraduate writing center. I contacted the director, sent along my resume, and she let me know that they were actually looking for a replacement for their scheduling / budgeting person who was retiring (and who they couldn't replace with a staff position due to a hiring freeze). I just so happened to have a lot of administrative experience in my past, so I came in, met with the director, and was given a full GAship! This meant I had to forgo my 1/2 TAship, but the DGS at the time let me push it back by a year, meaning that I would be at least partially covered in my second year. Once my first year was coming to a close, they hired a full-time staff person to replace me in the undergraduate writing center, but right around the same time there was a position that opened up in the graduate writing center, and a couple of my co-workers put in a good word for me with the director there (without my even knowing it). Simultaneously, my advisor gave me a heads up about another 1/2 GAship with the graduate field committee for medieval and early modern studies...which is perfectly in my field. Her recommendation was basically accepted without question, and voila! I had two 1/2 GAships that made for one full assistantship. The one problem was that I had the 1/2 TAship, which I couldn't technically accept any longer because of regulation of hours (there's a 20-hour cap). However, the DGS granted me a one-time "overload" to teach a section of English 101, which not only allowed me to get some teaching experience, but also gave me an extra $4600 over and above the $20k I was making from my other two assistantships. It made for a very busy semester -- two 1/2 GAships, a teaching appointment, two courses, and preparing Ph.D. applications -- but it all worked out.

That big, long paragraph is all to say that there are lots of funding possibilities. I would go so far as to say that more M.A. students in English have assistantships of some sort than do not. Sometimes this means you have to work a desk job in some weird department like puppet studies or something (I'm kidding...I don't think we have a puppet studies program, sadly), but it also means money and tuition remission.

My advice, then, would be to put out feelers in the near future. Contact the writing centers, go through the website and find some of the departments within the College of Arts and Humanities and see if there might be some things that pique your interest...then reach out with a brief, pleasant email to see if they'll be needing a GA in the summer or fall. My situation might sound like I lucked out a few times (and I did), but it's not THAT unique. 

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Hope this is helpful!

This is for @Wyatt's Terps I believe!!

Given that this is a forum filled with literature lovers and that we're almost all of us aiming for years and years of professional studenthood, I assume I'm hardly the only one here who loves taking notes. As we prepare to soldier forward into our respective programs, jobs, or other directions, I thought it would be fun to share our preferences when it comes to note-taking. This, of course, isn't an entirely selfless post -- I fully intend to steal everyone's ideas and cobble together a beautiful, killer note-taking strategy like a modern-day Victor Frankenstein (but with less gore and hopefully more future success).
I'll start where it counts: paper. For my entire career as a student, I relied on 70-cent spiral-bound (college-ruled) notebooks from Walmart; occasionally I would go crazy and take an entire's semester worth of notes in one multi-sectioned notebook, but more often than not, I'd keep a stack of the shabby single-subject things. I'm ready to move onward and upward, because as a professional student, don't I deserve to spend gobs of money on the best? Yesterday, one of my students revealed to me that he's using the Rocketbook Wave (?) notebook, which apparently uploads all his notes to the cloud and then returns to its blank state once it's microwaved. He swears by it, but I actually like the idea of having my physical notebooks gather dust on my bookshelves for the rest of my life. 
Pens! I swear by the Pilot G2 series, and I recently rage-purchased a box set of the .038 line after my one and only was stolen by a fellow teacher. I've taken notes in pencil before (and actually did the whole of my MA in pencil), but my problem there is that the pages always fade. Pen, though, bleeds through the paper to show on the other side, which makes for a messy look. Has anyone found a particular notebook that solves this conundrum? I know there exist oodles of notebooks with thicker paper, but I haven't bit the bullet just yet -- waiting on feedback.
On bullet journaling: I started that this year, and wow -- it's been perfect for me. I always hated spending money on planners that would inevitably remain largely empty, because I'm terrible at recording dates (and frankly, my life isn't interesting enough to have enough events to record in advance). The bullet journal has been great, though, because I can just design it to be specifically relevant to my life, and because it always has enough blank pages for my rambling, ambling, incoherent thoughts. I'm not certain I want to use it for note-taking as well, though, because that thing is going to fill up fast. It's always an option, of course.
What are your tips, strategies, and preferences for taking notes? Do you do it all in colored pen? Do you take notes on scrap pieces of paper? Once I knew a man who wrote all of his notes in highlighter, which astounded and horrified me (but to each his own!).

Omg... the post of my dreams? Perhaps. I am also re-reading Frankenstein AS WE SPEAK, so that was also a kooky coincidence. 
Moleskine notebooks are nice but I wish they were spiral bound. I like handwritten notes and notebooks to collect and I always have; electronic note taking has never romanced me. My favorite pens are the Pilot "Precise" V7 (lol) in blue and black; uniball as honorable mention. Moleskine notebooks have thick enough paper that pens usually do not bleed through, but again, not spiral bound. I do keep a planner, but I also have a book for bullet journaling and list making. My favorite planner is actually the Hobonichi Techo planner. It is very cute, small, and the pages are just blank so you can use bullets or whatever; it's sort of a nontraditional planner and I love it. 
I have to keep my notes organized or I am less likely to reference them, so taking notes on scrap paper or loose paper is a no for me. I really like making charts and arrow charts as well, which often serve me for months after the course. So fun! I have never color coded notes and I am not big on highlighting, but I have definitely perfected the art of underlining. 

nah, it posted. Sorry to hear that

Hey all!
Not sure why, but the board isn't letting me post a decision at the moment. I just received a rejection from Umich's PhD in English and Women's Literature program. Pretty bummed, but not too surprised. They said they only accepted two people, so here's hoping at least one of them was one of the lovely people on here!

Hey! I applied for the joint PhD in English and Women's Studies. It's definitely one of my top choices (if not THE top choice), so I have been ridiculously nervous waiting for a response. What's your area of interest, if you don't mind me asking? I'm interested in the physical representation of women's bodies in 20th/21st Century literature and comics. My writing sample was a piece on the monstrous feminine (and the subsequent abjection and exploitation of female sexuality) in Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and Kelly Sue Deconnick's Bitch Planet. 

Just saw this in the acceptances thread. Looks like we'll get news regarding the English/Gender Studies program very soon! (And thanks for the info, acidtooth!)
 

Just saw this in the acceptances thread. Looks like we'll get news regarding the English/Gender Studies program very soon! (And thanks for the info, acidtooth!)
 

omfg i just got off the phone with the graduate coordinator at U Michigan and apparently each different type of English PhD program sends out their results at different times?? I applied for the joint PhD in English and Gender Studies and she told me she'll hopefully get results out by the end of this week and that Michigan doesn't leave students hanging and sends out rejection letters in addition to acceptance/waitlist. not sure if this comforts anyone but it did provide me with some much needed relief. 

Wow, thank you so much! They definitely seem to go out at around this time, but there aren't many results on GC for the specific program, so I am trying to keep in mind they may have already sent out acceptances. I am, however, really hoping for good news - they accept so few students but it's a great fit for me. Thanks for responding!  
 

I applied to the joint English & Gender Studies two years ago, and I'm pretty sure their decisions went out around this time that year (round about the 25th--I double checked my email for my letter from 2015). So with any luck you'll be hearing something soon, and hopefully it'll be great news! Good luck!
 

I'm a student in the English Department (not in the joint program) -- professor told me two weekends ago they were making their calls for E&E. Can't totally confirm they're all done but figure it's worth tossing out there. 

I've got a deal with myself when it comes to emailing DGS. Obviously, I want to email everyone all the time for all the information ever; however, before I email any DGS unprompted, I've decided to read a book of theirs cover-to-cover. That way, for every (unprompted) email I've sent, I've read a scholarly work. Usually my questions shift from "TELL ME WHEN I'LL HEAR SOMETHING!!" to "Wow. I really enjoyed X about your book. *Thoughtful question about the text that displays comprehension and engagement* PS: I'm an applicant, what's the deal with Y?"
If nothing else, it slows down the outgoing emails I send, trains me to read unfamiliar scholarly works quickly for comprehension, and exposes me to a ton of cool ideas. Best case scenario, it makes the difference between the bin and the long shortlist.