Kansas State MA

[nooorebecca]

I've been trying to find out more about Kansas State's MA English program -- the most recent post about it here was from 2013, so I was hoping for some more up-to-date information/perspectives. I got into the English MA program (in cultural studies specifically) and I'm currently leaning towards going there over other options, but I wanted to hear about the program from anyone who's been a part of it or even just visited the school. I'm from Connecticut so Kansas would be a super different place for me, so if anyone has any perspective on moving from New England to Kansas/the mid-west that would also be great. Any info at all about KState's program/atmosphere would be awesome

[LilyFart]

Can’t say anything about K State’s program, but I moved from the North East to pursue a masters at a Kansan University. Get ready for culture shock. The state is ugly... it resembles a sprawling parking lot. The weather is awful (invest in sunscreen or you will get skin cancer). Evangelical Christianity is everywhere. The politics will make your head spin. There’s very little to do in comparison to other parts of the country and it costs a fortune to fly home/anywhere else. Public transit doesn’t exist. The food is... I could go on and on but thankfully my time in this hellish state is drawing to a close.

 

[CulturalCriminal]

You might take a look in the city section; there’s one for Lawrence, KS. 

[throwaway2018]

I'm a long time lurker. I created this account literally just so I can provide a different perspective than what has already been posted. Kansas, like any other state, has its ups and downs and I know that people will inevitably have different experiences. But I will say that K-State's MA program is excellent.  Because they don't have a PhD program, the faculty devotes a ton of attention and time to their MA students. When I was there I received SO many professional development opportunities that just aren't typically available at bigger programs (which definitely helped me get into PhD programs).  The stipend is somewhat tight, but living in Manhattan is affordable. There are many opportunities for travel funding and networking.  The city is fun and there is a small airport in Manhattan, which makes travel a breeze. I would highly recommend this program 10/10. 

[nooorebecca]

@throwaway2018 @CulturalCriminal@LilyFart  Thank you for the info! I'm definitely nervous about the cultural differences but I have a lot of family from the south and conservative religious backgrounds so I'm hoping they've prepared me a little bit. I'll definitely take a look at the city forum, too, thank you for the recommendation.  

I'm really glad to hear that the MA program is good -- it's interesting to hear that the lack of a PhD program helps the MA program be stronger -- it makes a lot of sense, but I'd never thought of it that way! 

[slouching]

11 hours ago, throwaway2018 said:

I'm a long time lurker. I created this account literally just so I can provide a different perspective than what has already been posted. Kansas, like any other state, has its ups and downs and I know that people will inevitably have different experiences. But I will say that K-State's MA program is excellent.  Because they don't have a PhD program, the faculty devotes a ton of attention and time to their MA students. When I was there I received SO many professional development opportunities that just aren't typically available at bigger programs (which definitely helped me get into PhD programs).  The stipend is somewhat tight, but living in Manhattan is affordable. There are many opportunities for travel funding and networking.  The city is fun and there is a small airport in Manhattan, which makes travel a breeze. I would highly recommend this program 10/10. 

Thank you for posting this; it's great to get a more recent perspective on the program.

@nooorebecca I was also accepted into the cultural studies track, but am weighing some other options as well--thank you for starting this thread!

[nooorebecca]

@slouching I'm glad to hear from another k-state acceptee! Out of curiosity I creeped a little bit on your profile (sorry lol) and happened to see you mentioned that you were also accepted to Bowling Green -- that's actually the other school I'm strongly considering (+Texas a&m kinda) alongside Kansas! Both seem pretty great so it's nice getting more info about Kansas to try and decide 

[slouching]

@nooorebecca did you apply to Bowling Green for English? I went with American studies--K-State is actually the only English program I applied to; I'm really more into interdisciplinary work, but the presence of a cultural studies track and the promise of funding makes this an intriguing option for me.

[CulturalCriminal]

Kansas does have a pretty good Am Studies PhD, which is why I’m eyeing applying there next year if waitlist life doesn’t workout.

[nooorebecca]

@slouching Yeah I applied to the literary & textual studies program at Bowling Green!

[SophieHatter]

Hey, I'm a bit late replying since I'm already in a PhD program and check Grad Cafe once in a blue moon (and I was basically a lurker during my application season last year anyway), but I'd like to second what @throwaway2018 said! I did my MA in English at K-State, and had a wonderful time there. The program provides a lot of support both on a day-to-day basis and to provide other kinds of opportunities to make up for the relative geographic isolation. For example, they bring in a lot of really excellent authors and scholars that grad students get pretty easy access too (think fancy dinners on the department's dime, in addition to talks), and there's really generous travel funding available to make attending conferences much more affordable (much more generous than any of the PhD programs I ended up seriously considering, for sure). The MA also set me up really well for my PhD applications--I got into 8 of the 9 PhD programs I applied to, and the other people in my year had similar success. I specialize in children's literature, but I also took most of the foundational cultural studies courses offered and can definitely speak to their quality. Manhattan, KS is also a really lovely place to live, and I recommend going to K-State's Visiting Day if you can possibly swing it! It'll give you a much better idea of the feel of the program and the town. Though I can't guarantee an immediate response (see above about not checking grad cafe regularly anymore), if you have any questions, feel free to message me if you want any further information. Best of luck in your decisions!