Literature M.A. Programs

[Ryzhaya]

Hello all! I'm planning to apply to terminal M.A. programs for Fall 2012, and I figured I'd put out some feelers here to see if anyone knows of any schools that would be fantastic for me.

(NOTE: I know most of you are right in the midst of a very nail-biting, obsessively-email-refreshing, hard-drinking time, so a massive thank you in advance to anyone taking the time to respond.)

My deal: I have my B.A. in Comparative Literature from a pretty no-name school, but I did quite well in my undergrad. I will probably get some strong letters of recommendation, and I have high hopes for whipping an old essay into an awesome writing sample. Haven't taken the GREs yet.

Part of my problem is that I'm not sure which department would be the best fit for me. I don't feel that my foreign languages are strong enough to compete in a lot of traditional Comparative Literature programs, I'm too unprepared / not particularly interested in the English canon for a lot of English programs, and I'd like to work with more literary theory and English language authors than a lot of Slavic programs seem to include. I guess I'm looking for a kind of nontraditional program in any of these departments. My interests include 20th century Russian and Russian-Jewish literature, the history of Jewish thought, theories of authorship, the Body, and the Devil in literature.

I'm only interested in M.A. programs because I really don't think I'm intellectually or emotionally ready for a Ph.D. Funded programs are obviously vastly preferable, although I am debt-free at the moment and would be willing to sink a little money into this. 

Thanks again, and good luck to all of you.

[folkloredude]

You might consider the Comparative Literature program at UMass Amherst. I have my M.F.A. from UMass, and took multiple grad seminars in comparative literature. UMass Complit has a terminal M.A., though I'm not sure the language requirements. In speaking with other grad students at the time, they didn't seem too brutal. I think you only needed one major language and a minor one. Plus, you have access to the 5-college system and can take courses from Amherst College, Smith, etc. From my experience, there is a real inter-disciplinary focus at UMass. I took several courses at Amherst College (including a seminar on Russian literature), and although they were upper-division undergraduate I requested permission from both the department and faculty member to enroll as an independent study, did a little extra reading/ writing, and received graduate credit. And, it gave me the opportunity to work closely with faculty members. When I was there, they were flexible and encouraged independent study. Maybe this works for you, maybe not.

UMass would fit your interests, too. Laszlo Dienes works in Russian literature, and James Young has a joint appointment in Complit/ English and teaches a variety of courses in Jewish literatures, especially memory/ trauma studies. These are just the faculty members I'm familiar with; if you do a little research you can probably find more.

One other thing I will add: even though I was in the M.F.A. program at the time, I received a lot of individual attention from the complit faculty. In fact, I would say the complit people were more interested in my professional development than the English folk (this isn't to bad-mouth the English faculty; they were wonderful as well). It was, however, difficult to get individual attention from the English department.

The only bad thing I have to say about UMass is the weather. The winters are brutal. Absolutely brutal.

[Sharka]

I got my MA in Slavic at the University of Washington, and considered it a really good experience. I didn't have a specific enough focus to apply straight to PhD programs straight from my BA. Slavic programs are very much language-based. Most of my lit seminars were conducted in English, but you are certainly expected to read the literature in the original. My language skills were tested when I entered the program, and I had to pass an oral and written Russian exam before taking my comprehensive exams. How much language instruction have you had? Many programs will allow you to take or repeat 4th year Russian during the first year of the MA. Would this be an option for you?

[Ryzhaya]

I took all the Russian courses offered at my school, which added up to three semesters, as well as a one month intensive course in St. Petersburg. I'm familiar with all the grammar, but my speaking skills and vocabulary are unimpressive. I can usually muddle through a written text pretty decently, though. I'm a little rusty, as I haven't had any focused Russian study since I graduated two years ago, so I'm obviously going to practice my butt off between now and my applications, but I'd still be nervous about entrance exams and wary about misrepresenting my language skills. I would certainly be interested programs that allow you to brush up on your languages while enrolled and will definitely look into it. What was the initial language exam like? For that matter, what were the exams before your comprehensives like?

And both of the suggested programs do sound really interesting, thank you! Also, folkloredude, I've already resigned myself to the likelihood of freezing and/or sweltering weather after being spoiled by California all my life . . . but that is probably the least appealing aspect of my grad school plans

[Ryzhaya]

I figured I'd post an update with some more random questions in case anyone has some useful advice . . . thanks in advance!

First, I wanted to clarify that I've had three YEARS of formal Russian study, not three semesters! God, that's been bothering me

Second, I've decided to apply to Comp Lit M.A. programs (besides Santa Cruz in Literature) and to just kick my language study into high gear between now and the beginning of grad study. This leads me to a couple of questions:

- Does anyone have any useful tips on how to get from an intermediate to an advanced level in a language, preferably self-directed / very cheaply?

- Is it advisable to mention all language knowledge in your SOP, even if you don't plan on working in said languages?

- In general, any advice on how to represent where you are vs. where you plan to be language-wise in your SOP? Essentially I'm worried about misrepresenting my skills, but I also plan to have better language skills (through intensive Russian study and probably beginning French) by the time I actually begin classes.

Finally, If anyone out there has a stand-alone M.A. in Comp Lit, I'd love to hear about your experience. And if anyone has any inside knowledge / tips/ words of warning about the schools I'm applying to, I'd love to hear that too!

[Alephantiasis]

You could have a look at UT Austin Comp Lit program. You shouldn't have any problem finding someone fitting your interests.

[Ryzhaya]

Already on my list, but good to hear someone support that choice! Do you have any experience with that department?

[wreckofthehope]

I believe that both Dartmouth and Rochester have standalone MAs in Comp Lit (no idea about funding).