Schools and Professors I should research?

[Arm457]

Hi guys, 

 

I'm looking to get a terminal masters degree so that I can improve my language skills, get better recs, and produce graduate quality work before I move onto a PhD. The problem is that I'm not sure whether my research interests make me a more competitive applicant for a terminal MA in Middle Eastern Studies or Comparative Literature. I'm a US citizen, and if I pursue a MA in Middle Eastern Studies, I feel as though I could receive funding through FLAAS and the like, whereas, if I pursued the masters in comp lit, I would have to fund myself. (I would have to take out loans, which isn't the end of the world, but obviously not ideal.)

 

My research interests include postcolonial theory, cosmopolitanism, exile, migration, the Modern Arabic/North African novel, the Modern South Asian novel, Pakistan's operational military involvement in the Bosnian War and Siachen Conflict, and the work and lives of authors such as Tayeb Salih, Yaya Haqqi, Naguib Mafouz, Manto, among others. 

 

My question is, what terminal masters programs would be the best fit for me, whether Comp Lit or Near Eastern Studies. Could you guys point me to some scholars/academics who have similar research interests as I do? This would be invaluable if you guys could help. 

 

Thank you! 

 

[1Q84]

Could you guys point me to some scholars/academics who have similar research interests as I do? This would be invaluable if you guys could help. 

 

I can't really help here with specifics, since I know nothing about your field, but the best way is usually to keep abreast on important and influential journals in your research area. Make note of all the scholars publishing in there. That's a good starting point for your research into schools and POIs of interest. Good luck!

[ExponentialDecay]

Dude, get your degree funded through FLAAS and improve your language skills in a more focused program. There is no contest.

[Arm457]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies, but I have one more question;

1) would it look better to get a MES masters, then a comp lit phd or a comp lit masters and then a comp lit phd? My focus is on middle eastern literature, so I want to combine the two.

Thanks!

[echo449]

Are you trying to get an academic job as a scholar of literature? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that potential academic employers won't really care about your MA once you have your PhD, so really what you want is the Masters that gets you where you need to be academically to get into a well-ranked PhD. 

[Arm457]

Are you trying to get an academic job as a scholar of literature? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that potential academic employers won't really care about your MA once you have your PhD, so really what you want is the Masters that gets you where you need to be academically to get into a well-ranked PhD.

I see, thanks!

[mehroo]

hi are you doing Phd in Arabic?