From One Field To Another

[JKL]

In theory, pursuing an MA in English with a BA in something like History, Anthropology, or Religious Studies doesn't seem to pose many problems. But what is it like in practice? Did any of you earn (or known anyone who earned) an BA in a field other than English before moving on to English in grad school? What was it like?

[cowgirlsdontcry]

I have always been an English major; however, in my MA program, one of my classmates had an MA in history and was getting one in English to improve his writing skills. He seemed to have no problem that I could see. The fields you mention mesh very well with English. I have had thoughts of getting an MA in history after I finish the Ph.D. in English (literature) in order to teach context.

[seizing]

I will be going into my MA program this upcoming fall with a BA in Drama and an AA in Social Science. I just have to take an upper division class to get accustomed to the field and the research. That pushes my graduation date to Fall 2019 for a total of 2.5 years, but I'm fine with that. 

[orphic_mel528]

My bachelor's degree is in psychology, while my MA is in literature. I wouldn't say the learning curve is steep, but there is one, and some might consider it more or less steep, depending on who you are. Anyway, my first semester was spent catching up. I was in a room full of people who threw around theory like it was nothing, while I had no idea who Derrida was, much less how to apply him to literature. Fortunately, I caught on quickly, and I reached out to professors who were happy to suggest extra reading for me to help me catch up to my classmates' breadth of knowledge. 

I guess the point is that like most things, some people might find it harder than others, but it's certainly not impossible. 

[Zauber]

Not quite an English grad but Comp.Lit with my primary lit being English seems to fit. I earned my bachelor's in Psychology with minors in Anthropology and Peace and Conflict Studies from a tiny little place in India (Around than 300 students across 4 years).  I start school (PhD in Comp.Lit) in September but from what a few fifth-year grads and faculty members told me, the transition isn't too tough. The MA coursework is meant to cover your basics so that you aren't lost with regard to certain technical terms and theories in your discipline and usually contains at least one introductory course that is mandatory. 

It's hard work though so reading some foundational texts in your discipline helps to prime you for what lies ahead. I've just been reading some books on citation and research methodology alongside basic textbooks on literary theory and when I told one of the faculty members in my graduate department about it, she said that it was enough and that I didn't need to worry since most students have to unlearn and relearn a lot of things anyway. 

Hope this helped somehow!