The Department of English will host Dr. Andrew Mangham, Ph.D., associate professor of English at the University of Reading, England, for a series of events Oct. 22-25 to celebrate the launch of a collaborative Bachelor of Arts to Master of Arts program that will provide students with a seamless transition into the master’s degree program in English Literature at the renown university in Reading, England.
The University of Reading is located 40 miles west of London and is ranked in the top 1 percent of universities in the world, according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2013-14. Mangham is the director of Reading’s Master’s degree program in 19th century Literature and Culture, one of five specializations students can choose to study for their master’s degree at the British university.
Mangham will offer a talk, “The Dickens Effect: Dickensian Values in the 21st Century,” on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 8-9:30 p.m. in the Catherine Evans McGowan Room of the Mary Kintz Bevevino Library. The talk is free and open to the public.
He will hold a master class for students and interested high school students on Friday, Oct. 24 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the McGowan Room. During the class, he will discuss Victorian Gothic literature and the e-book, “The White Maniac: A Doctor’s Tale,” by Mary Fortune. The e-book can be found at http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0602781h.html.
Mangham will also meet with students interested in the BA to MA program on Friday, Oct. 24 from 4:30-5 p.m. in the McGowan Room.
Students who choose to major in English can commit to the BA to MA program with the University of Reading as early as their acceptance as first-year students or as late as the fall semester of their junior year. Students are guaranteed a seamless transition into the Reading program provided they complete academic requirements and maintain established academic standards.
The collaboration provides students the opportunity to take advantage of a seamless transition to the Reading Master’s degree program with a simplified application process compared to most other graduate degree programs. Students will have the option to choose from five specializations within the Master of Arts program, including English, Modern and Contemporary Writing, Early Modern Literature and Drama, Victorian Literature and Culture, and Children’s Literature. Details of the program are available on the Misericordia website at www.misericordia.edu/EnglishMA.
Students also will learn as early as July prior to their senior year if they have been accepted to the University of Reading program. This provides them with more time to plan and apply for grants and other forms of financial aid. Another important benefit is that they will also be able to complete their master’s degree in 12 months as compared to the typical 24 months from other MA programs in the United States.
To qualify, students must meet a rigorous set of criteria. In addition to completing their undergraduate degree, students must take an additional six credits of English, including three credits of senior thesis, and must be approved for graduate study by members of the English faculty.
A globally recognized research institution, the University of Reading was established in 1892 and is considered a leader in British and international education. The university has more than 17,000 students from more than 140 different nationalities.
For additional information on the program, contact Dr. Amanda Caleb by phone at (570) 674-8113 or by e-mail at [email protected], or call the Misericordia University Admissions Office toll free at (866) 262-6363.