Diverse: Issues in Higher Education ranked Michigan State University’s English Doctoral Research Program in the Top 25 nationally for total minority student enrollment (No. 22) and all-races combined enrollment (No. 23) in 2022-2023 as part of its Top 100 Degree Producers ranking.
“The discipline of English as a whole is enriched when our graduate student cohort reflects a vital diversity of voices and experiences,” said Justus Nieland, Professor and Chair of the MSU Department of English. “Our success in recruiting and retaining a diverse graduate student body is essential to our broader commitment to institutional transformation, as we seek to prepare future faculty members for impactful careers in the academy.”
At MSU, English graduate program enrollment has remained steady, averaging 40 students over the last five academic years from 2019-2024. Of those students, MSU English doctoral program enrollment averaged 34 students.
“The discipline of English as a whole is enriched when our graduate student cohort reflects a vital diversity of voices and experiences.” - Justus Nieland, professor and chair, MSU Department of English
In the English doctoral program specifically, MSU students work with faculty advisors to create specialized interdisciplinary fields tailored to their own interests that bridge subjects and carve out new areas of research and study. Students have opportunities to teach undergraduate classes and research topics that advance English studies in current conversations related to history, race, gender, and popular culture.
“We try to support our graduate students as much as possible making sure they aren’t just successful academically, but also making sure that they are healthful across the board, psychologically, emotionally, spiritually,” said Kinitra Brooks, Associate Professor and Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in English. “We want our graduate students to be whole people. That’s important to us.”
Reflecting the diversity across the state of Michigan is also important in graduate programs at Michigan State University.
“As a proud, state-serving institution, our graduate programs at MSU should reflect Michigan’s broad diversity — and Michiganders mirror the breadth of our global community. The innovative scholarship produced by programs like our English Department demonstrate that our diversity only enriches the academic environment for everyone,” said Terah Chambers, associate dean in the MSU Graduate School.
“The innovative scholarship produced by programs like our English Department demonstrate that our diversity only enriches the academic environment for everyone.” - Terah Chambers, associate dean, MSU Graduate School.
As one way to attract more diverse graduate students, the Department of English started the Mentoring Underrepresented Scholars in English Scholars Program in 2018 with support from the MSU Graduate School and College of Arts & Letters.
“In investing in MUSE, the faculty in English have taken on a tremendous task in rethinking the traditional routes of graduate student recruitment and support by demystifying graduate school while also innovating and expanding subfields in English,” said Delia Fernández-Jones, Associate Dean for Equity, Justice, and Faculty Affairs in the College of Arts & Letters. “Making graduate school more accessible for the most marginalized students makes it even more accessible for all.”
Through the annual MUSE program, a small group of undergraduate seniors and master’s students interested in English literature or film studies graduate programs are invited to campus for an intensive, all-expenses-paid, four-day workshop. The workshop aims to unpack graduate school and the application process, as well as serve as an introduction to MSU and the English graduate offerings available.
“MUSE strengthens students’ applications, strengthens their confidence, strengthens their ability to articulate their own thoughts and wishes for knowledge,” Brooks said. “While they are here, they sit in on graduate classes, speak to graduate students, and meet with different faculty. They are exposed to the exchange of ideas that happens at Michigan State University. Some of them apply to Michigan State and some of them don’t. Some of them get into MSU and some of them don’t, but it is about exposing them to this world.”
In additional to creating more opportunities for diverse students, the MUSE Scholars Program also benefits faculty members in the Department of English.
“As the signature recruitment initiative of the department, MUSE serves as a living enactment of English’s commitment to diverse and inclusive teaching and scholarship,” Nieland said. “Because MUSE centers the importance of strong faculty and peer mentoring for success both in graduate student life and life in the academy, it also has provided a wonderful opportunity for English faculty to strengthen their roles as mentors and advisors to all of our graduate students.”
This story originally appeared on the College of Arts and Letters website.
