UMPI MA in American Studies

[sixdegreesandamovie]

The University of Maine System Academic and Student Affairs Committee voted at its August 25 meeting to recommend that the UMS Board of Trustees approve a new Master of Arts in American Studies from the University of Maine at Presque Isle, to be delivered through the YourPace CBE modality.

From the proposal,

The UMPI YourPace M.A. in American Studies is a 30-credit hour, interdisciplinary, non-thesis program. This M.A. in American Studies degree is an interdisciplinary graduate program that focuses on the study of American culture, history, society, politics, and economics. This program explores the complexities of American identity, values, and institutions by drawing on a wide range of subjects such as literature, history, sociology, anthropology, political science, and art.

Proposed courses at launch, each coded AST, are

• Discovering and Interpreting Local History
  
• Oral History
  
• Gender and Sex in America
  
• Social Media and American Culture
  
• Makers of America
  
• Cold War America
  
• The American South
  
• Violent America
  
• Silent Stories: American Cemeteries as Material Culture and Reflections of Death, Memory, and Identity
  
• Echoes of Valor: Exploring Union Civil War Soldiers Experiences Through Pension Records
  

Fuller description of the degree and each course is provided in the proposal, linked here.

The committee discussion indicated UMPI is interested in the future in potentially adding concentrations in collaboration with other UMS faculty, and in potentially adding a thesis option. UMPI believes a student in the non-thesis program will develop a strong portfolio of written work.

how did you obtain this document. I'd like to see what else UMS has in the pipeline to be offered through YourPace.

[Jonathan Whatley]

https://www.maine.edu/board-of-trustees/...committee/

but I think their approval is only needed for a degree program completely new to a member institution. If a member institution is currently offering a program outside YourPace it could move it onto YourPace without this approval.

[knaves]

The board approved this at the meeting yesterday,  with a statement that it was planned to launch in the Spring.

[RbxFunRocks]

The board approved this at the meeting yesterday,  with a statement that it was planned to launch in the Spring.

I’m excited. Hopefully they manage to implement it for the Spring next year.

A lot of these courses are on subjects I wanted to take for my initial BA History & PoliSci, but didn’t have enough time to get to. It’s making me want to go back and get another degree after finishing law school!

The lack of a Master’s thesis is unfortunate, though. I hope there’s a way to write a significant paper that I can add to my CV (even if independent study).

[Mint Berry Crunch]

Ya, I dont see how a history degree can go without a thesis. History is a scholarly field. I honestly think most masters should have a thesis or capstone at the end.

UMPI's MAOL "sort of" has one, though its based off of the book 48 Laws of Power (I enjoyed the course though). The first course I saw in this listing was for interpreting local history. If I remember correctly from when I was enrolled in the 400 level course of the same name, it involved some pretty serious work. I agree, I think that a history degree should involve a thesis, though I think they are purposefully marketing it otherwise to attract attention. Then again, who knows what the final outcome for courses will entail. I remember for my M.Ed at WPUNJ, the final course I took was pretty intense in that we had to do a field-based project in education requiring individuals to submit IRB forms for approval.

[Duneranger]

Ya, I dont see how a history degree can go without a thesis. History is a scholarly field. I honestly think most masters should have a thesis or capstone at the end.

UMPI's MAOL "sort of" has one, though its based off of the book 48 Laws of Power (I enjoyed the course though). The first course I saw in this listing was for interpreting local history. If I remember correctly from when I was enrolled in the 400 level course of the same name, it involved some pretty serious work. I agree, I think that a history degree should involve a thesis, though I think they are purposefully marketing it otherwise to attract attention. Then again, who knows what the final outcome for courses will entail. I remember for my M.Ed at WPUNJ, the final course I took was pretty intense in that we had to do a field-based project in education requiring individuals to submit IRB forms for approval.

It's supposed to be a money maker, they make it no thesis because they know people don't want to do the work. A solid history like degree thesis should take 3-6 months of work with 20+ hours a week of work minimum.

It's a cashmaker, nothing more.

No idea what this qualifies a person to do after completion, other than check the box for a master's degree.

[Mint Berry Crunch]

Ya, I dont see how a history degree can go without a thesis. History is a scholarly field. I honestly think most masters should have a thesis or capstone at the end.

UMPI's MAOL "sort of" has one, though its based off of the book 48 Laws of Power (I enjoyed the course though). The first course I saw in this listing was for interpreting local history. If I remember correctly from when I was enrolled in the 400 level course of the same name, it involved some pretty serious work. I agree, I think that a history degree should involve a thesis, though I think they are purposefully marketing it otherwise to attract attention. Then again, who knows what the final outcome for courses will entail. I remember for my M.Ed at WPUNJ, the final course I took was pretty intense in that we had to do a field-based project in education requiring individuals to submit IRB forms for approval.

It's supposed to be a money maker, they make it no thesis because they know people don't want to do the work. A solid history like degree thesis should take 3-6 months of work with 20+ hours a week of work minimum.

It's a cashmaker, nothing more.

No idea what this qualifies a person to do after completion, other than check the box for a master's degree.

I agree, it's a revenue maker, but I'm sure it can be useful and UMPI does take the time to consider public and business interests in Maine, otherwise, they wouldn't offer it. If I were to guess, it may be helpful for educators within the primary/secondary education system to gain ground in knowledge related to the field of history, speed, and affordability which may not be feasible for them in a traditional thesis-based path. You're probably right, it may serve as a "check box" degree compared to those that view the MAOL similarly. But then again, my perspectives on both differ a bit in that I find value in any degree aside from it enabling you to go to the next level in your education. For me, the MAOL (aside from providing me the opportunity to do my doctorate) allowed me establish more credibility as an NCO where the domain and value in understanding the application of leadership is highly regarded. A small monetary investment has drastically changed the perception of my credibility within my immediate workspace as I am now able to mentor and apply theory, which I have found has been fruitful as have others.

[sanantone]

Even though it has several history courses, American Studies is not a history program; it's a cultural studies program. A master's in history or cultural studies with a thesis doesn't have much value anyway. You can go on to earn a PhD, but the chance of getting a tenure-track position in history, cultural anthropology, or American studies is very low. Plus, someone earning an online master's is probably not aiming for a funded PhD program, and an online PhD in history at Liberty will not care that you didn't write a thesis. The UMPI program will check the box for a pay raise for a K-12 teacher, qualify for adjunct or community college teaching, or meet the requirements for one of those rare museum positions.

[newdegree]

I find this program interesting, and I may apply sometime next year, possibly in the fall, as I would like to hear feedback from the first round of individuals who complete the degree.