When I decided to make a career change two years ago and pursue a graduate degree, I was very much interested in applying for the American Studies program at Columbia. What attracted me to the program was the interdisciplinary approach of American Studies as developed under the auspices of the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race. American Studies not only involves the intersection of history and literature -- which are among my primary interests -- but it is also a field that promotes the confluence and integration of multiple areas of study (ethnography, economics, and political science, etc.)
In other words, what appeals to me about American Studies is that it avoids the insularity of the more established areas of the humanities …show more content…
After such a prolong absence – while working in the field of legal technology -- I had to ask the question: could I function at a high level in a post-graduate academic environment? To provide an answer, I considered attending the School of Professional Studies at Columbia. However, after examining the program in detail, I wasn’t convinced that such a program would be sufficiently rigorous to test my mettle, so to speak, in a competitive scholastic environment. The program’s options were limited and the demands in terms of expectations and challenges did not appear to be very high.
As an alternative, I enrolled in the MA in English Literature Program at City College. After consultations with the program’s Director (a Columbia alumnus who has been submitted as one of my recommendations), I signed up for some of the more difficult classes and over the course of the 2017-2018 academic year I am happy to report that I excelled in my academic work -- receiving not only A’s but A pluses. Moreover, the experience provided confirmation that I could function at a top level within a demanding academic setting both in terms of research and writing. In addition, I found that that my life experience was an advantage in benefiting from, and contributing to, the university
In other words, what appeals to me about American Studies is that it avoids the insularity of the more established areas of the humanities …show more content…
After such a prolong absence – while working in the field of legal technology -- I had to ask the question: could I function at a high level in a post-graduate academic environment? To provide an answer, I considered attending the School of Professional Studies at Columbia. However, after examining the program in detail, I wasn’t convinced that such a program would be sufficiently rigorous to test my mettle, so to speak, in a competitive scholastic environment. The program’s options were limited and the demands in terms of expectations and challenges did not appear to be very high.
As an alternative, I enrolled in the MA in English Literature Program at City College. After consultations with the program’s Director (a Columbia alumnus who has been submitted as one of my recommendations), I signed up for some of the more difficult classes and over the course of the 2017-2018 academic year I am happy to report that I excelled in my academic work -- receiving not only A’s but A pluses. Moreover, the experience provided confirmation that I could function at a top level within a demanding academic setting both in terms of research and writing. In addition, I found that that my life experience was an advantage in benefiting from, and contributing to, the university