A new emphasis in English was approved for Adams State University’s Master’s in Humanities program by the university’ Board of Trustees at its regular meeting on campus, May 13.
The program is geared to middle and high school teachers, according to Dr. David MacWilliams, professor and head of Adams State’s Department of English, Theatre and Communication.The program will offer two tracks: a 30-credit-hour Master of Arts program, and an 18-credit-hour certificate in Graduate English Studies.
"Both tracks will provide teachers with the necessary qualifications to teach college level classes in high school, which requires 18 graduate credits in their content area," MacWilliams explained. "Therefore, the program will focus on English, literature, and linguistics. Our program will also support the state’s goal of increasing student enrollment in concurrent courses. Students who do so are more likely to enroll in and complete a college degree." He noted there is no comparable program in the region.
The Master’s in Humanities English emphasis will be low-residency program, combining online instruction with summer coursework on campus. "I think this will be very successful when we launch it. I have already had several calls from interested teachers," MacWilliams said.
