Trent University Announces Launch of Four New Graduate Studies Programs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Master’s Programs in History, English, and Material Sciences, and Ph.D. Program in Cultural Studies to Accept First Students in 07/08

Tuesday, August 7, 2007, Peterborough

Trent University is pleased to announce the creation of four new graduate studies programs – M.A. in History, M.A. in English (Public Texts), M.Sc. in Material Sciences, and Ph.D. in Cultural Studies – all of which will be launched in the 2007/2008 academic year.

“These are exciting times for graduate studies at Trent,” said Dr. Douglas Evans, dean of graduate studies. “These four new programs expand our graduate studies offerings to include some of our largest academic units, providing the opportunity for many of our leading researchers to work with graduate students. Through this expansion Trent will also be contributing to the McGuinty government objective of bringing 12,000 new graduate students into the Ontario system for the fall of 2007.”

With the introduction of these four new programs, Trent now offers eleven graduate studies programs.

History M.A.
The new History M.A. at Trent offers unique fields of specialization, a close working relationship with award-winning graduate faculty, structured approach, flexibility, intellectual rigour, and individualized guidance in a small class setting. Three of the six fields of study (Colonialism and Conflict, Iberian-American History, and Regional and Trans-National History) are offered nowhere else in Canada. They complement and work synergistically with the other three fields (Canadian, European, Social and Cultural History), offering full access to the rich expertise of Trent’s historians.

The program is offered as both full-time and part-time options. Students can choose from two program streams: course work and a major research paper, or a thesis supported by course-work. Both streams will provide students with a firm grasp of history, whether as a scholarly discipline or as an applied profession. Graduates of the program will be finely equipped for doctoral work, teaching, or non-academic careers that call for the ability to understand and interpret history.

English Literature (Public Texts) M.A.
In the new M.A. in English Literature (Public Texts) program at Trent University, students will explore what it means to “go public” – to “publish” – and how that act resonates in the political, economic, and aesthetic spheres to influence our culture. Taking into consideration the history of the book, the nature of electronic production and circulation of texts, as well as theories of how “publics” are formed for and by texts, students will have the opportunity to engage in perspectives on literary production which are central to today’s dynamic mass culture.

This is the only M.A. program in English Literature in Canada to offer students a choice of three ways to complete the degree: by major research paper, thesis, or internship. The internship is unique in being an integral part of a research degree. In the internship stream, students will complete a research project designed in consultation with an academic supervisor and internship host in which they bring their theoretical studies to bear on practical experience.

Materials Science M.Sc.
The Materials Science M.Sc. at Trent University is an exciting new program that prepares graduates for careers as researchers and scientists in a dynamic field. At the core of this program, students investigate matter and materials across a broad range of scales, interactions and applications.

Offered jointly by Trent University and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), this two-year Master’s program is designed for science or engineering graduates who want to deepen their knowledge and capacity for research in a discipline that interconnects the fields of chemistry, physics, biology and engineering. The program’s focus on core science and the skills to communicate science aims to give graduates the tools required to stay at the forefront of research and development efforts while opening up career opportunities across a number of industries.

Cultural Studies Ph.D.
Building on Trent’s reputation for excellence in the ever-growing field of cultural studies, the Cultural Studies Ph.D. program at Trent is the first program of its kind in Canada. Drawing on the University’s history of innovation in this field, the Cultural Studies Ph.D. offers an intensive and integrated 4-year course of study.

Areas of emphasis within the program are: culture and the arts, culture and technology, culture and theory. These signify specific strengths of the Ph.D. faculty, even though in many cases their interests cut across such areas. The emphases are not streams or specializations, and students are not expected to confine their inquiry to one of these areas exclusively.

For more information on Trent’s graduate programs, please visit the Graduate Studies website.

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For more information, please contact:
Dr. Douglas Evans, Dean of Graduate Studies, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 x7817