A couple of months ago, I wrote about the FutureLearn MOOC (massive online open course) “Jane Austen: Myth, Reality, and Global Celebrity, a free multiweek course covering Austen and her status in pop culture. (Alas, I signed up and never completed the course but if you did and want to write a blog post about your experience, let me know!)
Anywho, it shant be no surprise then to discover that you can now get a Masters of Arts on the great lady herself! Taught at the University of Southampton, the one year MA program utilizes not only top scholars on Austen but also access to the Chawton House archives and library.
In the 200 years since Jane Austen’s death, she has gone from being a moderately successful, anonymous writer to a global literary celebrity. This unique new MA, the first of its kind in the world, will help you discover how and why. Giving you unique access to literary archives at Chawton House – former home of Austen’s brother – and offering specialist tuition by a range of Austen experts, this innovative new programme will transform your understanding of Austen’s work, culture, and reception.
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The programme combines academic and practical approaches, marrying the study of eighteenth-century culture and a range of modern scholarly approaches to Austen with insights into the heritage industry and literary tourism, and providing you with a broad set of skills. You will be taught by a team of specialists from the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Southampton who have published broadly on Austen, and who have experience of working in heritage positions. In addition, you will enjoy a lively programme of relevant events put on by the Southampton Centre for Eighteenth-Century Studies, and have unique access to the archives at Chawton House, former home of Austen’s brother, and now an internationally-recognised research centre for the study of early women’s writing.
How cool is this? Sadly, I won’t be able to make it over to England to get my third Masters (yes, I have two already! One can never have enough Masters it seems) no matter how inviting the course looks and sadly it is not available solely online. Here are a list of modules you can take, how to fund the course, and what you can do with the degree. Even more information is available on the program’s website.
Applications opened in May and you can contact the college for more information.