Saturday, November 04, 2006

Search for the Perfect Graduate Program Continues

I've been procrastinating, avoiding writing my term paper rough draft today. I've spent the time pretty well though... researching Graduate Programs I might be interested in...

Uppsala, while it sounds like the most amazing program on the planet, the price tag, at roughly $50,00 (tuition, board, expenses, travel, etc) for one year, makes it more than a little impractical.

So I've looked at The University of Iceland because I heard that they have a new 12-month MA program, taught in English, called Medieval Icelandic Studies. This only the second academic year that the program has been offered. Requirements are satisfactory completion of a free online Icelandic language course offered through their website, and application approval. The program itself only costs an amazing $664.50 for the entire year (that's for international students, not through an exchange program). Rent in the dorms is also cheap at $5087.16 for 12 months. The estimated cost of living for students (-tuition and rent) is $7088.01 for the entire year and a little under $600.00 per month. Total estimated costs for the year (- airfare and extras) is $12,839.64. You can't beat that in the US, even at in-state tuition rates! There is also a grant bestowed based on individual merit worth $11,075.00... You get that and you're education is almost free! Plus, if one goes through their exchange program with the University of Virginia (another possible option), there is another grant from The Leifur Eiriksson Foundation for up to $25,000, which would easily cover the rest (or the entire cost if one didn't get the UI grant.)

So then there is the new possibility of the University of Virginia. They have a Medieval program, though one which concentrates in either Medieval England or Medieval Italy... Still, it is a program that is worth looking into especially in conjunction with the UI program (detailed above). There is also the possibility of designing a program tailored to individual interest, requiring Graduate Committee approval. The program also feeds into their doctoral program - a plus! I've contacted them for more information about their program and I hope to be pleased with what I find. (Zinzi will also be happy that it's only about 3 hours from Johns Hopkins, where, assuming she gets accepted, which I'm sure she will, she will be headed in Fall of 2007. Poor thing is nervous about being far from all her friends and family, an understandable worry.) If I understood the info on their website correctly, there is also a very nice option to study in Iceland for a semester or a summer through their graduate exchange program as well.

Appalachian State University is still on my list, for those who might be concerned that I'm looking elsewhere... ;D

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's a big decision, isn't it? Best of luck. :)

RaeS said...

Oh, yeah! Thanks for the luck! ;D I'm sure I could use it. I want to visit UV at some point relatively soon, check out the campus, talk to people, etc...

Anonymous said...

Oh? I've never heard anything bad about UV, though apparently there are some rather prejudiced people among the student body -- I heard this third hand, so I can't say whether it's true or not; prejudiced people are EVERYWHERE, so... -- but on the whole the person's experience was pleasant.
I'm sort of toying with the idea of going to grad school in New Zealand -- Canterbury has an art curatorship program as well as some Maori cultural history that I'd love to take.
Oh.. and of COURSE ASU is a good choice. Especially since you know someone there already.
I'll mail your parcel tomorrow afternoon sometime. :)

RaeS said...

That's good to hear about UV, that their experience was pleasant. (Very true I think my biological maternal grandparents attending UV... I could be wrong though. All I know is that Catherine (my maternal grandmother) seems to be in love with their football team, and with painting ceramic Santa Clauses with UV colored outfits.

ASU is high on my list because according to their literature, they have a very good medieval history grad program. I'm intimidated by the amount of snow they get annually. Though my biological mother's husband (and really I feel we're much closer than the description of the relation is able to convey)... his parents love to go up to Boone a few times a month to go antiquing. They usually spend New Years there and they say that the snow isn't bad on the main roads and in town.

How exciting about that program in New Zealand! That would be a really great experience. I have a friend who wants to work for the State Department as part of the diplomatic corp. Her major is International Studies, concentrating in Asia. She's pretty much fluent in Japanese and now she's going to be learning Korean. Next year she wants to spend the entire school year in South Korea... not in Seoul, but at a place a few hours from there where international students and Korean students learn side-by-side in a rural area, to really experience each others culture. I can't remember what the place is called, but I'm totally excited for her too!

That's so nice of you, sending the alpaca. Let me know how much I should send you for the shipping, alright?