New master\'s degree sets trend in professional and academic fields

    /24-7PressRelease/ - LANGLEY, BC, CANADA, July 18, 2005—In a highly competitive job market people are looking for an educational experience that will set them apart from their peers. A new master's program at Trinity Western University aims to do just that. The Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Humanities (MAIH) brings together professionals and future Ph.D's to engage essential human questions, studying classic works in English, History and Philosophy as a catalyst for fresh thinking.

"Humans are not cogs in a machine," says Jens Zimmerman, associate professor of English and German at TWU who will teach one of the new courses. "People want to know the whole, the purpose. A technical school may teach skills, but the humanities deal with human elements. People who understand the 'what' are followers, but people who understand the 'how' and the 'why' are leaders—any person who understands purpose will always be the better job applicant."

While these master's students will focus on one of the three humanities, the interdisciplinary process will give students a broader and more integrated learning experience than a traditional master's program, as they draw on three fields instead of one. The program also offers the flexibility of a thesis option—for students advancing to doctoral studies, and a non-thesis option—for students upgrading their professional qualifications.

And B.C.'s Ministry of Advanced Education has given TWU its official stamp of approval.

"Normally, new programs are required to undergo rigorous and costly scrutiny before approval," explains Bob Burkinshaw, Ph.D., dean of humanities and social sciences, and the director of MAIH, "but TWU, along with UBC, SFU and UVIC, has exempt status with the DQAB, the group empowered to assess all new proposed university programs in the province, and therefore goes through a modified accreditation process. The MAIH proposal drew positive reviews during the process—even from an organization which has a track record of opposing most proposals put forward by institutions."

"This is the first time that TWU has gone through this process," continues Burkinshaw. "It's wonderful to see we succeeded so well with our first try. That says a lot for the quality of the program and the faculty."

According to Burkinshaw, 20 TWU faculty from three departments—all with Ph.D.'s—have not only had a hand in developing the program, many of them will also be teaching in it. The opportunity to interact with so many experts in various fields is probably another reason the MAIH is attracting academic hopefuls, and a wide range of professionals to the program—writers, teachers, law enforcement officers, and journalists, to name a few.

"What excites me about this program," says Joan van Dyck, a communications professional and recently accepted MAIH student, "is the opportunity to dig deeper into issues of truth, language and ethics with top professors in the field. There's no other program quite like this that allows me room to frame my studies with such breadth."

The MAIH is the University's 14th graduate program. It will enhance the track record already established by graduates of MA programs ranging from Counselling Psychology and Leadership to Biblical Studies and TESOL. The Biblical Studies MA in particular has received accolades across the globe. For the last two consecutive years, their alumni earned the University of Oxford's prestigious "Best Dissertation" award.

"Our MA graduates have been incredibly successful at achieving their career and academic goals," says Burkinshaw. "Over half of the graduates from TWU's MA in Leadership received a promotion within six months of completing their program, and most of the graduates from our religious studies MA have been offered significant scholarships from doctorate programs worldwide. Interaction with experts in the field on a regular basis is a huge benefit to students. Often that same level of attention is just not possible in larger institutions."

For more information on the Masters of Arts in Interdisciplinary Humanities, visit: http://www.twu.ca/humanities (cohorts begin in September and January), or contact 513-2019 ext. 3130 or [email protected]. For information on financial aid visit: http://www.twu.ca/award.

Trinity Western University, located in Langley, B.C., is a not-for-profit Christian liberal arts university enrolling over 3,500 students this year. With a broad based, liberal arts and sciences curriculum, the University offers undergraduate degrees in 38 major areas of study ranging from business, education and computer science to biology and nursing, and 14 other graduate degrees including counselling psychology, theology and administrative leadership. For more information: http://www.twu.ca, 604) 888-7511

# # #