Doctor of Arts in English Pedagogy experiences welcome growth

MURRAY, Ky. – In the eight years since enrollment began in 2016, the Murray State University College of Humanities and Fine Arts’ Doctor of Arts (DA) in English Pedagogy program has grown from just 23 students to 117 currently enrolled.

The 48-hour degree program embeds advanced coursework in the content areas of English and literacy within a framework of pedagogical theory and reflection with a special focus on the school to college transition.

Murray State Director of Graduate Students in English Dr. Kevin Binfield began constructing the program in 2012.

“Some of the most important recruitment factors in the growth of the DA program include our niche market approach, the relatively uncomplicated curricular path through the program, aggressive and relentless recruitment in markets where the degree will pay off for teachers, maintaining contact with prospective students throughout the query and application process, our use of rolling admissions and a very quick turnaround in admission decisions,” Binfield said. “The cohort model and the quality of the program have also contributed to our high retention and completion rates.”

The program is designed for people who work, said Binfield. Primarily for current teachers in the field of English at secondary and postsecondary levels, the program has a core of foundation courses tied to the aspects of work that teachers and other professionals actually do and encourages students to use their professional environments as sites of reflection and imaginative inquiry.

The program, which can be completed 100 percent online, has students from across the United States (Mississippi, Florida, California, Tennessee, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania and North Carolina) and internationally (Japan, Costa Rica, Israel, Spain, Saudi Arabia and Cambodia).

For more information about the DA in English Pedagogy program, visit bit.ly/EnglishPedagogy or contact Dr. Kevin Binfield at kbinfield@murraystate.edu.