EALL’s Luke Bender to teach “Proseminar for Jobseekers in Premodern Fields” this spring

January 9, 2023

Proseminar for Jobseekers in Premodern Fields

Wednesdays, 1:30–3:20pm

MDVL 975, EMST TBD, EALL 745, RLST 955

This course is intended for doctoral students studying premodern cultures who have advanced to candidacy and plan to seek employment within the academy, broadly construed. Over the course of the semester, students work with peers as well as faculty convener to build the skills they need to present their research to others in a clear, compelling way. Topics covered include genres of academic writing, modes of publication, CV building, preparing standard application materials, and interviewing. Weekly sessions generally include workshop time as well as presentations by the convener and visitors. Students work toward at least one end product relevant to their plans, e.g., a fully drafted application for a dissertation completion fellowship, job, or postdoc. This proseminar is particularly directed toward students affiliated with Archaia, Medieval Studies, and Early Modern Studies but welcomes all those with research interests in the premodern world. The broad range of primary specialties represented provides students with experience engaging with scholars outside their field, which is increasingly essential for premodernists in the modern academic world.