Non-Degree and Non-Credit Programs

Appalachian Studies Certificate

Radford University’s geographical placement in Southwest Virginia has provided an optimal location for an interdisciplinary undergraduate program in Appalachian Studies since 1981. Building on that history, the graduate certificate in Appalachian Studies draws from existing courses in the initial phase of the certificate offering. The Certificate in Appalachian Studies is based in the Appalachian Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences. The English Department and ultimately other departments that are developing graduate-level courses with Appalachian content support it.

Community college instructors and K-12 public school teachers have indicated a desire for course work at the graduate level in Appalachian Studies in order to teach Appalachian Studies courses in their own institutions. Others request such classes for personal reasons. The master’s program in English at Radford University regularly attracts students wishing to focus on Appalachian topics, as do occasionally, master’s programs in other disciplines. The certificate in Appalachian Studies, then, may stand alone as a curricular unit, or it may become a corollary to a master’s degree in a related field.

The certificate in Appalachian Studies consists of 18 graduate credit hours. Individuals wishing to enroll in the Appalachian Studies Certificate should consult with the Certificate Coordinator, Dr. Grace Toney Edwards, to plan their individual sequence of courses.

Courses Include:

The Annual Highland Summer Conference: A two week summer institute English 590 – Appalachian Writing and Culture (3 s.h.)
Students may enroll twice (2 summers), as the course content changes.

RU graduate Evening Courses, taught fall and spring semesters.
ENGL 648: Studies in Oral and Written Literature of Appalachia (3 s.h.)
Students may enroll twice , as long as the content differs

APST 560: Seminar in Appalachian Issues (3 s.h.)
Students may enroll twice, as long as the content differs.

Appalachian Studies Directed Study, in an area of specific interest APST 598: Directed Study in Appalachian Topic (3 s.h.)

Contact:
Dr. Grace Toney Edwards
Chair of the Appalachian Studies Program and
Director of the Appalachian Regional Studies Center
Phone: 540-831-5366
E-mail: gedwards@radford.edu