How do ya get a degree in Tolkienology?

[elle]

[img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] ya, i was wondering how do bet a degree in tolkienology? why do i not have one? [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

[elle]

opps *get* [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Meela]

Is it actually possible? I know we talk about it and make jokes, but I never thought the possibility actually existed.
I've done a search, and I can't find anything. I'm assuming its possible to join some kind of society where you build up your knowledge to a level of some scholarship.

[elle]

i guess sadly [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img], but it would be cool, wouldn't it? [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] i wonder want u would need to get one if ya could? anyways l8rs!

[Meela]

Totally! I would love to have a degree in either Tolkien or Nordic mythology or something. I'm most likely going to study mythology at uni [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[elle]

cool, mythology, i have always been interested in it too! it is neat in my opinion! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]l8rs!

[Bill Ferny]

You Can!

Shaker State University of South Florida
Deus adjuva nobis omnibus!

School of Tolkienology at Shaker State University of South Florida

The School of Tolkienology aspires to develop leaders in the field of Tolkien Studies. We expand each student's understanding of basic and advanced concepts found in the mythology of Middle Earth to include but not limited to: linguistics, fea/hroa anthropology, Eru-theology, Sub-creative Studies, Sorcery and Magecology, Vala-hagiography, Eddagraphy, Dwarf and Elven Cultural Anthropology, Hobbit Studies, Orcology, and Cinematic Interpretation Thrashing. Our goal is the development of the whole person, ability to work in a collaborative community, and commitment to nit-picking the crap out of the writings of JRR Tolkien.

Our core values involve developing our students' ability to pick apart not only The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but everything ever written by JRR Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien, interviews, and a plethora of secondary sources and reference books written by others, for the purpose of creating our vision of Middle Earth on Earth. In keeping with the SSUofSF Mission Statement, we commit ourselves to building a student-centered environment that makes the richness and diversity of the human population completely relative. We value each student as a person, but no thought or belief better or worse than another, unless, of course, that thought or belief is one held by us. Thus, we specialize in making Middle Earth reflect every value, opinion or belief system there is, as long as we agree with it.

Summer Session Course Offerings

Sindarin III (Lang 527)
The third installment of the Sindarin language. Students will focus on methods of translation and conversational Sindarin. Prerequisites: Elvin Linguistics (Lang 501), Sindarin I (Lang 525) and II (Lang 526).

Dwarven Archeology (TAnth 559)
Students will explore methods of imaginary archeology with special emphasis on investigating digs of ancient dwarven cities and cultural centers. Students will visit prefabricated fake digs in the mystic forest located behind Shaker State University annex campus in Wacko, Texas. Prerequisites: Introduction to Tolkien Delusional Thought (TPsch 601), Dwarven Etymologies (Lang 578), Introduction to Tolkien Anthropology (Tanth 551).

Middle Earth Quilting (TArt 610)
A new addition to our curriculum for this summer only. Learn methods of making quilts the way the elves, dwarves and hobbits did! Pass/Fail.

Orc Weaponry (Sdef 115)
Back by popular demand, this course investigates the weaponry and military tactics used by orcs, uruks, trolls, ologs. Students will have the opportunity to re-enact a major battle (to be announced) with real (heavy) weapons made by United Cutlery. Prerequisites: Introduction to Defending Yourself From Fellow Tolkienology Students (Sdef 101). Note: Due to the many deaths that occurred last year, the re-enactment will be held somewhere in Mexico; students will be provided transportation in the form of a tractor trailer, or they may provide their own personal transportation.

Selected Topics Seminar (TPhil 671)
Seminar course for students preparing their master’s dissertations. Prerequisites: Mentor’s discretion.

Death to Peter Jackson (TCin 621)
An introduction to thrashing the work of Peter Jackson, with special emphasis placed on his recent cinematic interpretation. Students will learn methods of not only tearing apart Peter Jackson’s movies, but also effective techniques of personally attacking him, his friends, and family. Prerequisites: Introduction to Tolkienologist Arrogance (Tphil 609), The Right Way to Envision Middle Earth (TDep 501).

Introduction to Interpretative Relativism (TPhil 511)
Students will learn basic skills for making Tolkien say what ever they want him to say. No matter if the student is atheist or agnostic, a Christian of any denomination, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Capitalist, Socialist, Communist, Monarchist, or Anarchist, the student will discover methods that will make JRR Tolkien agree with her or him. This course is required for all students seeking a degree in Tolkienology.

[Niluial]

Oh my, that is really cool! Why did I choose to study Law when I could have studied Tolkienology...? [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] but then again.. how does one get money from studying Tolkienology...??

[ May 18, 2003: Message edited by: Niluial ]

[elle]

[img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]wow [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]! really , i want to do that! is it really real? [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Meela]

Jesus... I know I said I would love to do a degree and all... but isn't this a bit too much on the obsessive? I mean, I didn't expect there to actually be one!

[Manwe Sulimo]

Wow, that almost seemed real until I read the Orc Weaponry and Death to Peter Jackson summaries....

But if it was real, I'd go. And see you all there, I hope.

[img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Lindolirian]

Manwe, the sad thing is is that there are some people who still think it's for real. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[The Saucepan Man]

Way to go Bill!

You had me going there for a moment. I was just about to skim over your post, thinking it was some university blurb, until I read:

... commitment to nit-picking the crap out of the writings of JRR Tolkien.

[img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Sophia the Thunder Mistress]

Wacko, TX! [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] That's great...

Introduction to Interpretative Relativism (TPhil 511)
Students will learn basic skills for making Tolkien say what ever they want him to say. No matter if the student is atheist or agnostic, a Christian of any denomination, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Capitalist, Socialist, Communist, Monarchist, or Anarchist, the student will discover methods that will make JRR Tolkien agree with her or him. This course is required for all students seeking a degree in Tolkienology.

*shakes head* I think there are plenty of aspiring Tolkienologists that have this one down. Do they offer a CLEP test? [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Sophia

[elle]

[img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]it's not really? [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

[GaladrieloftheOlden]

Well, if you just carefully read over that 'summary', you'll be able to find lots of humor, and other things besides, but I'm afraid authenticity isn't one of them [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] But maybe there's a real thing somewhere...

~Menelien

[elle]

*laughing out loud* i hope so! [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Bill Ferny]

how does one get money from studying Tolkienology...??

From munster.com

Research department of national marketing and advertisement firm seeks Tolkienologist to identify, collect and analyze pertinent methods to capitalize on Tolkien mania.

Responsibilities include:
Maintaining files/library of information on consumer spending in relation to Tolkien products and individual submarkets; consumer research; monitor and analyze competitor data; assist/prepare operational strategic plan; and prepare feasibility reports. Candidate will be responsible for suggesting ways to lighten expenses by heading development of sub-standard, cheap plastic toys loosely resembling the characters and monsters from New Line Cinema’s recent rendition of The Lord of the Rings, finding new ways to peddle Tolkien calendars, and inspiring bored and out of work graduate students to write irrelevant research books about Tolkien’s mythology. Occasional field work will involve visiting these bored and out of work graduate students in their New York or San Francisco one room apartments, fan shows (which may require appearing in public dressed as a hobbit), and reclusive, kind of strange, Tolkien artists with crooked and yellowing teeth.

Minimally, applicants should hold a master’s degree in Tolkienology or comparable work experience, be skilled in processing data using SPSS, DBASE or similar software, with SPSS experience preferred, or be a blond haired, female co-ed with a Russian accent. Fluency in an IBM comparable PC environment is essential. Applicants should also demonstrate strong writing/research skills, strong problem solving ability, organizational skills and be detail-oriented. Fluency in Quenya is a plus. Individual must be strongly motivated and able to work well under overwhelming, unbearable, despotic, and often sadistic supervision. Must be able to learn quickly, or die. Training is primarily on-the-job.

Starting salary 45k/year, employee benefits include medical, dental, 401k, one vacation day a year, and bonus potential.

[elle]

i love it! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Iarwain]

On a more serious note... [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I read an article a while back on a "Tolkienologist" who was professional in the field of Tolkien languages. He was hired by NewLine to aid in the production of certain props (i.e. Book of Marzubul (sp?), and Sting).

Iarwain

[GaladrieloftheOlden]

They (New Line) hired a lot of people who knew Quenya and Sindarin to use it in the moveis, except that they sot of jumbled them up anyhow [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] But I think that was delibertae.

and inspiring bored and out of work graduate students to write irrelevant research books about Tolkien’s mythology.

The perfection of it! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

~Menelien

[Child of the 7th Age]

All kidding aside....

There may not be degrees in Tolkienology, but you can sure do a master's or doctoral dissertation on something related to Tolkien. Work with someone like Jane Chance at Rice University, Verlyn Flieger at University of Maryland, Michael Stanton at University of Vermont, or T.A. Shippey at St. Louis University, all of whom are actively publishing in the field. Most of these professors teach within an English department. Shippey is a philologist (like Tolkien) who holds a general chair in the humanities.

If you earn a Ph.d., you'll go through two years or more of general course work in literature. Then you'll be buried for at least two years on a research project of your choosing, at least one that your adviser will agree to. If you're real lucky, you'll end up teaching English language and lit at another college, and maybe even make tenure. You'll never get rich, but you'll have your summers off, plus winter break and such, and maybe even get a sabbatical every now and then when you can run off to someplace like Marquette University and study JRRT's writings in manuscript.

There's even a second possibility. There are language departments out there that let you specialize in invented or man-made languages. And, of course, JRRT could fall under this heading. I don't know anyone who's actually done this or where they studied, but a friend teaching Spanish told me she'd been to language conferences where there were a few folk like this around.

BTW, I do have a special axe to grind about this. Hold on because here comes a major rant......

and inspiring bored and out of work graduate students to write irrelevant research books about Tolkien’s mythology.

I've seen similar opinions voiced too often on these boards.

There are threads on the Downs Book forum which come very close to the kind of research that grad students and professors carry on at a university. And, like anything else, there's good scholarship and bad scholarship. Before you start flinging apples at these men and women, sit down and read some of their stuff. I defy someone to study Verlyn Flieger's or T.A. Shippey's works and not come away learning something.

How many times are we told that are own interests and discussions are "irrelevent" and that Tolkien is not truly literature? Professors like these are no different. They have to face frequent barbs from their colleagues for what they love, so why are we adding to their woes? These people are doing what they're doing because they feel Tolkien and his writings are worth studying. We don't have to agree with everything they say or view them as some kind of gods, but I think they deserve the same respect that we'd give to another Tolkien poster on this board.

Rant over......

Cami Goodchild

[ May 19, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[mark12_30]

Or you could just... Hang out for a year or two in the Books forum. That would about do it.

Seriously, people, do you all realize how much serious discussion and debate has gone on over the past three years, and how much of it is equal or superior to what you would learn in a classroom? There are plenty of people in this forum who would qualify as Tolkien professors if there was such a college.

The material is there; honestly, it is an embarassment of wealth. So, prospective Tolkien majors: Pick your specialty (I will unblushingly state that I chose Frodo as my specialty, but the possibilities are numerous), get into the Book archves, and have at it.

(You have come to a Well. Drink deep.)

[Niluial]

*gasps for air* Oh my word!! I fell for it!!! Bill you really had me gong there!!!1 *Hits Bill over the head with a Tolkien book* I cant believe I fell for it… how blonde!!

[Elfchick7]

Well!!! Expect Bill Ferny to pull astunt like that!!! [img]smilies/redface.gif[/img] [img]smilies/redface.gif[/img] Lol

[Bill Ferny]

I feel honored to have inspired a rant. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Now, I’m waiting for the illustrators to toss an apple in regards to dental hygiene.

Out of respect for forum policies, I feel compelled to actually post something relevant.

Child’s suggestions are very good. However, I thoroughly believe that Tolkien should be a spring board for further academic pursuits. That’s really were the relevance lies in such writers and thinkers as Shippey and Day (i.e. Tolkien’s Ring) (yeah, that whole irrelevant thing was tongue-in-cheek). They approach Tolkien from the perspective of what he says in regards to this Earth, what his works say about our real world and our real lives. A love for Tolkien can inspire one to pursue many different avenues, such as literature, mythology (very scanty, though, at the graduate level), psychology, philosophy, theology, archeology, cultural anthropology, or (like me) medieval studies, to name just a few. All of these fields are rich and diverse, and well worth thorough research and new breakthroughs, and Tolkien can be the vehicle that brings one to these realms.

[Sophia the Thunder Mistress]

If you're real lucky, you'll end up teaching English language and lit at another college, and maybe even make tenure. You'll never get rich, but you'll have your summers off, plus winter break and such, and maybe even get a sabbatical every now and then when you can run off to someplace like Marquette University and study JRRT's writings in manuscript.

Oh don't tempt me. I'm all set for direction in grad school, finally... *shivers with delight* but that's very tempting.

A love for Tolkien can inspire one to pursue many different avenues, such as literature, mythology (very scanty, though, at the graduate level), psychology, philosophy, theology, archeology, cultural anthropology, or (like me) medieval studies, to name just a few. All of these fields are rich and diverse, and well worth thorough research and new breakthroughs, and Tolkien can be the vehicle that brings one to these realms.

This is better! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] *sighs with relief* Thanks.

The material is there; honestly, it is an embarassment of wealth. So, prospective Tolkien majors: Pick your specialty (I will unblushingly state that I chose Frodo as my specialty, but the possibilities are numerous), get into the Book archves, and have at it.

(You have come to a Well. Drink deep.)

That's an amazing thought, Helen. I'll do my Tolkien degree here too. Field of study? Hm, perhaps Valinorean Studies. Lore of Aman. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Sophia

[Tarien Ithil]

LOL, Nil. Yeah, that really was a blonde moment [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

*Bill's head must be real sore after being hit with a book, especially a Tolkien book!) [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

But a Tolkien university would be rather insane but great at the same time! There'd be Elvish lessons all types of Elvish [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]), book study..etc. (Dream on, Tarien!) [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Finwe]

I really think that there should be more job opportunities for people interested in Tolkienology and related subjects. I guess you could get a job with a production company, and make a few movies while you're at it. In fact, I'm currently working on my masterpiece pet project. It's a currently preliminary script of a TV series based on the Silmarillion. I'm still in the Ainulindalë, but I'm pushing at it.
I just hope that my the time I'll get to college, I'll have the chance to actually see if the TV series can be made.

[Lindril Arvilya]

Actually, a friend of my boyfriend's (in first year university) was, for a major project, mapping the travels of the Elves.
*Lindril is so jealous*

[Finwe]

Oh I'm jealous also! I really want to visit a Tolkien Scholar just to talk to them about Tolkien-related things that I can't talk about with anyone where I live.

[Sillabub]

Awww, it's not real? Anyhow, they didn't have a course on quenya...

But how do you know when you've learned enough? I've been studying since the first age practically and I don't think I have it mastered yet.

And by the way, did you know that arwen and aragorn are second cousins? And Rohan was once part of Gondor, but was given to Eorl the young by Beren, who was the steward of gondor at the time. And Gandalf spent time learning stuff from Nienna. And there have been 3 ruling queens in arda history. And....

[Duncariel]

Quilting...Elvish style? Do Elves quilt?

Awright back on subject. We should all get together and create a Tolkien University. Four glorious years of Tolkien, sounds like heaven.

[Meela]

And by the way, did you know that arwen and aragorn are second cousins?

I thought they were 61st cousins...

[elle]

61st cousins? I knew they were cousins, which is very odd, but not 61st. Is it even possible to have a 61st cousins, well I guess so but that would be a far back family tree , you think?

[The Saucepan Man]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And by the way, did you know that arwen and aragorn are second cousins?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I thought they were 61st cousins...

Hmm, I'm not sure that our system of referring to cousins works so well when one side of the family is immortal and the other is not. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

And Rohan was once part of Gondor, but was given to Eorl the young by Beren, who was the steward of gondor at the time.

Erm, that'll be Cirion, Steward of Gondor. Beren gave the keys of Orthanc to Saruman (the deluded fool [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] ). A little bit more work needed on revision for your Tolkienology exams, Sillabub. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Well, I may lay myself open to accusations of shameless plugging here, but I have found that participating in the Quiz Room has massively increased my knowledge of Tolkien's works. There's nothing like the challenge of answering a difficult question or having to set a challenging one yourself for making sure those myriad facts stick fast in the old memory banks. [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img] Mind you, I'm not sure what use they are save for the purpose of posting on this forum. [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[Luthien_ Tinuviel]

We value each student as a person, but no thought or belief better or worse than another, unless, of course, that thought or belief is one held by us. Thus, we specialize in making Middle Earth reflect every value, opinion or belief system there is, as long as we agree with it.

This is the line where I realized that it was DEFINATELY not real. That quilting part was scary! [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]

[Finwe]

You know what we should do, we should start an on-line curriculum for Tolkien! I'm sure that most of the people here could come up with some courses, or lesson plans, and we can start teaching people! Any ideas?

[Luthien_ Tinuviel]

We should definately do that! Languages is an obvious pick, Sindarin, Quenya, Khuzdul, Westron, Adunaic, Valarin, Black Speech, Rohirric, etc. (not sure if we could pull all these off). Courses for each book would be essential. Perhaps a class on the history of each race? A class covering the characteristics of each race? This one would be really fun: unanswere questions of Middle-Earth. That's all the ideas for now.

[Finwe]

Hmmm... I really like that idea about the classes on each race and their characteristics. We could also do a course on heroism, and what really makes a hero. I'm sure we'd have lots of people with opinions on that.