Arts graduate education is uniquely positioned to deliver many of the Public Good needs of contemporary Canada. For the Public Good argues, however, that graduate programs must fundamentally change if they are to achieve this potential. Drawing on deep experience and research, the authors outline how reformed programs that equip graduates with advanced skills can address Canada’s most vexing challenges and seek action on equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization. They begin by charting how current approaches to graduate education emerged, including graduate student perspectives on the current barriers to success, and providing data-informed analyses of how current graduate degrees function. The authors then offer an evidence-based vision for a reimagined Arts graduate education, and actor-specific steps to achieve this potential. This timely and optimistic guide will be of interest to faculty and university administrators who are responsible for graduate education, and public policy specialists focused on post-secondary education.
