As the demographics of higher education, the role of higher education in society, and society itself all change, graduate education in English will inevitably change. The functions of graduate study in English are to prepare (1) teachers of English, (2) scholars who can advance critical theory and the understanding of language and the writing process, and (3) the next generation of literary critics. In recent years, however, the supply of advanced degree graduates has exceeded demand, leading to the question of whether the number of institutions allowed to offer graduate study in English should be limited. Obviously, it is time to rethink what graduate education in English can and should be. For example, graduate programs could be designed to prepare students for careers such as creative writers, to give students general pleasure in gaining the knowledge, or to provide students who spent their undergraduate years in accounting, engineering, or other overspecialized fields with a less specialized graduate program. Graduate study in English must escape elitism and turn back toward the real world if it is to be of any value. (HOD)