So, I'm going into my fourth year of a history degree and I've been wondering what to do afterwards. I have the grades to apply for a Master's program. That said, I don't think I have the mental fortitude, because I've never been interested in my major and writing a 120 page thesis for funsies isn't really on my bucket list.
(You might be wondering why I arbitrarily chose an unemployable degree that I'm not even interested in, and the answer is that I'm an idiot.)
Idk. There's reasons to do it and reasons not to. Mostly I'm just wondering if anyone's been down that road and wants to share their insights.
Have a stellar Saturday.
(You might be wondering why I arbitrarily chose an unemployable degree that I'm not even interested in, and the answer is that I'm an idiot.)
Idk. There's reasons to do it and reasons not to. Mostly I'm just wondering if anyone's been down that road and wants to share their insights.
Have a stellar Saturday.
While I'm not familiar with the job market for history majors (either with or without a master's degree), I can say that I'm glad I did not spend the money on a master's degree right after getting my Bachelor's.
I jumped straight into the job market. At this point I might consider going back to get my Master's now that I've got some 'real world' experience. I feel l'd get more out of it now. (However, I'm still not sure if I'd be able to wrangle enough of a salary increase to make it a sound financial investment.)
I dunno... if it was my money, I'd consider getting a second Bachelor's in something that's more appealing to you, rather than go further down a road you're not sure you actually want to be on.
I jumped straight into the job market. At this point I might consider going back to get my Master's now that I've got some 'real world' experience. I feel l'd get more out of it now. (However, I'm still not sure if I'd be able to wrangle enough of a salary increase to make it a sound financial investment.)
I dunno... if it was my money, I'd consider getting a second Bachelor's in something that's more appealing to you, rather than go further down a road you're not sure you actually want to be on.
Thank you for your input! I've actually been employed in my field for five years, and the more I think about an MA the less appealing it is. Something to consider, I guess.
Yep...this sounds familiar. Everyone's situation is different, but my feeling is probably no.
I have a degree in something even more general than History, called "Interdisciplinary Studies," which is a little bit of everything, but mainly Humanities. I got it so that I could teach, and got a teaching certificate with it, however I did so without ever trying teaching, or substitute teaching, or even working in a school. This I don't recommend. I recommend working in a field before one decides to get a degree in it, but that's a different point. The point is, after a while, I decided I didn't really want to start paying student loans back yet, and one way to not have to do that is to stay in school. So I looked into different Master's Degree programs, but the easiest program to get into was, you guessed it, "Interdisciplinary Studies." Before they let me take the courses the Dean of the department said, "I want to warn you -- if you get this degree, no one will know what it is, exactly, and you'll always have to be explaining what it is. Are you sure you want to get this degree?" And I said, yes, because, like magic, no student loan payments just for writing a few papers and taking whichever classes I want (it was a very flexible program). I got my Master's degree. I now have a B.A., and an M.A., and they look nice on the wall. My mom can brag about it to her physical therapists haha. But has the Masters helped me make money? No. The Bachelors -- yes, that helped me make money. But the Master's didn't add anything except bragging rights and delayed loan payments in my case. Not yet, anyway.
So here's the thing. Later, I found something I was good at, and that I liked to do. It was pharmacy. I became a pharmacy tech, and enjoy working in pharmacies, so I thought, why not become a pharmacist? I knew I could do the work. But the problem is, I already wasted all my allotted student loan money on the B.A. and the M.A., so I'm literally above the liftetime limit of student loans. I maxed out. It's more complicated than that, but basically, my point is, don't take a Master's degree that you don't want, or need, when you could either save that money in a tax free college savings account, or (if you're doing student loans) save that student loan eligibility, for a time when you really do know what degree you can use and want to have, and then it will be there for that. Or...use it for a house or something. However, if you do decide to get a Master's in History my recommendation is to do it at a place that will also give you a teaching certificate by taking a few more classes, if you didn't already do something like that when you got you Bachelor's degree. Not that I recommend teaching as a career for most people (some people-it's their calling but that's different), but if you're going to get the degree anyway, might as well have that to fall back on.
Another recommendation I have is to go only to a public university in your state, and if possible, the same city. That's because they are sooo much cheaper than these all online schools like Phoenix this-or-that, or Grand Canyon this is that, or Northwestern this or that.
While I guess those programs are good for some people, the difference in tuition is so big, that I feel those private all-online schools are almost a scam.
Ok, that's all my advice. Good luck! I feel ya!
I have a degree in something even more general than History, called "Interdisciplinary Studies," which is a little bit of everything, but mainly Humanities. I got it so that I could teach, and got a teaching certificate with it, however I did so without ever trying teaching, or substitute teaching, or even working in a school. This I don't recommend. I recommend working in a field before one decides to get a degree in it, but that's a different point. The point is, after a while, I decided I didn't really want to start paying student loans back yet, and one way to not have to do that is to stay in school. So I looked into different Master's Degree programs, but the easiest program to get into was, you guessed it, "Interdisciplinary Studies." Before they let me take the courses the Dean of the department said, "I want to warn you -- if you get this degree, no one will know what it is, exactly, and you'll always have to be explaining what it is. Are you sure you want to get this degree?" And I said, yes, because, like magic, no student loan payments just for writing a few papers and taking whichever classes I want (it was a very flexible program). I got my Master's degree. I now have a B.A., and an M.A., and they look nice on the wall. My mom can brag about it to her physical therapists haha. But has the Masters helped me make money? No. The Bachelors -- yes, that helped me make money. But the Master's didn't add anything except bragging rights and delayed loan payments in my case. Not yet, anyway.
So here's the thing. Later, I found something I was good at, and that I liked to do. It was pharmacy. I became a pharmacy tech, and enjoy working in pharmacies, so I thought, why not become a pharmacist? I knew I could do the work. But the problem is, I already wasted all my allotted student loan money on the B.A. and the M.A., so I'm literally above the liftetime limit of student loans. I maxed out. It's more complicated than that, but basically, my point is, don't take a Master's degree that you don't want, or need, when you could either save that money in a tax free college savings account, or (if you're doing student loans) save that student loan eligibility, for a time when you really do know what degree you can use and want to have, and then it will be there for that. Or...use it for a house or something. However, if you do decide to get a Master's in History my recommendation is to do it at a place that will also give you a teaching certificate by taking a few more classes, if you didn't already do something like that when you got you Bachelor's degree. Not that I recommend teaching as a career for most people (some people-it's their calling but that's different), but if you're going to get the degree anyway, might as well have that to fall back on.
Another recommendation I have is to go only to a public university in your state, and if possible, the same city. That's because they are sooo much cheaper than these all online schools like Phoenix this-or-that, or Grand Canyon this is that, or Northwestern this or that.
While I guess those programs are good for some people, the difference in tuition is so big, that I feel those private all-online schools are almost a scam.
Ok, that's all my advice. Good luck! I feel ya!
Abigail_Austin wrote:
In any case, your perspective is appreciated!
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