dingo roosevelt

Hello, all! I'm looking into Public History programs for next fall (2017) or possibly even this Spring (also 2017). I have a B.A. with a History major and an M.A. from Columbia in Modern European Studies. Since graduation, I've spent a year teaching at a private high school and about 18 months writing and leading tours of a NYC-area historic landmark on an ad-hoc basis. Let's just say that my masters degree hasn't been the most lucrative thing I've ever done. While I am really confident in my research and writing capabilities, I feel that I'm really lacking in the more practical skills - archive management, project management, etc. - that a lot of positions require. I'm wondering if a second M.A., this time in Public History, might make me a little more marketable. I went straight into my first round of grad school from undergrad, and I think with the benefit of a little time, a tiny bit of wisdom, and frankly more/clearer ambition, I would be able to get a lot more out of a degree. I think the idea would be potentially to go part-time and keep my full-time job (in an unrelated and soul-destroying field) since I'm really not looking to add to my student debt. However, I would also want to be aggressive in pursuing any possible funding in the hope of clearing some day-job time for an internship. I live in the DC area; so far most of my research has been into the program at American. I'd love to get some thoughts on this plan from the collective brain here. Do you have any recommendations for particularly great programs in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic region? What do you think of my chances at being accepted, much less receiving funding, with my background? Do you even think this is a good plan, or would you recommend something else entirely? Thank you!