Non-thesis route

[ChelceCarter]

Hello!

So I've been accepted to Ball State University with an assistantship for the upcoming fall. The main draw of this program, besides the fact that it's in the area that I want to work in for the rest of my life, is that it has a non-thesis option with internship, so I would be able to start working with organizations that I might want to make a career with sooner. Now, I've never done an internship because time that wasn't spent in class or sustaining a long-distance relationship during my undergrad career was spent at my retail job before they decided that they should limit part-timers to 25 hours a week. The past year I've been out of school and volunteering with a domestic violence shelter in the area to build up my CV, and apparently it worked because I got in. 

I just had a few questions about non-thesis options/internships and wondered if anyone might be able to answer them. 

1. Has anyone done a non-thesis MA? If so, what did it involve and what were your overall feelings about the program?

2. Has anyone done an internship with a non-profit group? If so, what were your duties and what experiences did you have?

3. Do I need to know anything about the two things mentioned above that I might not have heard about yet?

I think that's all, but if there's anything else that is important to know, let me know. I like to be as prepared as possible for these sorts of things. 

 

[GunterFan]

From what I've heard/gathered from others, if you go the non-thesis route it's harder (not impossible, but harder) to get into a PhD program down the road. With that being said, it sounds like this program supplements the "non-thesis" by putting people in jobs that they very well might want to work, thus giving them real world experience. That pretty cool, and honestly, probably more practical than writing something that less than 50 people will ever read.

 

However, the thesis is still a highly revered aspect of grad school. Do you want to go the PhD route one of these days? If so, I'd assume that your work experience at your internship might help out during PhD application season, but I do know for a fact that most universities want to be confident that you can write. I'd just be very sure what you want to do.

 

(Caveat, I have never done a non-thesis MA, and this is all based on what I've heard, been told, or kind of inferred from others. I could be completely off the mark here).

[ChelceCarter]

I really have no plans of doing a PhD. Honestly, the usefulness of a Masters could be argued, but since I have an assistantship and it will be in the area I plan on making my home, I think it's worth it. Plus, getting the specialization in the field that I want to pursue will make thing easier.

[GunterFan]

I really have no plans of doing a PhD. Honestly, the usefulness of a Masters could be argued, but since I have an assistantship and it will be in the area I plan on making my home, I think it's worth it. Plus, getting the specialization in the field that I want to pursue will make thing easier.

Yeah, then I think you're probably golden. And even if you do decide to go for the PhD one day, I bet that—if you have the experience—you'd be fine.

[mutualist007]

I do not advise it. Find a way to do an internship and a thesis. Doubly so if you're male, and triple that if you are an overprivileged uninteresting whitebread male.