emily.rose

Just to kind of give the alternate side, I've been accepted into a program that is in-state, making it affordable enough that I would have no loans. In addition, there are opportunities to work on campus as a tutor, at the writing center, etc. They also give MA students the chance to apply for a GA for their second year and receive full funding, and there are often open GA positions at the University Writing Center. I know that the general rule is to never accept an offer that doesn't fully fund your education, but there can be extenuating circumstances. I wouldn't want to go into debt or be in poverty to get an MA in English Lit, but if you won't have to, I don't think it would be the stupidest decision of your life to accept their offer. Take this with a grain of salt...I have individual circumstances that affect my decision-making process. I also haven't yet attended an MA program, so I could actually be making dumb decision, ha! Let's hope not...

So I googled "alt-ac career english phd" and this link came up: http://fromphdtolife.com/transition-q-as/ I know the majority of PhDs want to pursue a TT position, but some of these jobs look really cool! There doesn't have to be misery after academia. Not that I know anything about it just yet, but hey, at least it's a glimmer of hope.

Oh and I forgot to mention that the deadline for a GA is January 15, but the general deadline is March 1.

Maybe not as well known or talked about, but Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, VA offers GA's that fund tuition and provide a small stipend. If you don't get a GA position first year, you can apply again for the second year. Faculty looks great and from what I read about the program it sounds really thorough. There's also the possibility of a 12 month thesis assistantship for students in the last year of their MA. http://english.vcu.edu/ma/

I applied to 5 MA programs as well and have only heard from one. Even those applications that were due in early January have been silent, so I think it's normal. I wouldn't worry!

All of this talk about the job market and I don't think anyone has mentioned teaching at community colleges. Seems like many positions only require an MA, but with the job market being like it is, a lot these positions are going to those who hold a PhD. I know getting a PhD probably means you're aiming for a career in research, not just teaching, but it doesn't seem like an entirely bad gig to spend 5-7 years doing your own funded research and then teaching at a community college. It's not the TT position everyone is gunning for, but it's also not unemployment/teaching high school/being an adjunct. Any thoughts? P.S. I don't have experience in this area other than what I've read, so apologies if I'm totally off base!

Thank you! It feels good to have a place to go in August As for cost, it's definitely lean living -- the stipend would be less than half of my salary right now. Luckily, I have zero debt from undergrad and I've been working for two years and saving a lot. I plan to treat my savings as a salary, adding to whatever stipend I'm given (crossing my fingers that I'm given a stipend at all). I have a lot of friends where I live now who are attending grad school in the area, and while it certainly takes a lot of budgeting, they're not starving, they're clothed, and they have enough money to spend on cheap beers on the weekend! It's certainly not impossible. I think it just takes a lot of nit-picky budgeting and taking time to look for cheap living options. I have a friend who lives in a converted garage apartment, all utilities included, for a very affordable price. She's been able to work out her finances incredibly well for what she's making with her assistantship.

Now that I've gotten my first acceptance, I'm feeling so antsy for the rest!! I really hope I hear from UVM soon, the package they offer GTAs would be too good to pass up for an MA program. Brandeis seems like an awesome program, but I'm really not sure it's worth the cost. I know that's something all of us are probably worried about on this thread.

So this is probably more small cheese compared to many acceptances that are going out, but I got accepted into Brandeis's MA program with a fellowship offer!!!! This is my first acceptance, so I am currently in the process of calling all my friends and family

I'm wondering how much it matters where you get your MA when applying to PhD programs. I applied to programs all over, including a couple near where I live that aren't necessarily very competitive. I'm hoping that the faculty, research facilities, and good ole' hard work will help me get into a top PhD program eventually, but I'm worried that going from a fairly prestigious undergrad institution to an under-the-radar MA program will be looked on unfavorably.

Oh and pann pann, I applied to UVM as well! Looks like they have a great program. I'm from Virginia though, so I don't know how I'd be able to survive the arctic temperatures

I actually thought about starting a thread just for this reason, drownsoda! There are a lot of similarities between applying for PhD programs and for MA programs, but there are also a lot of significant differences too. Most of my applications were due February 1, so I'm not expecting to hear back from anywhere until mid-March at the earliest. I applied to 5 MA programs, most with funding options and two that are in my state and would therefore be a bit cheaper. I had started thinking about applying to PhD programs last year, but I want to be able to get into the best possible PhD program I can, which I don't feel I would be able to right now. I hadn't started thinking about going to grad school for English Lit until late into my senior year, so two years in a MA program sounds like a great way to narrow my research interests, get my GRE scores higher, and learn a lot more theory (I feel like my undergrad education was probably lacking in critical theory). But yeah, thanks so much for starting this thread! I felt the same way you did like I was a bit of an outsider amidst all the PhD applicants on these boards, even though they are all very lovely people!

You guys are great, thanks for sharing your experiences! I feel like much of this board is skewed towards doctorate programs, so it's good to get a different perspective from people who have been there!

I'm fairly certain I want to do the PhD, but it's a big commitment so I want to be sure. Also I don't feel entirely prepared because up until my senior year, I had wanted to go to law school. I'd like to get my research interests solidified and also bulk up on the theory background I feel like I'm missing. And I've actually moved to Norfolk, so it would be ODU...

Hi everyone! I've had a very hard time trying to decide what to do here... I know that location should be a very small factor, but it also seems like most the information on here is directed towards PhD programs. I have become very settled where I am and would like to take the time to get a Master's before going to do a PhD. However, there's only one university where I live and it's pretty low ranked...I went to a high ranked undergrad, so I'm wondering if going to this school for my Master's will set me back when I eventually want to apply to a PhD program. From what I've read, a lot of you seem to have gone through a Master's program before deciding to apply for your PhD. Do you have any sort of opinion/advice on this? I'm willing to travel the world for my PhD, but for 2 years of a Master's, it just sounds unsettling to jump somewhere new when I will eventually be moving again (possibly very far) for a PhD.