First, belated Happy Thanksgiving to Gabe and everyone on this thread J .
I am seriously considering applying for grad school (PhD) in an interdisciplinary area at the interface of Education, Sociology and Culture studies. My realistic shot for a serious application would be in 2 years from now. I have good UG credentials (graduated summa cum laude; got full scholarships for UG), but it was in natural sciences with some courses in social sciences and college level Math up to Calc II. My GRE is probably average (V 81 percentile, Q 71 percentile and AW 80 percentile). The programs I am targeting say that a master’s or previous academic background in education is not required. Now in order to strengthen my application for an interdisciplinary social science grad program, I am confused whether I should pursue a master’s or do real work in the field of education. I am inclined towards the professional work as it gives me a more rigorous exposure to real life before coming back to campus again, and some money to travel! How would the admission committee evaluate someone with two years field experience say in a rural school versus someone with a terminal master’s (rest being equal)?
Thanks!