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That didn't answer the question, but thanks anyway.

I had a year between my undergrad and my grad year and I managed to get a job in my field during my gap year. It was part-time and low pay, but that was still a step up from an unpaid internship. I got in after being out of school for a year, and I think that if you use time during your gap year to pursue or keep up with relevant interests, there's really no harm in it. Also, with the letters of recommendation, some professors will still write them after a year if you were in contact with them a bit. I asked an art history professors I had to write me a letter of recommendation for the Fall 2018 application cycle, and I took her class in Fall 2014, but we still kept in touch. Usually, they'll ask for your CV and statement of purpose to know what you've been up to since you left. My advice would be to keep in touch with professors over the gap year; it helps.

I have not contacted Andrew Bell, no. But I have looked into UNLV and I am not impressed with its program(s). Additionally, many students I have talked to from the university have difficulty getting the courses they need to graduate in a timely manner, which didn't bode well, either. A list of requirements for the PhD program at the schools? Yes, I have. Language skills as in Ancient languages or the modern ones I need? I could always brush up on my French and/or Italian and/or learn German, but there is no way I can go about learning ancient languages in person here. The Latin courses offered at CSN are lower than the ones I have taken as an undergraduate and they are all offered during my work day, regardless.

^So, basically, I eventually want to get a PhD in one of the programs in Classics which combine art history, archaeology, Classical languages, history, etc. So, Classical studies is what I'm aiming for, eventually. Where I want to study for my PhD? Or in general, because for the MA is I'm limited to options of things offered as distance/online programs. For my PhD, I will most likely end up back on the east coast, ideally at UPenn, but I have also considered NYU and a few other schools, but those are my top two. Working in a museum is the end goal. Having my MA in Museum Studies allows me to get museum experience right now but again, I'm kinda...stuck? In Las Vegas, where I live now, and they do not have any Classics anything here, but the end game has always been museums, and preferably in a curatorial position and preferably dealing with the Classical world.

I'm having a bit of a dilemma with my pursuit of a second Master of Arts degree. Let me preface this by saying that while a second Master's degree may not seem like a good idea to some, since my first Master of Arts degree is in Museum Studies, the second degree would be complimentary to it in some way. My issue is that I need to attend my second Master of Arts degree as a distance learning/online program, as I do not have access to these programs at the local university and cannot afford to move at this moment and am working a full-time job now. Therefore, the dilemma I face is the following: do I apply to multiple graduate schools in the different fields I am considering as my second Master of Arts and attend the one that I feel is best suited to my goals, or should I focus solely on what I know will help the end goal the most? The issue is this: my local university does not have Classics, Classical archaeology, ancient history, or art history offered at the graduate level here, and those are the areas in which I desire to combine into an interdisciplinary PhD (such as the NYU ISAW or UPenn's AAMW program), but I am seeking out a terminal MA at the moment because I am not able to move yet. I have found that Villanova University offers their Classical Studies MA online but it's synchronous, so I would have to attend at the offered course time, which is doable but challenging. Thus far, that is the only university that I have found that offers a program that would be competitive enough to gain me entry into an eventual PhD. My question is: Should I apply to the Classical Studies by itself or should I apply to Villanova, but also for the second MA programs I am considering, such as Art History, History, Library Sciences (which would help as I work in a museum and often collaborate with the research library, so it would be relevant but not to my end goal of a PhD), and/or English/Creative Writing MFA - it's a hard call because I know it makes me look like I don't have one concentration or focus, but as I will have a Master's in Museum Studies soon, any of these degrees would pair well (I know many will tell me to take the MFA out, which I have considered anyway, since I could always pursue that later if I felt like it). The issue with the art history and history options, is, of course, not many online programs will allow you to focus on ancient history. I know that there are a decent schools in the UK that would be able to offer this (such as the University of Wales Trinity Saint David), but I cannot afford to pay that much out of pocket, so for now I am looking into American schools only. I think the root of my issue is worrying that I won't get into Villanova and then not know what to do with myself if I don't, since there's not that many other options. Help?

I was wondering if anyone knew of a good online graduate program online in Art History (preferably with an emphasis on ancient history, but I know many MA programs give a broader range of course material). I know that Academy of Art University has an online degree in Art History, but since it's a for-profit school, I don't feel like it would be a respected way to pursue my goals. Aside from that, the only place I have found that has an online program for Art History is Lindenwood University, which I hadn't heard of until I went on a search for a school in the U.S. that had an online Art History graduate program. The local university does not offer art history even at a BA level and I cannot yet afford to move again, so if I want to pursue my second MA, I would have to do it via distance/online learning. Thanks, all!

So, aside from Coursera and other similar MOOCs, what is the best way to keep up/up to date/refresh Classics information if you have a decently sized gap between your undergraduate degree and when you pursue your MA? I am currently getting my Master of Arts in Museum Studies, so aside from MOOCs or the University of Georgia Post-Bacc (which I would like to do but can't afford at the moment), what can I do to show my potential as a graduate student and show that I have not left the Classics/Classical Studies behind while I studied museum work and worked in a museum that is more history based with natural history and state history rather than a Classical collection. I have taken the free online courses from Coursera, Udemy, and so on, always related to the ancient world or Jewish folk in antiquity. I have recently began to work my way through my old Latin textbook and bought the workbook for it (since I did not have that in undergrad), and will soon do the same with my ancient Greek book. I don't have many opportunities in taking courses in person, as Las Vegas does not have any kind of Classics program and I don't have a lot of money that I can pay out of pocket for online courses. Is keeping up through self study and MOOCs enough for a three and a half year gap between when I graduated with my undergrad degree and when I plan on applying to my graduate degree? Or is it advised that I find a way to retake courses to brush up and get better grades than what I had previously?

Hello, I am hunting around for a Master of Arts program in Classics / Classical Studies / Ancient History (preferably Classical Studies so I am getting both the language and culture courses in my MA), but my issue is that I would need to pursue the program online. I would prefer the school be based in the United States (non-profit, no for-profit schools) as I would need to get financial aid to attend, and there are little to no scholarships that I have found that would apply to a distance program learner, especially one that is for an American student attending a British school at a distance (if you know of one or more and want to share, it would be much appreciated). So far, the only school I have found that is a non-profit school in America that allows a Classical Studies Master's degree to be taken completely online is Villanova University in Pennsylvania. The downside of this is that the school is synchronous, and I currently live in Las Vegas, so arranging the time to be able to go to class would be doable but challenging. My second option is a distance program through a school in the United Kingdom, but those are my final option due to the lack of being able to do it right out of pocket. I also know of the Harvard Extension School, but as that requires residency and beginning the courses by paying out of your own pocket, I would not be able to pursue that path, either. The reason I want a Master of Arts in Classical Studies as an online program is because the local University doesn't have an option for Classical languages or archaeology or ancient history, but I cannot yet afford to move to a place that would offer such a program. The local university is also notorious for delaying graduation for their students by not offering the courses they need to graduate, so I wanted to avoid that as well. If anyone knows of any other non-profit schools, please let me know. I would need it to be without a residency requirement (the maximum I could be gone would be 2 weeks and I doubt I would be able to afford that, regardless) but would consider schools with short residences. I will be fine if Villanova is my only option, but I wanted to see if there were more schools I may have missed? I would prefer asynchronous coursework, but synchronous would be doable. Thank you all in advance!

Thank you! And that's awesome; I wish you the best of luck with that!

Wow, I haven't been on this forum in forever, so sorry for the response over a year later. I chose to do a distance program because I work in the museum industry in Las Vegas, but our local university only had Public History as an option and they do not have the best reputation (many students have had issues getting all the courses they need to graduate offered so they could graduate on time). I wanted to do a Museum Studies degree vs. Public History due to the fact that I wanted it to be a bit more versatile as I have worked with history, natural history, art, and anthropology/archaeology, so I wanted to make sure all of those things were an option once I completed the degree. Halfway through my degree I managed to land my first full-time job in a museum, so it has been going well! One year to go for my degree, now.

Personally, I had just under a 2.7 when I graduated undergrad, but I think my experience in my field (museums) helped tremendously. My Statement of Purpose and my CV are what got me into the University of Oklahoma for a master's program. I was granted conditional admission and finished my first semester with a 4.0. Most schools, once they see the work you've put into your field, understand that life is hard on some people and other factors can cause low GPAs other than not actually studying. (I was homeless for two years of my undergrad) I think it also helped that I got a job in my field shortly after graduating, and had completed four internships and had a bit more on my volunteer list. I think rather than staying in school an extra semester, perhaps try and volunteer or intern or work in your field (if possible, I know that's easier said than done) during that extra year and the experience is going to look good when you're applying to schools.

I just got accepted into a distance Master's degree program in Museum Studies through University of Oklahoma Outreach. I'm a little confused about the loans I have received, though. Since it's a distance program, I figured the loans would only be for tuition and books/materials, but I have a lot factored in like Transportation and Living Expenses, even though it's a Distance program. Is this usual for distance programs or did something wonky happen?

I got into Master's degree program for Museum Studies through the University of Oklahoma Outreach program (online.) They didn't require letters of recommendation or the GRE for their program; I got in on my strong CV and personal statement even though my GPA was a 2.69. I have to maintain a minimum of a 3.0 for my first 12 credits to continue as a graduate in good standing without being dismissed.

Thanks, everyone! I will definitely take all of this into consideration and get in touch with those who might be able to help me with possibly removing the bad grades from the record. (My GPA went from a 2.22 to a 2.34, so yeah it helped; hopefully I'll keep at that if not better for the remaining semesters!) Oh, I never try to blame anything because I usually do overcome it, it was just an unfortunate situation where I was pretty much hit with every stressor simultaneously. I obviously have pulled my bum out of the fire when I made Dean's List; which I intend to do for the remaining time I'm attending undergrad. HOPEFULLY I'll be able to bump my GPA to a 3.0 provided that I bust my butt like I did this past semester. It just took a little bit more stability and maturing for me to be able to throw myself into my studies as much as possible. Thanks again, everyone; it's been very helpful!

I know that there hasn't really been an update in this thread for about a month, but I wanted to come in and see how others think my resume/CV would help with my sub-3.0 uGPA. Extenuating Circumstances: I always had a strained relationship with my parents, and they kicked me out of the house when I was 19 because my "way of life" (I'm not straight) didn't agree with theirs (oh and I'm hella liberal and they're not, too) so off I went into the world all by my onesy. I've been on my own for the past six years, two of which I was not in school because I was living permanently in the dorms when I was told by my university I had to pay a $6,000 hold on my account or I couldn't take any more classes. I failed a semester trying to find a place to live because I thought keeping a roof over my head was a wee bit more important than grades at that time. I was out of school for two years because of this, trying to pay off the $6,000 slowly, which isn't easily done when you're working two jobs, on SNAP, and have to pay rent and utilities amongst other bills (cell phone, credit cards, etc.) So, now I have a 2.34 GPA, but I have two years of school left to boost my GPA. The returning semester (this past Spring) I earned a 3.73 for the semester and made Dean's List. So, do you think if I made that happen for the remaining semesters (3.7 or better to make Dean's List as well) would help, even if my overall GPA is less than stellar? I plan on getting an M.A. in Art History and an M.A. in Museum Studies because I want to be a Curator (and then hopefully on to a PhD.) My experience as of now includes a Curatorial Apprenticeship Program through my University, an internship at the Delaware Museum of Natural History, an internship for a small theatre company where I'm creating a database for their costume collection, an upcoming internship I'll have for this school year with a foundation that runs an education program from their 17th century Swedish ship replica that landed in Delaware (with opportunity for research on boats they attained for a museum collection for when their museum opens since they have boats ranging from Antiquity to the Present, and my History concentration is Classics), along with a wealth of volunteer experience in place on and around my campus: UD Archaeology Lab, UD Historical Costume and Textile Collection, Iron Hill Museum Archaeology Festival, and I'm currently volunteering as a Gallery Monitor for the Newark Arts Alliance, a small non-profit that has rotating exhibitions, classes, and a gallery shop, which I pretty much baby-sit during regular hours. Now, to the important part: Education. This will probably seem nuts to most of you, but I'm a triple major and a double minor. I came in as a Three Language Major, but I switched it when I got chucked out of my house because I started doing poorly when I was attempting to do French, Italian, and Japanese all at once when I was worrying about money. I switched my major to History/Classics and I began to excel in my classes. The reason I added English/Creative Writing later was because the University had dropped that major (which is why I hadn't claimed it in the first place) but when they brought it back, I claimed it because that's originally what I wanted my degree in originally but since I was halfway done my History major (and I was in the middle of taking Ancient Greek and Latin for it), I kept that as well. Recently, I realized if I took 9 more classes, I would qualify for an Asian Studies major with a Japanese concentration, so I claimed that as well. Majors: History/Classics, English/Creative Writing, Asian Studies/Japanese Language Concentration Minors: Art History and Theatre Studies I am somewhat proficient in French and Italian, and do better in Japanese when speaking, but writing is a challenge. I studied abroad in Japan the summer after high school after being admitted into a prestigious exchange program. While I was in college, I studied abroad in the Winter in France and Italy. I have attended extra lectures and symposiums relevant to my studies (mostly pertaining to Ancient History) as well. I also completed the first Tier of a Leadership Program at my University. Sorry for the verbose message! I just wanted to know how this would look next to a less-than-stella GPA and probably a GRE that won't be as good as I hope, as I don't do very well with standardized testing (ADHD and panic disorders do not assist with such things.) Please let me know what all of you think!