Good evening. I'm currently teaching English at a proprietary college. I have a B.A. in English Education from the University of North Florida in 1984, a year's graduate study in literature at the University of Florida in 1985, and a Master's in Library and Information Science from Florida State University in 1996. After 20 years in librarianship, I took a part-time summer job teaching English Comp at a business college and fell in love with English all over again.
Since then I've switched back to teaching English; I've been teaching at a business and now a proprietary college now for five years. Because I have 18 graduate hours in English, I can teach at these and community colleges, but candidates with an MA in English are usually hired ahead of me.
Is it worth it for me to go back and get my MA? I'd like to do an online, or mostly online, program since I homeschool my 10 year old daughter and teach one or two classes a semester in the evening. Yet part of me would like to go for the whole enchilada - the PhD in English. I'd love to write a dissertation on possible incest in the Bronte family. I've even been researching the Bronte scholars and their universities. (One's in Australia and one's in England) My current goal is to eventually move into FT teaching at a community college, but I haven't given up on my dream of a PhD and a college or university teaching position either - especially once my daughter is older.
I've thought about doing an MA online first, getting more current, and then considering a PhD program in a few years when my daughter will also be older. I'd love to go to one of the Vic Lit schools like Indiana University, UH, UVA, etc. But that's down the road.
What I'm asking (aside from confirmation of my sanity is if any of the schools that offer online MA degrees are even reputable? So far I've been looking at UT @ Tyler, Northern Arizona University, Southern New Hampshire University, Morehead State University, Mercy College, National University, Old Dominion University, University of Central Florida,, University of Wyoming, Weyland Baptist University and Nova Southeastern University.
I also noted another poster mentioned funded MA's; does this mean scholarships? I'd apply for aid/scholarships/loans whatever I could find, as we're not independently wealthy Are there schools that offer funding and degrees online?
Thanks for listening, and thanks in advance for any posters! I'll be looking forward to hearing from you.
