Jump to content

Schillel

Members
  • Posts

    7
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Schillel

  1. I'm not a news or law librarian (yet!) but I am aspiring to law librarianship. To address your concern about the availability of jobs: there is just as much whining about the job market for law librarians as there is for librarians in general and academic jobs at large. I did a lot of research before I decided to pursue this. I am not sure if it will pay off, so I can't help you with that, but I would recommend you check out articles online by the Library Journal, read the section on librarians in the Occupational Outlook Guidebook (BLS.gov). Any job in an academic environment is tough to get. The employers of law librarians, like universities, governments, and law firms, are all strained right now. You need to look at the jobs people are qualified to do with that training if and when they do not get the specific professional job they hoped for. To me, working as a paraprofessional in a firm that did work I supported or in a small-town public library is acceptable, even if it's not my first choice. Depending on what school you go to, the MLS/MLIS/MIS degree equips you with technology skills and service training that is transferable to many different positions. I completed an MA in history after undergrad. I was fortunate to be allowed to take graduate courses as an undergrad, so the MA was not a significant expense or hardship. I do think it was tremendously helpful. Graduate research was on a completely different level than undergraduate research. I also found that the MA gave me more time to talk to professors about their research, work in the department, and work closely with librarians, archivists, and academics. I don't think I could have proceeded confidently into such a specific professional program before the MA, but you may be more mature than I was. I would recommend an MA if you love the subject, are interested in the coursework, and it does not pose a financial hardship. Even if you decide to pursue librarianship afterwords, you will be a more competitive applicant and once you are done you will be more desirable candidate if you have a subject area specialty.
  2. "Thanks!" to everyone who replied.
  3. Has anyone successfully gotten into a History PhD program with anything other than a 3.8-4.0? I started undergrad as a business major and then had a pretty serious illness for a year, and ended up with a 3.4. My last semesters I had a 4.0 in history, and I also have an MA in history with a 3.8. I realize that no one can say "yes, you'll be admitted" and that there are other factors, but is their anyone else on this forum who has been successful after a similar experience? Anyone who offers their stats has very impressive ones, and it's a little intimidating.
  4. I have been advised by professors in my department not to compile a list of programs to apply to before I take the GRE (late summer). But I have heard a lot about prospectives contacting faculty and departments and I understand the advantages of this approach. I am torn, I don't know whether this means that I should not contact them and waste their time or if it's even necessary. Has anyone not done this and still been successful in the application process?
  5. I wanted to delete this post but it was saying I had to enter something.....
  6. Thank you, to both who replied. My only concern with an American Studies PhD is job opportunities. Even American Studies departments seem to be staffed by History or English PhDs. Does anyone know of a program with a good placement record?
  7. I did my undergraduate work in history and am presently finishing up an MA in American History. I want to be an academic more than anything, but I really want to switch my field to American Literature. I was in an honors track in undergrad. where I got a strong background in literature, but have not taken English courses beyond that. I want to switch for numerous reasons, some having to do with preference and some having to do with what I have, in the course of my MA, found my strengths to be. I worry that going so far in history might count against me, but if it were not for my work for my MA I would have not known how much I preferred Am. Lit. I have always used substantial amounts of literature as primary sources in my historical studies, and did well on the subject-specific GRE. I realize that I will need to get an MA in Lit. before applying to PhD programs, but is it even possible for me at this point? Has anyone else done this? Are there some schools that would be more accepting of this than others? For whatever it's worth, I am taking continuing ed. courses in writing to help polish up my writing samples.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use