Funded MAs

[NogaiKhan]

I feel kind of silly asking this, but I haven't been able to find a straight answer in my research so far. How hard is it get your MA in History fully funded? Is it even possible for most people? My friend, who is currently in a PhD program, said so (and furthermore that you shouldn't actually pay for this degree), but I'm skeptical. Every history department website I've seen is vague on this point (some say that all graduate students get full funding via fellowships, but don't specify if that includes all of them or just PhDs; I have a feeling it's the latter). At the moment I'm only considering doing an MA if it's funded, but am not sure if my stats are good enough for it. I don't really know where to start looking either.

Details, if they matter:

-About to graduate from a good but not great state school.

-3.2 overall GPA (may be slightly higher or lower depending on next semester; yeah, I know it's quite low, my only real saving grace is that my performance in the last two years has been much stronger than my performance in the first two, so maybe I can try playing that up?).

-Double-major bachelor of arts in economics and history.

-3.8 history GPA.

-165VR/149QR/5.0AW GRE (96th/93rd/35th percentiles), taken a few weeks ago.

-Believe I can get fairly solid LORs from my professors, built up a decent rapport with at least two of them.

-No internships or assistantships in undergraduate career.

-Will possibly be taking an honor's thesis class next semester.

 

 

Edited September 25, 2018 by NogaiKhan

[OHSP]

Funding is really tight across this country and few MA programs provide stipends or cover tuition for students. You certainly should not pay for an MA but that doesn't mean that it's easy to find a funded spot--they're uncommon in the US. Talk to professors about grad school and they might be able to give you a sense of whether you'll be competitive if you apply to phd programs, which, unlike MA programs, are regularly funded. In terms of things to care about: no one cares about your GRE; in my experience no one cares about internships etc, and I think it's ridiculous when undergrads have been given the impression that internships blah blah blah are equivalent to research experience/journal articles/a really solid writing sample. What does matter: a really solid writing sample--that's the basis on which you're competing against other applicants--and a tailored, polished, extremely well-written statement of purpose. To get into some schools, it matters where you did your undergrad degree--you can't control that so don't waste time worrying about it. Think carefully about where you'd be happy to work and what kinds of people you'd like to work with, I'm constantly grateful that I have an advisor who is allowing me to do the kind of work I want to do but who also pushes me politically, ethically, etc etc. Work out what you care about and think about where you might find it. Get in touch with potential advisors. And work on a writing sample that is based on close, detailed work with primary sources. 

Edited September 26, 2018 by OHSP

[AfricanusCrowther]

 

[delores]

I'm currently doing a fully funded (tuition remission + stipend) MA. It's in an area studies department, not history, but I've taken mostly history courses and am in the process of applying for history PhDs. When I was applying to programs, I just assumed that I would have to go in to debt for it--no one told me that getting full funding was a possibility, and the schools I applied to didn't advertise it. But despite that--nearly everyone in my cohort has either full or partial funding.

I have two pieces of advice: First, if it makes sense for your interests, look into area studies departments! My department is a Title VI resource center and I think that makes it possible for them to pay for so many grad students. Second, look into private universities! Yes, at public schools you can often get TA positions and get a tuition remission through that, and they're cheaper in general--but private universities are often very wealthy. That comes with its own set of benefits. 

Moral of the story: funding is out there! Don't let people tell you that MA degrees don't get funded, or that you have to restrict your search to universities that explicitly advertise their MAs as funded.

Feel free to message me if you want more information about my program. 

[OHSP]

The real thing to keep in mind is that across the country funding is being rapidly cut. NYU's history department, for instance, is culling its intake numbers next year because of huge funding cuts. Other departments have told grad students to radically rethink their time to completion. So while it's possible to find funded MAs, the experience for people applying this year is going to be very different to the experience of people who've applied in the past 5

[psstein]

I can't speak for anything outside of history of science, but there are very few guaranteed funding MAs in my own field. Indiana's HPS will often let you work as a TA, and so will Wisconsin's program. I don't know anything about Florida State's, but I can ask a colleague if there's interest.

 

 

[Katzenmusik]

@AfricanusCrowther : Thanks for posting the link to that thread!

@NogaiKhan : If a department's web site is ambiguous, you can just email the DGS and ask them directly about the prospect of MA funding.