Is it dumb to apply for a second Masters?

[thepeeps]

Hi all.  I'm playing on applying to PhD programs in the fall.  I have my Bachelor's (Writing focused) already, but the thing is I'm completing my Masters in one year (I'm staying at my university, so I'm not worried about letters of rec).  I know I had the option to have my Masters funded, but is it common for Masters degrees to be funded?  Especially as an American who wants to study in Canada?

My Masters degree will be in Professional Writing, and I was thinking about applying to one Masters degree that is literature focused.  Just so I could possibly have more options in the future with applying for programs.  Just not sure if it's even worth it, just for the chance to study in a city I really want. Thanks all.

[Glasperlenspieler]

What's the end goal here? Reading between the lines, my sense is that you're (potentially) interested in pursuing a PhD in literature. Is that right?

If so, an a literature focused MA could certainly improve your odds with regards to PhD admissions and if you're not yet sure that this is a path you'd like to pursue, it could be a good way to test the waters. That being said, I wouldn't totally write off the idea of applying to PhD programs now. Depending on your exact situation a good strategy could be to apply to some MA and some PhD programs and see where the cards fall.

NB: If your goal is an academic career, you will at some point have to look beyond geography in terms of where you would like to study/teach/work. If you won't take on any debt, then doing an MA so that you can live in a particular city might be a fine life choice, but if an academic career is your goal (and even if it's not), you should certainly also be thinking about whether that degree will advance your professional goals or not.

[thepeeps]

27 minutes ago, Glasperlenspieler said:

What's the end goal here? Reading between the lines, my sense is that you're (potentially) interested in pursuing a PhD in literature. Is that right?

If so, an a literature focused MA could certainly improve your odds with regards to PhD admissions and if you're not yet sure that this is a path you'd like to pursue, it could be a good way to test the waters. That being said, I wouldn't totally write off the idea of applying to PhD programs now. Depending on your exact situation a good strategy could be to apply to some MA and some PhD programs and see where the cards fall.

NB: If your goal is an academic career, you will at some point have to look beyond geography in terms of where you would like to study/teach/work. If you won't take on any debt, then doing an MA so that you can live in a particular city might be a fine life choice, but if an academic career is your goal (and even if it's not), you should certainly also be thinking about whether that degree will advance your professional goals or not.

My initial goal for the fall was to apply to mainly Rhetoric/Writing PhD programs.  It's not like I'm unhappy about it, but for a long time it's been a goal of mine to study in Toronto.  U of T's PhD in English is literature focused, and as someone who is coming from a writing background and will be applying as a intentional student, I highly doubt I'd get in.  That's why I was debating on applying to their  Masters program.  I just do not know if Masters programs are typically funded (because if it wasn't, I wouldn't go).  My Masters are my school gave me the option to be funded (through TAing and other stuff) but it was a personal choice of mine to graduate quickly. I'm just not sure how likely that is everywhere else to given funding for a MA, especially as an American in Canada.

So yes, my goal right now is to apply to roughly 8ish PhD Rhetoric programs.  University of Toronto's MA program would be the only MA program I would apply to.  I'm just not sure if it's worth it or not just for the chance to live in a city I want (at least for a certain amount of time, I understand moving will be a thing in the future)

[PolPhil]

32 minutes ago, thepeeps said:

My initial goal for the fall was to apply to mainly Rhetoric/Writing PhD programs.  It's not like I'm unhappy about it, but for a long time it's been a goal of mine to study in Toronto.  U of T's PhD in English is literature focused, and as someone who is coming from a writing background and will be applying as a intentional student, I highly doubt I'd get in.  That's why I was debating on applying to their  Masters program.  I just do not know if Masters programs are typically funded (because if it wasn't, I wouldn't go).  My Masters are my school gave me the option to be funded (through TAing and other stuff) but it was a personal choice of mine to graduate quickly. I'm just not sure how likely that is everywhere else to given funding for a MA, especially as an American in Canada.

So yes, my goal right now is to apply to roughly 8ish PhD Rhetoric programs.  University of Toronto's MA program would be the only MA program I would apply to.  I'm just not sure if it's worth it or not just for the chance to live in a city I want (at least for a certain amount of time, I understand moving will be a thing in the future)

I don't know about the MA literature program in particular, but most academic MAs at U of T are not funded. Typically, in Canada, programs that are ranked on the higher end tend to give out less money at the MA level.

[Glasperlenspieler]

On 7/23/2019 at 12:42 PM, thepeeps said:

I'm just not sure how likely that is everywhere else to given funding for a MA, especially as an American in Canada.

I don't know too much about Canadian universities, but generally I'd say it's hard to get MA funding at a program that also offers a PhD. If you're competing for funding with PhD students as an MA student you're typically going to lose out. Most funded MAs that I'm aware of (in the US) are at programs where an MA is the highest degree awarded. As a result, MA students can get funding through TA/RAships because there aren't PhD students to take those positions. But there may of course be exceptions to this.

[illcounsel]

6 minutes ago, Glasperlenspieler said:

Most funded MAs that I'm aware of (in the US) are at programs where an MA is the highest degree awarded. As a result, MA students can get funding through TA/RAships because there aren't PhD students to take those positions. But there may of course be exceptions to this.

I don't think this is the case actually. Of the 10-15 funded (U.S) MA programs that I know about, all of them have a PhD option as well. 

Edited July 25, 2019 by illcounsel

[Glasperlenspieler]

Good to know @illcounsel! I stand corrected, I guess. Thanks for the info.

[thepeeps]

5 hours ago, Glasperlenspieler said:

I don't know too much about Canadian universities, but generally I'd say it's hard to get MA funding at a program that also offers a PhD. If you're competing for funding with PhD students as an MA student you're typically going to lose out. Most funded MAs that I'm aware of (in the US) are at programs where an MA is the highest degree awarded. As a result, MA students can get funding through TA/RAships because there aren't PhD students to take those positions. But there may of course be exceptions to this.

Although I read the response below you, this probably explains why at my university I had the option to have my Masters funded, because my university doesn't offer a PhD in English.  Food for thought...but interesting regardless.