Ph.D in Library Science vs. Ph.D in English

[caffeinated librarian]

I wanted to get some opinions from everyone here on my situation. I have a B.A. in English from a good (but not Ivy) university and a Master of Library and Information Science. I am applying for doctoral programs in library science for Fall 2011. My problem is that while I like library science and librarianship, I feel pulled back to English. While I was getting my MLIS, a part of me wished I was getting an MA in English. I regret not going the English route, and I fear that I will end up in a doctoral program in library science still carrying that regret.

My question for the board is: Is it possible to get into a Ph.D program in English (preferably literature, but I would consider some rhetoric and comp programs) with a masters in a field other than English? The programs I am considering are BA-to-Ph.D programs. None require an MA in English, but I am concerned that my MLIS will seem odd. There are ways to connect my MLIS to what I want to study as a doctoral student in English. I'm just wondering if adcoms will bother to consider me.

Yes, I know the job market is flooded with English Ph.Ds. Yes, I know that my chances of getting anything more than an NTT position at Poduck State University are slim. However, I don't want to totally ignore where my heart is pulling me.

Thanks in advance!

[Pamphilia]

My question for the board is: Is it possible to get into a Ph.D program in English (preferably literature, but I would consider some rhetoric and comp programs) with a masters in a field other than English?

Short answer because I'm pressed for time: Yes!

[stormydown]

My question for the board is: Is it possible to get into a Ph.D program in English (preferably literature, but I would consider some rhetoric and comp programs) with a masters in a field other than English?

I actually don't really know how to answer your question, although I'm very interested -- hopefully someone with more knowledge will be a better help. My gut instinct is to say that you'd have a lot of legwork to do in your application to prove why you're a great candidate for X/Y/Z, especially because of your nontraditional Masters degree, but I think it's probably that the current cutthroat grad school market is more likely to keep people out of programs than a nontraditional Masters degree. That is, I don't think adcoms will reject you simply because of your Masters -- they'll be rejecting people because they'll have 2389043 applications for 2 spots. If you can put together a strong application in which you demonstrate how your Masters degree somehow made you decide to take the English PhD path, I don't see why it couldn't work, especially if you have a strong undergraduate record in English (you mentioned that many of these programs don't require a Masters anyway). As I mentioned, you'd have to work to make sure you had a writing sample and strong letters of rec that flaunt your talents as they'd be demonstrated in the English PhD programs. Again, that's just my gut instinct, and others can feel free to correct me!

What I might suggest, though, is trying to figure out what exactly you would want to achieve in an English PhD program. Is there anything that really interests you? You'll have to present a strong case for your research interests in your SoP. Lit programs and Rhet/Comp programs are quite different -- I considered Rhet/Comp programs before I switched to considering Lit programs, and my list of schools was different from one field to the next. Narrowing down your focus at this stage may help because you can begin to look at different programs and talk to people associated with those programs, which will help you figure out what they're looking for and how your Masters experience might fit into that.

And if you're not sure about the library science PhD, though, don't do it! Only do it if you're 100% committed.

Edited September 29, 2010 by stormydown

[stormydown]

My question for the board is: Is it possible to get into a Ph.D program in English (preferably literature, but I would consider some rhetoric and comp programs) with a masters in a field other than English?

I actually don't really know how to answer your question, although I'm very interested -- hopefully someone with more knowledge will be a better help. My gut instinct is to say that you'd have a lot of legwork to do in your application to prove why you're a great candidate for X/Y/Z, especially because of your nontraditional Masters degree, but I think it's more likely that the current cutthroat grad school market is more likely to keep people out of programs rather than a nontraditional Masters degree. That is, I don't think adcoms will necessarily immediately reject you simply because of your Masters -- they'll be rejecting people because they'll have 2389043 applications for 2 spots. That's just my guess, though. If you can put together a strong application in which you demonstrate how your Masters degree somehow made you decide to take the English PhD path, I don't see why it couldn't work, especially if you have a strong undergraduate record (you mentioned that many of these programs don't require a Masters anyway). As I mentioned, you'd have to work to make sure you had a writing sample and strong letters of rec that flaunt your talents as they'd be demonstrated in the PhD programs. Again, that's just my gut instinct, and others can feel free to correct me!

What I might suggest, though, is trying to figure out what exactly you would want to achieve in an English PhD program. Is there anything that really interests you? Lit programs and Rhet/Comp programs are quite different -- I considered Rhet/Comp programs before I switched and considered Lit programs, and my list of schools was different from one field to the next. Narrowing down your focus may help because you can begin to look at different programs and talk to people associated with those programs, which will help you figure out what they're looking for and how your Masters experience might fit into that.

And if you're not sure about the library science PhD, though, don't do it! Only do it if you're 100% committed.

[BelleOfKilronen]

Absolutely!

Having a graduate degree of any sort going into a PhD program is a good thing--it indicates that you have the maturity and focus to successfully engage in graduate study--and a Master's that's a bit different could actually help you stand out if, in your SoP, you're able to tie it to your future PhD studies in an interesting way.

[caffeinated librarian]

Thank you all for the very kind replies. I was expecting a response along the lines of "Are you nuts?" or "Who do you think you are to apply for a degree in this field?" So thank you.

stormydown, I agree that I have some legwork to do. I do have a few things on my side. I took graduate level English courses in undergrad. When I graduated, I had a 3.98 GPA in my English courses and a 3.94 overall. I hope that counts for something. I think I have some relevant experience that would make me a good candidate for a Rhetoric and Comp program. I presented a paper at the 2006 NCTE national convention. The paper focused on censorship and literature, an area very important in librarianship. In my recent research, I've realized that there is some overlap in the research interests of librarians and rhetcomp folks.

I do have experience teaching at the college level. I teach a three credit hour course on information literacy, which is focused heavily on writing. I spend about half of the semester teaching students to write papers. If I were to enter a Rhetoric and Composition program, I'd like to focus on the effects of plagiarism education on the writing process of students in first-year composition courses.

If I were to go the literature route (which, honestly, is my first love,) my interests lie more in trauma theory/feminist theory in contemporary women's writing. Can I connect that to librarianship? I don't know if I can make a case for that. There may be too many people interested in feminist theory. It seems like almost everyone I graduated with in undergrad was in love with feminist theory.

Thank you very much for your input!

Edited October 1, 2010 by caffeinated librarian