Two MTS degrees before PhD?

[sacklunch]

Just curious how many of you have heard, or are, doing two master's degrees before a PhD? I'm currently doing an MTS right now, but I am unsure if I will be able to get into any competitive programs once I'm done. Would it be a terrible idea, aside from the cost, to get another MTS/MA/MAR before applying to doctoral programs?

If it matters I'm doing biblical studies at BC now, specifically interested in second temple period/early Christianity. By the end of this MTS I will have 4 years of Greek (with a couple upper level courses at HDS), 2 years of Hebrew, summer intensive course of intro German, and possibly an introduction to Aramaic (not sure if I can fit it in, yet). With this in mind, I had considered applying to Yale's MAR, or a similar program at HDS.

How many applicants applying to MTS/MAR programs already have an MTS/MA? Would this help, or possibly hurt you?

I at least know one person who is doing this. A friend from BC has an MDiv from Emory and decided to come to BC to get an MTS since she didn't feel prepared, ect., to apply to PhD programs.

thoughts?

-Nick

[Nytusse]

Just curious how many of you have heard, or are, doing two master's degrees before a PhD? I'm currently doing an MTS right now, but I am unsure if I will be able to get into any competitive programs once I'm done. Would it be a terrible idea, aside from the cost, to get another MTS/MA/MAR before applying to doctoral programs?

If it matters I'm doing biblical studies at BC now, specifically interested in second temple period/early Christianity. By the end of this MTS I will have 4 years of Greek (with a couple upper level courses at HDS), 2 years of Hebrew, summer intensive course of intro German, and possibly an introduction to Aramaic (not sure if I can fit it in, yet). With this in mind, I had considered applying to Yale's MAR, or a similar program at HDS.

How many applicants applying to MTS/MAR programs already have an MTS/MA? Would this help, or possibly hurt you?

I at least know one person who is doing this. A friend from BC has an MDiv from Emory and decided to come to BC to get an MTS since she didn't feel prepared, ect., to apply to PhD programs.

thoughts?

-Nick

I'm just wondering what you are hoping to get out of a second MTS?

[Febronia]

Getting two master's degrees is becoming increasingly common, although I don't know if I've heard of anyone doing a second MTS degree before. Usually it's a combination like MTS/ThM, MTS/MA, MTS/MPhil, etc.... I myself did the M.Div./M.Phil combination.

That said, you do need to have specific goals for what you want to get out of the second master's that you were unable to accomplish in the first one. I think it would be hard to convince an admissions committee to admit you in order to study the same thing that you studied for the first master's... In the cases where I have seen this strategy work well, the person used the second master's either to switch focus to a different, but complementary, area of study, or else to do a more specialized degree in one aspect of their previous study. In my case, I did one master's degree in contemporary Eastern Christianity, and the second one in ancient and medieval Eastern Christianity. I also know people who have, for example, done one master's in ancient Christianity, and a second one in ancient Judaism. That makes a lot of sense, for someone with those research interests, in a way that two master's degrees in a single area of study really wouldn't. I also know someone who wanted more language preparation and so did a second master's degree in classics.

All of that being said, don't despair. BC is a respected program, and their placement rate for doctoral programs seems to be good. The most important thing is to focus on doing the best job that you can while you're there, instead of thinking about doing a second master's at a "better" program. It's also good that you're taking classes at Harvard. That gives you a chance to take some classes with those professors and show that you can excel in that environment as well, without going to all of the trouble of a second master's degree.

Edited October 11, 2010 by Febronia

[sacklunch]

Getting two master's degrees is becoming increasingly common, although I don't know if I've heard of anyone doing a second MTS degree before. Usually it's a combination like MTS/ThM, MTS/MA, MTS/MPhil, etc.... I myself did the M.Div./M.Phil combination.

That said, you do need to have specific goals for what you want to get out of the second master's that you were unable to accomplish in the first one. I think it would be hard to convince an admissions committee to admit you in order to study the same thing that you studied for the first master's... In the cases where I have seen this strategy work well, the person used the second master's either to switch focus to a different, but complementary, area of study, or else to do a more specialized degree in one aspect of their previous study. In my case, I did one master's degree in contemporary Eastern Christianity, and the second one in ancient and medieval Eastern Christianity. I also know people who have, for example, done one master's in ancient Christianity, and a second one in ancient Judaism. That makes a lot of sense, for someone with those research interests, in a way that two master's degrees in a single area of study really wouldn't. I also know someone who wanted more language preparation and so did a second master's degree in classics.

All of that being said, don't despair. BC is a respected program, and their placement rate for doctoral programs seems to be good. The most important thing is to focus on doing the best job that you can while you're there, instead of thinking about doing a second master's at a "better" program. It's also good that you're taking classes at Harvard. That gives you a chance to take some classes with those professors and show that you can excel in that environment as well, without going to all of the trouble of a second master's degree.

That helps a lot, thanks!