History MA?

[misterpat]

Let me preface by saying I am aware that most departments are focused primarily on their PhD programs, and that the ones that do offer MAs frequently do not fund their students.

Is anyone aware of programs comparable to this for History? My grades somewhat worry me, since my History GPA is actually kind of crappy (3.3) and my cumulative is nothing special (3.56). I have around a 3.8 in my last 60 hours, and I have excellent grades in all my classes in disciplines that are considered 'related' to History. I just happened to take a few History classes I found quite boring, and ended up blowing them off to, well, be an undergraduate. ?

Thanks to anybody for responding.

[USF_Rockstar]

I'm in the same boat more or less. I'd assume we're best off applying to schools that do not offer PhD programs, which isn't ideal because a lot of the best schools offer both. How are your gre scores?

[misterpat]

They're pretty good, 680 Verbal 710 Quantitative. Just took it so I haven't gotten the Writing score, but I'm predicting a 5.5.

I mean, I'm definitely going to apply to good PhD programs, but it'd be nice to have a good MA program or two just to be safe.

[TMP]

Your grades are decent as long you submit an excellent writing sample and statement of purpose. Great LORs will speak to your abilities. GPA is important but the profs will be reading those two things first. First impressions count.

Most history PhD programs don't like to take students with history MAs if they already have their BAs because they don't want to "retrain" the student to be a scholar. You'll learn one method in one school but a different one at another and you may be inclined to keep the old one.

Better solution that works for many people- PhD admissions committee and applicants- is for the applicant to get their MA in a relevant field to their primaryr research interest such as education, Middle Eastern studies (quite a few are funded), American Studies, etc. The purpose of the MA in the eyes of the adcoms is that you demonstrated that you can handle grad level work AND you are on your way to getting your PhD faster by having some languages under your belt (especially for non-US history). Quite a few of us on this board ended up going this route after flunking out of PhD admissions and are pretty happy (and much more looking forawrd to the next round of applications next fall). Try to look for cultural studies programs- they'll be more likely to offer funding than regular history MA programs.

[misterpat]

Very helpful advice, I appreciate it. My writing sample is quite good, though it is on Stalinism and I am applying for Modern US. I have a shorter paper on the Old South that shows that I can write very well, but my professor in the class really did me a disservice in not allowing the use of primary sources (in a senior level class!). In my contact with a professor at one of the lower-ranked schools I've been considering, he told me to send the Stalinism paper since it uses primary sources but to also include the American History paper. I don't know if this will fly at a lot of departments or not.

I also majored in Sociology, and had a minor in Philosophy. Would either of those disciplines be as good to get an MA in for US History as American Studies? I was considering applying to Berkeley Sociology anyway.

Since I'm probably going to focus on US politics, would an MPA be an idea?

[USF_Rockstar]

An MPA is a lot different. It deals a lot with management, regulations, etc. so if you're interested in politics it probably isn't the best fit. You might want to check out political science. I've been interested in history, politics, international relations, philosophy... so it hasn't been easy for me to choose a degree (I'm still not sure to be honest) but I think political science is probably the best fit because it is more of an interdisciplinary degree than the others. Most programs don

[historygirl]

Most history PhD programs don't like to take students with history MAs if they already have their BAs because they don't want to "retrain" the student to be a scholar. You'll learn one method in one school but a different one at another and you may be inclined to keep the old one.

Urban legend. Lots and lots of successful applicants have MAs. Each school and scholar doesn't have a special secret method. Besides, your methodology training will be far more extensive in a PhD program than an MA program. An MA program is just coursework and a thesis. None of that will threaten any credible PhD program.

Let me preface by saying I am aware that most departments are focused primarily on their PhD programs, and that the ones that do offer MAs frequently do not fund their students.

Also an urban legend. I got a little curious about this over the summer. I listed every history grad program in the US and looked at their websites. Almost every single MA program offered at least some funding to their MA students. "Some" can mean partial funding, or it can mean fully funding some students. It was a mix. I confess I was surprised, because I also thought that it was hard to find MA funding.

FYI, Tufts also funds some MA students. I received a funding offer from them when I applied to MA programs- full tuition and partial TA.

More importantly, why are you doing a grad degree? You haven't even decided between two fields. Grad school isn't a great way to mark time until you decide what you want to do.

[misterpat]

Thanks for dispelling those myths. But I definitely have decided that I want to pursue History. The other options were brought up primarily under the assumption that a History MA was a bad idea. And the possibility of doing another discipline has been in my mind mostly because I worry whether I'm going to get into a program with a decent placement record. I want to end up with a job at a research university, and not end up living in rural Montana working at a small liberal arts college.

[misterpat]

Also, I have looked at Tufts before. They don't have too many faculty members for US history.

[rising_star]

Look at state schools that offer either the MA is their terminal degree or have a lot of undergraduate classes that they need TAs for.

[historygirl]

misterpat said:

Thanks for dispelling those myths. But I definitely have decided that I want to pursue History. The other options were brought up primarily under the assumption that a History MA was a bad idea. And the possibility of doing another discipline has been in my mind mostly because I worry whether I'm going to get into a program with a decent placement record. I want to end up with a job at a research university, and not end up living in rural Montana working at a small liberal arts college.

Well, the history job market sucks. There's a very, very good chance you will not end up at an R1, no matter what grad program you attend. Your alternative of philosophy, though, is a bit baffling, since it's nearly the only field that is more overcrowded than history. You're even less likely to find a job in philosophy, and grad admissions are even tougher for philosophy than history.

[anese]

misterpat said:

..And the possibility of doing another discipline has been in my mind mostly because I worry whether I'm going to get into a program with a decent placement record. I want to end up with a job at a research university, and not end up living in rural Montana working at a small liberal arts college.

This could happen whether or not you land at a good school that has a good placement record. History is an overstocked field. Even the Harvard PhD might find themselves sticking it out in the midwest in a place they never wanted to be for a few years. Few programs graduate guarantees, I can think of a few and they accept about 9% of their applicants.

If you are seriously considering any other field out of this fear, I would suggest investigating it further. This degree is the hardest thing I've ever had to do...and I'm actually not planning on sticking with it, I'm leaving for a law degree with the masters.

Now, would I trade it? Certainly not, I've learned to think in ways I never could be for, and I'm challenged each and every day. I'm constantly confronted with the genius of my fellow students and of my professors. I work with people who studied under the masters of modern thought and are luminaries in their fields.

It's daunting, and it's something that I personally think is only for those who desire it above all. (Expect to read a book + per week, per 3 hour or so class, and if you're like me you take 3 classes a week and have to produce publishable work for 3 courses not to mention the papers in-between) And I haven't even started to TA yet, which will eat up even more time.

Certainly consider all of your career options.