Working full time, MA part time

[Caganer]

Hello all,

I am planning on starting an MA this fall. I am planning on working full time and doing the MA half time (3 grad courses or 2 grad courses and 1 language course a semester). Has anyone else tried this? The most I have done up to this point has been 2 grad courses while working full time. It was a busy semester but I did very well in both classes.

Any opinions or advice?

Thanks!

[Ganymede18]

my guess is people will say this is too much, but i think it's totally doable (not much more than you've done before). As long as you don't have any kids!!

[Caganer]

Hahaha, no, no kids. I am youngish with basically no responsibility outside of school and work and (family/partner).

[Meg22]

I started my MA program working full time and changed things at the end of my first semester so I could work part time---my problem was that my program was very small (through a museum) and that meant that many classes I needed were offered during the day. A lot of the archives I needed (and the Library of Congress) had day hours as well, and I just couldn't squeeze everything I needed to do into Saturday or take time off whenever I needed to visit a museum library or archive.

On the other hand, a close friend is in her 3rd year of law school and she works full time at a busy DC law firm. She's full time in her law program and managing things just fine, so I think it depends on everything else on your plate.

[oseirus]

I am guessing once you go the PhD route however, this would almost be impossible?

[Nordicllama]

I am guessing once you go the PhD route however, this would almost be impossible?

I second this question. As I asked in the ChitChat forum. But I do know one grad student who does 10 hours a week working for our local library and another who works in retail. I am really leaning toward a menial job moonlighting as a master burger flipper to make an extra 100 or so a week.

[Sparky]

1. Do you have funding? If so (and maybe in any case, but especially if you have funding), you NEED to clear any outside work with your department. Many/most programs strictly prohibit students from taking on additional employment except in special cases through the university. (Hence, of course, the popularity of off-the-books tutoring)

2. I highly, *highly* suggest that if you do intend to pick up a part-time job, you wait at least until the first semester is over. The adjustment to being a graduate student--and I differentiate here between that and simply taking one or two graduate-level classes--can be pretty rough. It is as much adjusting to a new institutional culture and new codes of behavior as it is to the workload, honestly. (Otherwise why would my PhD program, where just about all of us come in with one or more M*s, write off everyone's first-semester grades?)

[Nordicllama]

1. Do you have funding? If so (and maybe in any case, but especially if you have funding), you NEED to clear any outside work with your department. Many/most programs strictly prohibit students from taking on additional employment except in special cases through the university. (Hence, of course, the popularity of off-the-books tutoring)

2. I highly, *highly* suggest that if you do intend to pick up a part-time job, you wait at least until the first semester is over. The adjustment to being a graduate student--and I differentiate here between that and simply taking one or two graduate-level classes--can be pretty rough. It is as much adjusting to a new institutional culture and new codes of behavior as it is to the workload, honestly. (Otherwise why would my PhD program, where just about all of us come in with one or more M*s, write off everyone's first-semester grades?)

Waiting definitely sounds like a good idea in that case. Thanks!

[oseirus]

2. I highly, *highly* suggest that if you do intend to pick up a part-time job, you wait at least until the first semester is over. The adjustment to being a graduate student--and I differentiate here between that and simply taking one or two graduate-level classes--can be pretty rough. It is as much adjusting to a new institutional culture and new codes of behavior as it is to the workload, honestly. (Otherwise why would my PhD program, where just about all of us come in with one or more M*s, write off everyone's first-semester grades?)

so you're saying 1st semester grades mean diddly?

[Sparky]

so you're saying 1st semester grades mean diddly?

Well...as long as lousy (think B+) grades don't become a *trend*, my department, at least, will overlook an uneven first semester in terms of whether you can stay in the program. They are really, really not forgiving after that, though.

GPA often figures into grant applications, though, and unfortunately first semester most definitely counts there. /sigh. Also, if you are unfunded or underfunded and trying to *earn* funding, you will want to do well from the beginning.

And finally: this is true for PhD students, or for master's students who are specifically planning on NOT going on for a doctorate. Multiple B+s in graduate level work are a Very Bad Thing for PhD apps.

[TMP]

And finally: this is true for PhD students, or for master's students who are specifically planning on NOT going on for a doctorate. Multiple B+s in graduate level work are a Very Bad Thing for PhD apps.

I did have multiple B+s but... it took a LOT to overcome those grades in my MA program even though they were all in non-History courses. Sometimes I still wonder how much the more subjective aspects of my application really mattered. Whenever I hear my POI gushing over my application, I think and wonder, "Um, and you don't care that I had a B+ average in my MA program?"

I was working part time when I made those kind of grades so... yeah, I wish I didn't though, then again the money allowed me to travel a little while I did my research

[StrangeLight]

Hello all,

I am planning on starting an MA this fall. I am planning on working full time and doing the MA half time (3 grad courses or 2 grad courses and 1 language course a semester). Has anyone else tried this? The most I have done up to this point has been 2 grad courses while working full time. It was a busy semester but I did very well in both classes.

Any opinions or advice?

Thanks!

3 grad courses a semester (or 2 grad courses and 1 language course) is considered full time, not part time. few history programs want or ask students to take more than 3 courses. if you're really going to do the MA part time, then it would be more like 1 grad course and 1 language course a semester. remember, the MA is more than just classes. you have to write a thesis and it's very time consuming.

when i started my MA i thought i'd be able to pick up some menial part time work and have whole days free. it just isn't possible unless you work VERY efficiently.

[Meg22]

I am guessing once you go the PhD route however, this would almost be impossible?

I would have to agree with this, although how on earth would anyone be able to pay rent and eat on just their stipend? Sigh.

[Nordicllama]

I would have to agree with this, although how on earth would anyone be able to pay rent and eat on just their stipend? Sigh.

Well, I am not quite sure the details of my funding (specifics to arrive via mail *fingers crossed* soon), but it seems like some programs give you additional funding for summer work or allow you the summers off. I know a couple of my friends who are students at my school are planning on supplementing their funding with summer jobs.

[Caganer]

3 grad courses a semester (or 2 grad courses and 1 language course) is considered full time, not part time. few history programs want or ask students to take more than 3 courses. if you're really going to do the MA part time, then it would be more like 1 grad course and 1 language course a semester. remember, the MA is more than just classes. you have to write a thesis and it's very time consuming.

when i started my MA i thought i'd be able to pick up some menial part time work and have whole days free. it just isn't possible unless you work VERY efficiently.

I have heard this from friends in other masters programs as well, however in my program 5 courses is full time. Many people have told me this is not normal and our program realizes that most will not finish in one year as they would like.

I am curious though, for those who don't work during a masters program. How do you pay for it? Loans? Trust fund? I just don't understand how so many people are able to do a masters full time like its no big deal.

[Meg22]

I made a big decision and took loans for my MA to fill gaps in my part time earnings, not recommended, I think, but it worked for me. For PH.D. I am only going if I get a funded slot, but I also filled out a fafsa to give myself a cushion if needed. It is such an individual decision.

[Caganer]

I made a big decision and took loans for my MA to fill gaps in my part time earnings, not recommended, I think, but it worked for me. For PH.D. I am only going if I get a funded slot, but I also filled out a fafsa to give myself a cushion if needed. It is such an individual decision.

Did you fill out a FAFSA for your MA? Did you get any grant money? I am planning on doing it but I have been told not to expect much.

Other than loans that is.

Edited March 5, 2012 by Caganer

[StrangeLight]

I am curious though, for those who don't work during a masters program. How do you pay for it? Loans? Trust fund? I just don't understand how so many people are able to do a masters full time like its no big deal.

i had a funded masters. that's the only way i could afford to do it. they paid my tuition and they paid me a stipend. that was it.

and while living on a stipend is tight, and you need to budget well and cut out a lot of "entertainment" spending, it's totally possible to live on the stipend that grad programs give you.** you won't have a place with fancy kitchen cabinets or laundry in your apartment, but you also won't be living off of ramen noodles for 2 weeks every month.

**unless you're in manhattan. while the columbia/nyu/etc. schools do what they can, i know a lot of students that supplement their stipend with adjunct work or small student loans.

[StrangeLight]

Well, I am not quite sure the details of my funding (specifics to arrive via mail *fingers crossed* soon), but it seems like some programs give you additional funding for summer work or allow you the summers off. I know a couple of my friends who are students at my school are planning on supplementing their funding with summer jobs.

my program gives additional funding for the summer, but it is specifically earmarked for research. you need to submit receipts and the whole deal, and they only pay you as much as you prove that you spent.

at my school, we can choose whether we're paid our stipend over an 8 month or a 12 month period. it's the same yearly amount, but some students ask for it in 8 installments and then find part-time retail work in the summer. it means their budget is bigger, but it also means that they're spending summers doing non-academic work instead of researching, processing data, writing (grants, theses, etc.), presenting at conferences, and the list goes on. there's a whole bunch of stuff grad students are expected to do, and the ones that short-change that so they can work in the gap for some extra money... well... they risk falling behind on their work.

[oseirus]

**unless you're in manhattan. while the columbia/nyu/etc. schools do what they can, i know a lot of students that supplement their stipend with adjunct work or small student loans.

I have to add that if you're getting a "student loan" in the NYC area, please don't get it from gentlemen named either Vinny, first letter initial, or someone who wears a leather jacket in all season. They are not good people. That is all

[bzrunner2009]

I have been working part-time (almost full-time in some months) while getting a masters in history. Some semesters were tougher than others while other times it was blessing in disguise. I like that I have a life outside of academics and it is almost a destresser to interact with people not immersed in the academic world. The money isn't too shabby either.

In relation to grades, you can still maintain good grades. I have only received one B+ in the last three semesters, so it is very doable. I also believe it has kept me grounded. In my undergraduate career, I would FREAK about getting anything lower than an A. I now realize that world is not going to stop moving if I do not maintain a perfect GPA.

[Meg22]

Did you fill out a FAFSA for your MA? Did you get any grant money? I am planning on doing it but I have been told not to expect much.

Other than loans that is.

I did, my MA program is a very small program run by a museum, so funding was kind of unheard of. I worked fulltime atthe start of my MA and got a few grand a semester from my employer towards tuition for two semesters, I paid the rest myself. after my second semester I paid tuition with loans.

[oseirus]

In relation to grades, you can still maintain good grades. I have only received one B+ in the last three semesters, so it is very doable. I also believe it has kept me grounded. In my undergraduate career, I would FREAK about getting anything lower than an A. I now realize that world is not going to stop moving if I do not maintain a perfect GPA.

Were you an A student throughout your entire life though?

[lafayette]

To the original poster: I have worked part-time for a good chunk of my Master's program (full-time school) and I was able to manage it, mostly. It was still difficult and I often reluctantly had to ignore my social life. Everyone manages their time differently though so perhaps it's best to just try for it and see how it goes.

I had first considered doing full-time work and part-time school but realized that in that situation -- full-time work -- my job would always come first, and I just did not want to do that, sacrificing school, seeing as I wanted to spend my time/$ in graduate school doing my absolute best. I did not major in history in undergrad, so I feel as if this is my one chance to prove myself for PhD applications.

Edited March 5, 2012 by lafayette

[bzrunner2009]

Were you an A student throughout your entire life though?

Yes, I was. In also fair respects, the professor I was taking really challenged my thought process. She forced to me to look at my writing and how I approached readings in 20th century American History. With a full course load and working outside of the school, I was proud of that B+.