MA Woes

[gradschoolwannabe]

Anybody else out there just applying for MAs? Is it killing you waiting to hear back from all these places? Places that I applied to keep notifying PhDs, and I definitely am feeling second-class right now.

[BrookeSnow]

i'm just applying to MAs. I'm waiting on about 9 schools to notify their MAs. I'm not feeling too badly about it because I have an acceptance but I really want answers. I'm tired of waiting to find out. 

[ishmael]

All of the PhD schools I applied to I've heard back from. One waitlist. The rest are MAs. Alas.

[IneluctableModality]

I'm only applying to one MA program (NYU) and going craaaaazy waiting. Thanks to the magic of grad cafe, we can at least look at when people were notified last year, but it's a little difficult to tell the people who were condolence-accepted to the MA and rejected from the PhD from those who were simply accepted to the MA because they only applied to the MA. I'm guessing (but I'm not entirely sure) that the MA-only applicants have to wait longer, which is a huge bummer.

 

Does anyone have experience enough to say how this typically works?

[Macabry]

I'm with BrookeSnow--an acceptance from Villanova. I'm also applying to the College of Charleston, but their deadline isn't until April.

[Sadiespaw]

I'm just applying to MA's, and it was driving me crazy watching all the phd's get notifications. But last week I was accepted to two programs, still waiting on funding information, and haven't heard from the rest. Has anyone heard from Louisville's MA program?

[This_madness]

Has anyone heard from Louisville's MA program?

 

I did; got an acceptance/GTA offer on Wednesday. 

[personalhelicon]

Yep. Washington is the latest school I'm

Obsessing over

[theobromine]

I applied to the PhD program at Utah, but I was notified this morning that I'd been admitted to the MA program in English and American literature instead.  I've had no word on funding yet, but I've read elsewhere on this forum that the MA is rarely funded.  Their website is a little vague, but it looks like a thesis is not required.  My bachelor's is not in English, but a non-thesis master's would not have been taken seriously in that field.  Does anyone know whether Utah's MA requires (or even allows) a thesis?  And is it possible to go on to a doctoral program without having written a thesis?

[ishmael]

Yeah, what's the deal with non-thesis MAs? Not sure I understand the merit in them, especially in Lit. I get the feeling that generally, an MA in Lit is a stepping stone on the way to a PhD, so why wouldn't you do a thesis?  

[theobromine]

I wrote the program to clarify whether there was a thesis option, because the website just doesn't mention theses.  I guess I'll find out soon.

[brigadierpudding]

I applied to the PhD program at Utah, but I was notified this morning that I'd been admitted to the MA program in English and American literature instead.  I've had no word on funding yet, but I've read elsewhere on this forum that the MA is rarely funded.  Their website is a little vague, but it looks like a thesis is not required.  My bachelor's is not in English, but a non-thesis master's would not have been taken seriously in that field.  Does anyone know whether Utah's MA requires (or even allows) a thesis?  And is it possible to go on to a doctoral program without having written a thesis?

 

My MA program didn't require a thesis, but it was an option.  For a number of reasons, I didn't end up doing one.  My professors told me that it wasn't really necessary any more when applying to PhD programs.  Ultimately, I received offers from three very good schools.

[asleepawake]

My MA required a thesis, but I know that many do not, or they only require a very short one. A lot of people get the MA with teaching high school or some other goal in mind. For them, it may not be necessary to complete a thesis. I think that if you are planning on the PhD, you would want the experience of completing the thesis, if only as practice for the dissertation and to make sure that you have a strong PhD writing sample. However, I don't think it will have much of a direct effect on your PhD applications. An MA is an MA.

[Troppman]

Speaking of absurd MA programs...

My MA program required three comprehensive exams in addition to a thesis, or portfolio, making the average time to completion 3.5 years. I finished in two years with the thesis option, which is a record I think. We actually have students stay in the program for 5 years. At a recent department meeting it was decided that this model is indeed ridiculous. My top choice adcom was impressed, however, that I received so much training in two years. I'de say that the process of such absurdity--rather than the coursework or the content--positively impacted my abilities as a scholar; who couldn't benefit from an ulcer, right?

Edit: All of my profs said a thesis is necessary to demonstrate competence to a PhD program. I completely disagree with that sentiment, but I can say that the thesis process has been a great learning experience. I also did an UG thesis of 70 pages, so hopefully all the training pays off come dissertation time :-).

2nd edit: You can publish, teach, network and present when you are an MA student. These boards sometimes make it seem like the MA position is impotent and petty. 

Edited March 5, 2013 by StephanieDelacour

[BrookeSnow]

I got into three schools which is like YAY. However, I'm waiting on funding. Two of the schools told me they make funding decisions in mid-March. I feel like I cannot make decisions until I know about funding.

[caitlee91]

The DGS for University of Delaware, when I asked him about the thesis option for their MA, said that many students no longer complete a thesis. He attributes this to the growing professionalization of the field that emphasizes conferences and publishing; the thesis would have to be considerably edited to be the length appropriate for a journal. It's certainly a great opportunity for research and extended writing, but just is no longer the major focus of the MA. I had never heard the thesis framed in that way before, and found it definitely worth considering the pros/cons of doing/not doing one.

[thestage]

I got into three schools which is like YAY. However, I'm waiting on funding. Two of the schools told me they make funding decisions in mid-March. I feel like I cannot make decisions until I know about funding.

Buffalo doesn't offer funding for their MA at all, to my knowledge. In case you didn't know.

[yellow.wallpaper]

I applied for two MAs and two Phds. 

 

Still waiting to hear from one MA and one PhD.

[Datatape]

My Masters' program capped the length of the thesis at 30 pages.  They still viewed it as an important part of earning the Masters Degree, but wanted it to be of publishable length so that we could get some use out of it.  Condensing a thesis down to 30 pages without losing the important parts of my argument was a hell of a feat, but I know it made me a stronger writer.

[BrookeSnow]

Buffalo doesn't offer funding for their MA at all, to my knowledge. In case you didn't know.

 

Thank you. I was pretty sure they didn't, that was going to be my research project when I got home from work today. The other schools ( Syracuse and Villanova) told me that I would be informed of funding in mid-march. I'm waiting on those two.