TFA Master's

[dasChang]

People have their opinions of Teach for America, but it's generally agreed that TFA looks good on a resume/CV. Many TFA sites have university partnerships that allow their corps members to get a Master's. I'm pretty sure these programs are tailor made for TFA corps members though and most courses are not taught my regular professors. Generally how well-regarded are these Master's? Do they get the same respect in academia as a traditional Master's? 

 

I ask because I'm going to be a TFA corps member next year in an area that partners with a pretty prestigious ed school, one that I would love to get a PhD from in the future. Would I be better off asking the school directly?

[hitomimay]

Since no one's replied yet, I thought I'd give this a go...

I think first off, the Masters depends on the region. I was a TFA Detroit CM in 2010-2012, and multiple institutions offered a Masters including UofM and Oakland U. These programs were run by the institution themselves, and we took the classes alongside other non-TFA applicants. TFA has a separate TFA alternative certification program that was run by UofM at the time that was tailored to TFA only, but the Masters were not and they were optional. Keep in mind, for Detroit anyway, that means we had to pay out of pocket (and out-of-state!) for these degrees. Other regions I know receive a stipend to get their Masters, so they didn't have to pay, which was pretty cool. Once again, it depends on the region. Also, we had to take the GREs and apply to these Masters programs, and while you had a better shot at getting in than regular applicants (probably considering you already have the requirements necessary to be admitted as a TFA CM in the first place), it's not a guarantee.

Also, the University Partnerships that are shown online? Those are not designed for TFA. What it means is... if you had applied to medical or law school for instance, they'd allow you to defer your admission for 2 years, which is not an option available for other admits into their programs. Also, after TFA, should you be admitted (not guaranteed) after your application, you could receive a scholarship or additional stipend.

Personally, since UofM was going to be almost $40,000 for me, I chose to do my Masters with USC online. It made my schedule more flexible, and I could interact with classmates and faculty in real-time from the comfort of home (so I could grade papers on the side or finally get some food in my system, heehee).

Let me know if you have any further questions, I'd be more than happy to help.

Edited May 10, 2013 by hitomimay

[SeriousSillyPutty]

In my region the partnership was with a local state school, nothing prestigious, but the initial classes needed that first year to maintain temporary certification were offered as special classes, at a special location, just for TFA peeps.  The classes for those continuing with their master's degree were taken with a bunch of other (non-TFA) teachers.  My friends were not impressed with these classes.  It seems from what I've heard that most of the people taking after-school master's classes in Education are doing so because it's required for advancement and kinda have the attitude that the universities don't have anything to teach them that they hadn't already learned on the job.... Maybe someone else can speak to if this is a common phenomenon?

At my current school, which has a generally hoity-toity reputation, I've picked up from the professors that the evening program is much more lax.  The profs like the autonomy because they can try different things, but it seems there isn't the focus on the reputation for rigor as the day classes, and they are usually taught by adjuncts.... you get the brand name and brand-name price, but not necessarily the quality.  So, I don't think doing a program affiliated with TFA will hurt you, but it may be worth looking into the reputation of the evening program before you shell out the big bucks for a degree.  (Especially since, if you apply to a PhD program right at that school, they won't be fooled by the name, if the evening program does have a lesser reputation.)

[wildviolet]

It seems from what I've heard that most of the people taking after-school master's classes in Education are doing so because it's required for advancement and kinda have the attitude that the universities don't have anything to teach them that they hadn't already learned on the job.... Maybe someone else can speak to if this is a common phenomenon?

 

It really depends.

 

This wasn't my case when I got my MS (with thesis) in Science Education from a local state university. The MS program was geared towards working professionals, so all Science Ed courses were offered in the evenings. Because I chose the secondary option, I took graduate level courses in Chemical Engineering. We didn't have to take the GRE, but we had to interview with 3 of the 5 Science Ed faculty because they wanted to make sure the program would be a good match for our goals. Of course, getting a Master's degree counts towards salary advancement. But, I would say that 90% of my cohort members (about 10-12 per year) were really excited about science teaching and learning and eager to participate in class and share ideas. Because we had to do a thesis (no exam option), the program required research methods courses, which were definitely not anything I'd ever learned about before.

 

Interestingly, I looked at the USC online option, but I wanted face-to-face interactions, and I'm glad I chose my local state university. All the faculty were truly competent and interested in us as people and teachers, and our classes were so much fun! They were not taught by adjuncts. Three hours would fly by, and we had a great time bringing in snacks and talking about something that we cared about.

 

In comparison, I just completed my first year in my doctoral program at an R1. The online Master's degree courses here are taught by faculty and doctoral students. My colleagues are excellent, but... I'm sure that the quality of the courses varies depending on the instructor. I've taken online courses before (Stanford CLAD), and I just prefer face-to-face classrooms. The online courses were definitely convenient, and they served their purpose as far as allowing me to get my CLAD certification. However, for my MS and my doctorate, I appreciate being in the same physical place with others.

 

So, with respect to the OP's question... I have no idea how well-regarded these programs are by other people. I can say, however, that one of my colleagues received an online Master's degree from our current institution. So, it can't hurt, right? In the end, completing a Master's degree is an accomplishment. Now, if you are thinking of doctoral study, I would highly recommend completing a Master's degree with thesis as this better prepares you for doctoral study. You won't freak out the first time you have to write a literature review!

[SeriousSillyPutty]

It really depends.

...

 All the faculty were truly competent and interested in us as people and teachers, and our classes were so much fun! They were not taught by adjuncts. Three hours would fly by, and we had a great time bringing in snacks and talking about something that we cared about.

 

Oh good! My friends' experiences, coupled more recently with some comments by professors, have gotten me pretty disillusioned.  Glad it's isolated.