PhD or MA Program Dilemma

[SpacePope]

I have a dilemma: I'm trying to decide between 2 programs. 1 is a doctoral program that is offering me a good amount of money to TA. I also like the department and the faculty a lot. The problem is that it is relatively low in the rankings (in the 40s) and I worry about my career prospects if I went there. (Not to mention that I'm a pretty insecure person who craves external validation of the sort conferred by an elite diploma

[lotf629]

You'd probably get better advice if you gave us more specifics about your MA.

Ordinarily, I would caution anybody about turning down a Ph.D. offer for an MA of any kind. However, I do agree with you that a school ranked in the 40s may not have the best job placement record ever. I'd start by ask the Ph.D. program about their job placements, and I'd also look into the possibility that they are strongly ranked in a particular subfield, or that they have a few nationally known people with whom you could work. Given that the MA has no placement record whatever, I also think you might be overconfident about your own placement chances coming out of it: ??

I'd also suggest...and I mean this sincerely, in the nicest possible way, as someone who is trying to talk herself into the same paradigm shift...that instead of simply accepting your need for external validation, you see it as a very expensive bad habit, and work to overcome it. Academia is too uncertain a job track to sustain a lifelong commitment to high-status positions: even most people who come out of schools ranked number one immediately start working at vastly less prestigious universities, so sooner or later, you're almost certain to end up spending some serious time in Nowheresville. If you want a career in research and you're concerned about getting an R1 placement eventually, that's another thing altogether.

[Stories]

I have a dilemma: I'm trying to decide between 2 programs. 1 is a doctoral program that is offering me a good amount of money to TA. I also like the department and the faculty a lot. The problem is that it is relatively low in the rankings (in the 40s) and I worry about my career prospects if I went there. (Not to mention that I'm a pretty insecure person who craves external validation of the sort conferred by an elite diploma

[Rioga]

Oh my, I feel so portrayed in your comment! I would say go for the Masters and while you are there try to get involved in as many research activities as you can (check which professors represent a better fit to your interests) and try to write a masters thesis.

Afterward, retake the GRE if your scores aren

[Rioga]

even most people who come out of schools ranked number one immediately start working at vastly less prestigious universities, so sooner or later, you're almost certain to end up spending some serious time in Nowheresville.

By the way, this is a very wise, realistic statement!

[SpacePope]

Thanks very much to everyone for your replies. A few responses:

Given that the MA has no placement record whatever, I also think you might be overconfident about your own placement chances coming out of it: ??

Yes, this worries me somewhat, but I'm extrapolating based on (a) the placement records of other MA programs ranked below the one I'm considering, and ( the undergraduate placements of the program (which I realize are probably a less reliable guide).

...that instead of simply accepting your need for external validation, you see it as a very expensive bad habit, and work to overcome it.

That's the thing--it's not so much of a habit as it's a long-standing goal I promised myself I'd do just once in my life if for no other reason than to prove I could (primarily to myself, but not exclusively). I'm afraid not fulfilling it would leave me in perennial doubt about my intelligence (again, not because I'm attending the lower-ranked program, but because I didn't attend the type of program I set as my specific goal.) Maybe this is splitting hairs, but I just wanted to clarify that this is not really a "habit" as a one-time goal.

Combine that with the fact that you're already entering a field where the median time to degree is 7 years, adding a MA into that 7 years... what, another 9 years? That's a long time.

The MA program is 1 year, so it wouldn't add that much time. However, this in itself raises practical challenges with getting recommendations, etc.

Your work isn't completely dependent upon the faculty in this discipline, right?

No, in the humanities our work isn't completely dependent on faculty

[tistre]

I have a dilemma: I'm trying to decide between 2 programs. 1 is a doctoral program that is offering me a good amount of money to TA. I also like the department and the faculty a lot. The problem is that it is relatively low in the rankings (in the 40s) and I worry about my career prospects if I went there. (Not to mention that I'm a pretty insecure person who craves external validation of the sort conferred by an elite diploma

[dherres]

I'm finding myself in a similar situation.

MA program: The school itself is a big name, although the specific program in question holds less distinction in the field (so sayeth an inside source). The program itself, however, gets me all excited inside: from the degree requirements, the faculty interests, coursework, experience opportunities, location.... downside is, it'd put me at least $100k in debt. And of course, it's still not an absolute guarantee that I'll get accepted into a top-tier PhD program upon completion.

PhD program: Although it's not really found on any rankings list, it apparently has a greater presence in the field than aforementioned MA (appearance at conferences, etc.). I went to visit this past weekend and on paper, it's impressive: it's also well-structured to fit with my own objectives, although the research the faculty does isn't as exciting to me as at the MA school. They are, however, offering the standard PhD financial package plus benefits. Herein lies the problem: even still, something inside of me is holding back from leaping with enthusiasm.

I think I'm going to go with the PhD option -- rationally, it makes more sense -- and hope that my emotions catch up with my head as I get more into it. Bad move?

[simon]

To the previous poster: definitely go get the doctorate! You would be a fool not to! In fact,from what you've described the program doesnt sound bad at all.