Help a 52-year-old Art History applicant: accepted by SUNY Stony Brook for its MA program, but rejected for its PhD program

[demofoonte]

I did a fair bit of lurking before posting this and what info I found was inconclusive. I've got a BA and MA in Economics from 1983 and 1985. My work has presented me with an area of research that overlaps Economics and Art History. My 2011 GRE scores were V760 and Q720. I've ruled out applying to Econ programs because the age discrimination there is pretty ferocious, and moreover my quantitative GRE score was less than stellar. With an eye toward applying to Art History PhD programs instead, I've put together what I think is a fairly compelling statement of research interest. SUNY Stony Brook rejected me for their PhD program but accepted me for their MA program. Because of my age, and because my (very) previous academic experience was in Econ, should I treat this result as a bellwether and resign myself to the inevitability of having to go back as an MA student and then jump into a PhD program from there? I'd love to go directly into a PhD program - is that impossibly unrealistic given my circumstances?

 

Many thanks in advance!

[elisewin]

Jumping to a PhD program seems to be difficult even for those who just finished their BA... Maybe the reason why they want you to have the MA is to train you in art historical methodologies prior to the doctoral work?

[demofoonte]

Seems quite reasonable, Caffeinated. Though I'm impatient to jump right into a PhD program, if what you describe was indeed the reason for SUNY to shunt me into the MA program, it'd certainly lessen the sting of being rejected for the PhD program.

 

Many thanks for the input!

[geographyrocks]

Make sure to contact the SUNY graduate director and ask if it is likely (or possible) to switch from the MA to the PhD track after a successful year of grad school. 

[bakalamba]

Yeah, I'd ask what the transition is like. I was denied application to a PhD, but accepted to the MA, because I didn't write a formal thesis for my previous MA. According to the POI, core classes can be transferred over from their MA to their PhD, so that path only would add one more semester of courses than just obtaining the PhD.

 

If you want to look on the bright side, an MA is a great opportunity to see the interior of a program and University and decide if you want to pursue a PhD there - if not, it's easier to get a PhD elsewhere with a closely related MA. But for most fields there's a significant difference in funding.

[RomulusAugustulus]

Definitely ask if it is possible to apply internally to the phd track after a successful year, but I do not think this is common. Do you have other experience in art history besides your econ work that overlapped fields? (Internships? course work?) Schools tend to be good (or so I have heard) about considering unusual applicants separately from the more traditional ones, but it will still be extremely difficult to get into a PhD program without some basic experience (which maybe you have, but that isn't clear from your post). Even students with degrees in art history, internships, paper presentations, etc. regularly don't get straight into doctoral programs. Is SUNY Stony Brook the only program you applied to?

[demofoonte]

First off, elisewin, profuse apologies for referring to you as "Caffinated." Obviously betraying my rank noob-osity there. Many thanks to all for your great advice! I talked with an advisor there and was told that, barring something really egregious on my part, I could expect a smooth transition to the PhD program after a year, without even the need to retake the GRE. Feeling better now, but I'm thinking I'll probably decline and try again, and at a larger number of schools, for Fall 2015 admission.

 

Many thanks again!

[naomi6]

You could either wait another year to attend a PhD program or accept the offer for the MA program and see if you could smoothly transition into their PhD program. Are you going to receive funding for the MA program?