Pursuing another Master's/a certificate during PhD

[Imaginary]

Maybe this will sound strange. I don't know. My experience with uncertainty of employment for English degree holders is sufficient at this point to recognize the need for flexibility, so I'm considering pursuing 1) a Master's in Social Work or 2) a TESOL certificate during the course of earning my PhD. I'll probably take classes in the summer, online. 

 

I'm wondering if anyone else has considered this or has done it.

Edited May 28, 2014 by Aspireperspireinspire

[dazedandbemused]

I've been thinking about this too; I'm leaning heavily toward an MBA, but I'm not sure if I could ever make it work. The workload in my program is definitely full time, and something tells me that I just wouldn't be able to convince anyone to let me do it while keeping my funding, even if I waited until I was ABD.

[poliscar]

I think most programs would be less than impressed—especially if they expect you to produce a progress report after each of your summers.

[hj2012]

It's actually something I've thought of as well...but, as the other posters have expressed, I don't know how my program would feel about it (or if it's even allowed!). I could see myself applying to teaching positions at universities abroad after I finish my degree, and I think the TESOL certification would be really helpful. But yes, you'd have to check with your school and also consider if it'll make your advisers think you're "less committed" to your studies.

[dazedandbemused]

It's actually something I've thought of as well...but, as the other posters have expressed, I don't know how my program would feel about it (or if it's even allowed!). I could see myself applying to teaching positions at universities abroad after I finish my degree, and I think the TESOL certification would be really helpful. But yes, you'd have to check with your school and also consider if it'll make your advisers think you're "less committed" to your studies.

You know, I've been thinking a lot about this idea of how dedicated we should be to our PhD, and I've decided I really don't care if it bothers people that I'm not salivating over the ivory tower. I'm lucky that my program at least maintains a pretense of caring about alt-ac careers, but nonetheless, if getting another degree puts them off, I'm certainly not gonna let that dissuade me from making myself marketable. You want to do it, I say gather all the info and figure out the best way to go for it.

[ProfLorax]

Have y'all seen the MLA Report on Doctoral Study? Two of the recommendations of the report speaks directly to all of your concerns:

 

• Validate diverse career outcomes. Departments must give students a full under- standing of the range of potential career outcomes and support students’ choices. Prospective and new students should have information about the program’s placements, the academic job market, and the casualization of the academic workforce. 
• Expand professionalization opportunities. Departments should provide students with ways to acquire skills necessary to scholarship and future employment, such as collaboration, project management, and grant writing. Internships and work with professional associations can provide transformational experiences. 

Hopefully, these suggestions will encourage placement officers to help PhD students seek careers outside of academia. For me, rather than pursue another degree, I am constantly thinking about how I can market my future dissertation to a broader market. While I hope to stay in academia, I'd also be happy working in advocacy or non-profit work, and I hope my dissertation will enable me to pursue those careers as well. Consider talking to your advisors or placement officer about how you can present your work in a way that can open up alt-ac avenues. 

[Sigaba]

You know, I've been thinking a lot about this idea of how dedicated we should be to our PhD, and I've decided I really don't care if it bothers people that I'm not salivating over the ivory tower. I'm lucky that my program at least maintains a pretense of caring about alt-ac careers, but nonetheless, if getting another degree puts them off, I'm certainly not gonna let that dissuade me from making myself marketable. You want to do it, I say gather all the info and figure out the best way to go for it.

 

What if the people it bothers are the ones you will need to serve as references when you apply for a job? Even if you end up applying for a job in a field light years away from English, someone may wonder why you don't have English professors as references. If they ask, how would you answer and would that answer square with the information they gathered during a background check?

 

Worse, what if they don't ask? They may simply conclude that you're a person who is going to focus on being "marketable" (as opposed to someone who is a team player) and who is going to walk the margins of the rules to do it. If that happens, you may not get the benefit of the doubt and have the opportunity to explain yourself in an interview. They may just move on to the next candidate.

[Imaginary]

I suppose I'll be devil's advocate. While I personally think it's important to have good relationships with advisors and professors, doing everything you are supposed to do isn't necessarily going to get you a job. And if you're applying for alt-ac positions or positions outside of your field entirely, it would make sense to have one letter from an English professor - but not a bunch. Surely any one of us could find ONE English professor willing to write a good letter of reference because they realize that the market is flooded with English majors (even PhDS!) and we have to diversify our academic/professional experiences.