MA vs. PhD Questions

[Aux22]

So I was wondering how applications to PhD programs vs MA programs work exactly.

 

I am a 3rd year student at a fairly small liberal arts college. Our linguistics program is currently an emphasis within our English major, however I've been completely enthralled with linguistics since I started studying it. I'm looking at going to graduate school for linguistics however I'm not sure specifically what I would like to study more in depth, currently its looking like syntax and psycholinguistics.

Back to my main question though. I'm afraid I won't have enough qualifications to get into PhD programs, but I think I would be a pretty good candidate for MA programs as they would give me a deeper linguistic base. However, I wouldn't want to undershoot and miss an opportunity to land in a good PhD program. I was wondering if most linguistics programs would offer you a spot in the MA program if you applied for the PhD but weren't quite to their expectations for it yet or would I be ruining my chances at attending certain grad schools that year?. Should I stay safe and apply for mainly MA programs at schools that I'd possilbly want to be at for a PhD later on?

 

Also any suggestions for things that might help me have a better application are appreciated.

[funchaku]

I don't think you should apply to PhD programs if you are unsure about what you would like to study. Besides being highly competitive, these programs take up 5+ years of your life, so it is not something to go into without some serious thought. Sure, there may be PhD programs that you might get into, but the job market for Linguistics is very tight, and even top graduates from top universities have trouble-- so you really want to ask yourself whether dedicating 5+ years of effort at just any university will actually be worth it.

 

It is highly uncommon for linguistics programs to over you at MA-spot after rejecting you for a PhD. This is primarily because not many departments have independent MA programs at all. I don't quite understand what you mean by "ruining your chances", so maybe you can expand on that? 

 

You can apply to MA programs, but these, unlike PhD programs, cost money, and financial aid for graduate programs isn't very great. I don't mean to sound discouraging, but just being interested in a subject isn't enough pursue graduate studies in that field. There are lots of things you can do on your own before making this decision. For instance, you say you are interested in psycholinguistics-- have you tried getting an RA-ship at a psycholinguistics lab at your school, or a nearby university? These sorts of things will give you a better sense of what doing independent research in Linguistics is like, and will leave you better equipped to make decisions about grad school. And you will also be a more qualified candidate if you do decide to pursue graduate studies.

[Aux22]

Alright, my main question was about certain programs that do have both an MA and a PhD. Say for example I applied to the PhD program at UCSC but I didn't get in, would it be possible that they still accept me as an MA student or would it just be a flat out rejection?

That being said, I'm definitely looking into mainly MA programs since I understand that realistically I won't have nearly as much linguistics experience as many applicants. However, I'm currently trying to get started on doing some research through my school's psychology department and possibly some extra research work with my linguistics professors (we only have 2 tenure track right now, so there is a decent amount of demand).

[funchaku]

Hmm, I see. So, are you asking if would you need separate applications for the MA and PhD at the same department? I don't know the answer to this question, but my guess is that it will vary by school. In any case, a PhD rejection does not entail rejection flat-out. Acceptance rates for MA-programs tend to be a lot higher. 

[fuzzylogician]

Also look into Canadian programs. I think a higher rate of MA students are funded there than in the US. 

[tspier2]

Alright, my main question was about certain programs that do have both an MA and a PhD. Say for example I applied to the PhD program at UCSC but I didn't get in, would it be possible that they still accept me as an MA student or would it just be a flat out rejection?

That being said, I'm definitely looking into mainly MA programs since I understand that realistically I won't have nearly as much linguistics experience as many applicants. However, I'm currently trying to get started on doing some research through my school's psychology department and possibly some extra research work with my linguistics professors (we only have 2 tenure track right now, so there is a decent amount of demand).

 

It all depends where you apply, how you market yourself, and what the rest of your application looks like. I was accepted to a Ph.D. program in linguistics immediately after finishing my B.S.Ed. in May. There are too many variables to tell you outright that you have no chance, and, in fact, my own experience discounts that mentality. Chin up.

[beccamayworth]

Alright, my main question was about certain programs that do have both an MA and a PhD. Say for example I applied to the PhD program at UCSC but I didn't get in, would it be possible that they still accept me as an MA student or would it just be a flat out rejection?

That being said, I'm definitely looking into mainly MA programs since I understand that realistically I won't have nearly as much linguistics experience as many applicants. However, I'm currently trying to get started on doing some research through my school's psychology department and possibly some extra research work with my linguistics professors (we only have 2 tenure track right now, so there is a decent amount of demand).

 

Programs like UCSC do not really have an independent MA program, that is, they typically don't accept students for the MA at all. They admit students only for the PhD, and during that program you end up getting an MA as part of your qualifications towards the PhD... if for some reason a student quits after getting the MA but before reaching the PhD, then they have the MA as a terminal degree. 

 

I think within the next year it is totally possible that you can get enough research experiences to apply to PhD programs as well as MA. The best people to advise you on that will be the professors you'll be working with. 

 

Good luck!!

[Aux22]

Thanks to everyone who answered, your feedback was super helpful.

Since I don't wanna make an extra topic, if anyone has any good suggestions for solid MA programs that have good syntax and psycholinguistics opportunities (also funding/ good financial help is a plus), I could certainly use some help on that front!

[beccamayworth]

I can't think of any MA suggestions right now (but I'll certainly come back if I think of something); however, I'd suggest you to also look at post bacc positions. They usually last about a year and give you great research experience. They are more geared towards psycholinguistics (I don't think there any post baccs in theoretical stuff, but I could be wrong). 

 

For example, these Maryland positions are not open anymore, but you could contact them and inquire about future positions:

http://ling.umd.edu/baggett/jobs/

[Aux22]

This kind of raises the question: Is a full linguistics degree required typically to get a post-bacc position? Like I mentioned earlier, I'm working towards a BA in English with a Linguistics emphasis (so I've taken some linguistics courses such as an intro course, a syntax course, a ling. history of the English language course, a phonetics course, and a few others). I also am working towards a Psychology minor and to complete those requirements I've taken courses on statistics and research methods (geared towards psychology).

Also any suggestions for courses that I might find in other areas that might help me fill in some of the holes for applications?

[isilya]

I agree with the advice in this thread. I'll just add that if it isn't prohibitively expensive for you, I would consider applying to both MA and PhD programs if in the next few months you have enough research experience where you feel you would be a competitive candidate in PhD applications. Then in case you get rejected from PhD programs, you'll still have MA options.

[funchaku]

This kind of raises the question: Is a full linguistics degree required typically to get a post-bacc position? 

 

Technically, no. The degree itself counts less than the experience, I think. On the other hand, having a Linguistics BA or even having Linguistics courses listed on your transcript might tell the committee that you have the requisite knowledge about, e.g., syntax. In the absence of these things, you'll just have to do some extra work explaining why you are nevertheless qualified.

 

There are some post-bacc positions in Linguistics that are quite competitive. The Baggett Fellowship at Maryland, for example, has excellent grad-school placement rates for Baggett alums, and consequently gets a lot of applicants. There are also a lot of language-related lab manager positions that open up in Psychology departments. Although there are more of these positions in comparison to Ling post-bacc positions, keep in mind that you will be competing with a larger number of candidates, since there tends to be a lot more Psych BAs than Ling BAs. 

[Ciscily]

Hi Aux2,

 

I agree with people above me, you might have more chance than you think! I went to a tiny liberal arts college, and majored in psychology with a concentration in linguistics. I ended up applying in my fourth year right away for Linguistics PhD (in retrospect, if I knew how little background I have, maybe I wouldn't have, but I had no idea). My school did not have a linguistics program at all, and only hired a professor with a lingusitics phd in my second semester third year. That was when I took Syntax, fell in love with theoretical syntax, did a research project my senior year, and ended up applying to strictly theoretical programs. I decided to look into linguistics programs summer before senior year. What was I thinking... 

Anyways, applied to 6 places, got into 2, attending one. Only realized how little background I have when found out that in my cohort of 6 people, only two of us are coming straight from undergrad (and I got funding while the other person didn't), everyone else already had a MA degree, and I was the only person with no linguistics major at all. I did not feel that my lack of background was much hindrance, there were people stressing out and working much much more on homework assignments than me in my graduate classes. 

 

Let me know if you have any questions!