How useful is a ThM after an MA?

[Epaphroditus]

I hope this topic hasn't been addressed too frequently (I've done a few searches but couldn't find an exact answer). I'm wondering whether it would be worth it to transfer from my 4-year M.Div program into an MA program at my school. This would enable me to graduate this spring and then apply for ThM programs in NT at other top-tier schools, as opposed to doing another year of my M.Div. I'm currently attending a very conservative seminary for my MDiv.

 

How helpful is doing a ThM at the school where you want to pursue a PhD? (esp if it is top-tier)

 

I've heard that it's difficult to build relationships with professors in just one semester of a ThM, but I'm wondering whether taking classes at the school I hope to attend would help get my foot in the door and would give the professors a chance to see my work. Another option would be to pursue the ThM part-time, giving me at least a year to build stronger relationships with the professors before applying the second year. Is it unheard of for professors to write LORs for students they have only had for one semester?

 

My options right now are either: 1) Continue with my MDiv and apply this coming fall for PhD programs (and apply for ThM programs if I don't get accepted anywhere); 2) Graduate this spring with an MA and apply for ThM programs, then apply for PhD programs this fall while finishing a ThM.

 

Any thoughts you have would be very helpful! Finances are an issue as well, since graduating with an MA (instead of the MDiv) would cost significantly less.

[sacklunch]

As is well know, ThM programs are (almost?) entirely unfunded, excluding some scholarships for international students. If you have good funding at your current school then you may be better off finishing out there.

 

There are a lot of opinions on the forum about going from a 'conservative theological school' to a 'top program.' In short: if you are applying to biblical studies/text focused programs (I assume this applies to you because such 'conservative' schools often focus on biblical studies and less so on subfields such as philosophy, systematics, and so on), you still stand a decent shot. On the other hand, for all the success stories you will hear on the forum ("I know someone at X who went to X conservative seminary!"), the majority of students at 'top' programs went to more mainline schools (the usual suspects: HDS, YDS, DDS, CDS, PTS, etc.). 

 

My thought is you might be better off to apply to an MTS/MAR/MA program at a recognizable school that is longer than one year. I say this because 1) you will get some sort of funding and 2) you will have more time to get to know your professors at the new school. You can apply the December of your first semester and see what happens. If it doesn't work out you still have another year to take classes/get to know profs and then you can apply again. Admission committees, I don't think, will see this as a bad thing. They understand that ThM programs are unfunded. For what it's worth I have a friend who followed this path (MDiv to MTS to PhD) and it secured him/her a spot in a good program.