MAT and MA would this hurt a PHD application?

[Mhh2013]

Hello!

I hold a B.A. degree in English from a USA univeristy and a MA degree in English from a British University. I have been adjuncting in English this past semester. I would like to do a PhD in English and teach college level, but am concerned with job prospects. Finacially, it would be great for me to get my teacher's certification so that I could teach high school full time and I found an MAT program that will allow me to do that pretty easily. I would finish this program in 2 years and apply to a PhD the fall of my second year (or after that).  During this second year, I would also have a full time teaching job (part of the program). Thus, if I were to be rejected from all my PhD choices, I would still be on the pathway to a career I would enjoy/not be opposed to fufillig and that would have a salary. I am well aware you can teach full time at community college with an MA, but it is so competitve and I would love to pursue more research with a doctorate. So basically, my main question is...do you think holding both a Masters of Arts in Teaching and a Masters of Arts in English would hurt my chances of doing a future PhD if I decided to do one? Thanks!

Edited July 16, 2015 by Mhh2013

[rising_star]

If you want to teach high school, why would do the MAT and then a PhD? The PhD would just be time that you could've spent teaching full-time, earning money, and advancing in your career. I guess what I'm wondering is why do you want a doctorate?

[Mhh2013]

Ideally I would rather teach college over high school. I would be okay with teaching high school, but my goal is to do a PhD and be an English professor. Yet, I would like to be able to start the certification process so that I could teach and have a job until I do a PhD (also if I do not get in one). Trying to utilize my time in between to my best advantage I guess so that I will have full time employment no matter what. Thanks for your reply!

[knp]

You would be applying to the MAT this fall? That sounds like a fine idea, but I don't understand why you couldn't also apply to PhD programs. Your plan might make sense if you apply to the MAT and to a bunch of PhDs and strike out of all the PhDs, so you decide to enroll in the MAT and apply again for PhDs during your program. But if you're an attractive applicant to some PhD program already, why not find that out before spending a year enrolled in a different master's program?

[Mhh2013]

The MAT would start this Fall (2015 I have been working with the school to gain admission). So I would get most of the classes done this year and be well underway if I did not get into a PhD or decided to wait till Fall 2016 to apply to the PhD. The MAT is online so I can work full time while doing it. PhD programs in English appear to be very competitive and several I have looked at only admit 6-10 students. I have high GPAS good rec letters GRE etc, but I still want to be prepared to get a full time teaching job if a PhD isn't an option because I can't get in. I also think the education classes would be benificial to take for any instructor. I appreciate your input! I just wondering if I go for a PhD and have an MA and MAT if that will look bad? I really appreciate all the questions/advice I have seen in replies

[rising_star]

Why would you think it would look bad? And also, if you've already decided to get the MAT, why does it matter what the adcom will think? I could see caring if you weren't already planning to do the MAT...

 

At any rate, you might be well served by developing clear research interests that necessitate a PhD in English and practicing how you will articulate those in your SOP. You also want to work on a writing sample if you don't already have one. English PhD programs are competitive but nowhere near as competitive as actually getting a full-time position teaching English at a college or university in the United States. Take a look at the Academic Jobs Wiki to get a sense of how competitive tenure-track or even full-time lecturer positions in English are. 

[Between Fields]

The MAT would start this Fall (2015 I have been working with the school to gain admission). So I would get most of the classes done this year and be well underway if I did not get into a PhD or decided to wait till Fall 2016 to apply to the PhD. The MAT is online so I can work full time while doing it. PhD programs in English appear to be very competitive and several I have looked at only admit 6-10 students. I have high GPAS good rec letters GRE etc, but I still want to be prepared to get a full time teaching job if a PhD isn't an option because I can't get in. I also think the education classes would be benificial to take for any instructor. I appreciate your input! I just wondering if I go for a PhD and have an MA and MAT if that will look bad? I really appreciate all the questions/advice I have seen in replies

 

I don't think having both an MA and an MAT would look bad (prima facie), but an MAT isn't likely to help you in PhD admissions in English if you're not intending to make Secondary English Education your concentration of study. None of the people in my PhD program in that track have an MAT or MAE; they all have MAs. You did mention that it's an online program, though, and that might raise a flag or two, unless it's from a reputable university. 

 

In a lot of ways an MAT, MAE, or MEd is kind of a terminal professional degree for teachers. The preparation you'd be getting in a program like that would not naturally lead to a PhD in English. Having worked with HS English teachers, I can definitely say that it's not the sort of job you can do as a fallback. You have to be really committed to it or it's going to eat you alive, with all of the standardized testing and other administrative hoops that you'll have to tolerate in the public education system.

 

If your goal is to teach college, apply for PhD programs. Like I said, the MAT won't hurt you, but it probably won't help you, especially if it's an online program where you're not really going to be able to cultivate new references.

 

Is your British MA taught or researched?