What is a Master's degree worth?

[mondinec]

Hi everyone. I will be applying to grad programs in fall 2010, and I have narrowed my list of programs to the ones in which I have definite interest. There's just one problem--half of them are Master's degree programs, and the other half are Ph.D. programs. I have no idea whether it is objectively preferable or useful to get a Master's degree in anthropology.

My field is specifically social/medical anthro. While my undergraduate school did not have a formal concentration in that area, my fieldwork focused on the topics I plan to pursue for my graduate thesis. On the other hand, medical anthro is just beginning to have a burgeoning program presence at the MA level. Many of them are so new (i.e. Narrative Medicine at Columbia, or Medical Anthro at BU) that I'm totally at a loss as to how to judge their usefulness, either practically or on a resume.

Are the theory and method provided in a MA program worth the money and time it takes to do that degree before the eventual and inevitable PhD?

Any advice would be welcome and appreciated! The more the better!

[lisamc]

I'm considering the same question. Personally, I don't think it could hurt to go through the process of writing a master's thesis, even if it's just a practice for your dissertation. If I fast-forward to when I'm working on my dissertation - would I rather feel like I may have wasted some time working on my master's, or wish I would have had the practice of writing an in-depth thesis that was possibly on a similar topic of my dissertation? I think I've decided I want to get an M.A., but I'm not sure if I want a program where the master's is on the way to the Ph.D., or if I want to do two schools.

Have you made the decision yet? Good luck!

[thomez]

Many PhD programs will grant you a Masters degree on the way, after a certain level of progress in your PhD pursuits. Those PhD programs will be advertised as not offering a terminal MA degree. Emory works this way, for example.

[JenMR]

I'm doing my MA in medical anthropology and have really enjoyed the process so far.

At my university, going straight from a BA into a PhD isn't an option, so this seemed like the natural route for me. I'm thinking of my MA as a good stepping stone toward a PhD. Personally, I'm not sure how I would've coped going straight from a BA to a PhD considering the significant differences between an MA and a BA because both entail a very different engagement and application of anthropological knowledge. I kind of think an MA thesis would be good prep for developing a dissertation.

My theory and methods classes were really fantastic and I've found them useful in thinking through methodological approaches to my own research.

I have no experience with combined MA/PhD, but I have heard a faculty members in my dept. talk about the value of doing an MA as a separate program before a PhD.

Not sure if this helps! Good luck making your decision!