Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with masters

dc area part-time planning degrees?

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:44:01 -0800

Looking to do a part-time urban planning masters degree or a certificate in the DC area. I'm looking at going back to school part-time (I currently work in the federal government in transportation), and I would like people's thoughts on area schools and their programs (Catholic vs UMaryland, etcetera). Does anyone have positive or negative experiences (especially as a parttime student?), or can recommend any other area schools? This is anonymous because I would prefer my employer to know about my plans when I actually decide to make them.

How to convince employers that you are more than your job title?

MeetCleaverTheatre — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:33:11 -0800

I am a library director who definitely needs a change of job (possibly a change of career) but I am stumped as to how to convince employers outside the library world that I am willing, able and sometimes more than qualified to do a job that doesn't necessarily involve books/libraries/IT maintenance. Can anyone share examples of how to convince employers you are qualified for something different? As above, I am a library director and IT guru for a small midwest college (have been for 6 years now). We currently got a new president and a new executive director and what was once a comfortable position has become an exercise in justification. I am used to juggling a lot of tasks in the library/academic world, but what was once a renaissance position has turned into a "goat rodeo" of doing everything but my job...and I find I'm so much nicer/more fun of a person when I'm not there. :)

I've recently seen many jobs for corporations, hospitals, start-ups etc. that I feel I could easily do and enjoy, but I'm finding that I have a hard time convincing them that my managerial/IT/office skills are translatable from libraries to _________. I know AskMeFi is high on librarians, and maybe others who've experienced similar situations. Any ideas as to how to become more marketable? Anyone out there change careers in mid-life? FYI: I am 35, MLS, 9 years of professional library experience & teaching/public speaking exp. and 16 years of professional online media / video production experience

Any advice or insight would be most graciously appreciated. :)
Thanks a million gang!

Which path to a career in libraries: diploma or master's degree?

Rora — Mon, 26 May 2008 16:25:29 -0800

Which path to a career in libraries: diploma or master's degree? I'm contemplating pursuing a library career and weighing my options. On one hand I could do my master's in Library Sciences. But, to put it bluntly, I'm scared of higher education. I came out of my undergrad feeling unmotivated, insecure, and with a middling GPA. Because of my average grades, I'd have to go back to school to raise my GPA to acceptable admission levels, lengthening the amount of total schooling to at least three years. I have no guarantee that I'd be successful in university the second time around, which puts doubts into my ability to get accepted and then succeed at a master's. Boo hoo.

The second option is a library technician diploma at a college. I have more confidence (rightly or wrongly) in my ability to succeed here. I don't think I'd have any problems getting accepted and because of my bachelor's I can take an accelerated course which would only take one year vs. two.

So what are jobs like for library technicians? Is the work interesting, is the pay decent, am I going to be stuck working at the beck and call of a real librarian? Should I suck it up and go for the master's? Advise me, librarians of Metafilter!

Academic uninterest in quitters?

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:34:28 -0800

Life and education quandary: If I take a masters instead of finishing my PhD will I be blackballed if I reapply to finish my PhD First year grad student in top ranked science program finds they don't like their research project. adviser is understanding and suggests other topics, a possible switch to a new lab, or take a masters and some time off. Student, while committed to a PhD, is worried about getting stuck in a dead end with current adviser and concerned that switching to a new lab without considerable consideration (which might not be possible with current research in addition to class) would be a bad idea (assuming that another lab will take on said student), and thinks maybe it would be a good idea to take time to carefully evaluate different lab groups at same school, and maybe others. Req letters should be fine, and there might be a paper with first author for the student depending on current research success and time taken, but it has been recently suggested to them that once someone has a masters, they're out, and it will be exceptionally hard to get back in. A job taken would probably be in a related industry to research, but maybe not. Certainly the appearance of inability to commit to the first program could be seen as a warning. On the other hand, student is already trained and would be able to start quickly.

How to request a reference?

cincinnatus c — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 09:10:33 -0800

Help me write an email requesting an academic reference (for myself). I am applying to study for an Msc starting this autumn, and I need to supply two academic references.

I have a couple of people in mind who may be able to provide one, and know their email addresses at the university. The thing is, though, I completed my first degree five years ago and I'm not convinced that they will remember me. The classes were quite small, and they would know me if they met me, but seeing my name at the bottom of the email might not be enough to jog the memory. What is the best way to approach this? How much detail about my current plans should I include?

The other thing is that I have left it quite late to apply, and places are filling up, so I need the references ASAP. Would it be completely tactless to mention this, or should I wait until I receive a positive reply?

I am thinking there must be a standard way to word such a common request - so what is it?

M.A. or M.S.?

GilloD — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:56:47 -0800

M.A. or M.S.? I'm getting a Master's in Politics and hoping to teach in a university someday. Which should I get? Does it matter? (this question is written on behalf of GilloD's wife, by the way.)

I'll be graduating from Illinois State with a degree in Politics & Gov't as a member of the Master's International Program--where I do a year of study and then Peace Corps and whoop-de-doo, I've got a Master's Degree. Anyway, I'm reviewing my plan of study and now have to decide if I want an M.A. or an M.S. in Politics.

I graduated from college with a degree in Philosophy & Human Rights, so I always assumed I'd get an M.A. However, I just found out, that our university has a four-semester foreign language requirement for any M.A.s, and I only took three in college. (What a jip, I studied in the freakin' Czech Republic for a year and all I get is six credits of grammar.) I could probably get the last 2 credits for the requirement approved as part of my Peace Corps training--assuming/hoping we're in a country that speaks something other than English--but that could end up being a little too bureaucratic for my blood.

I am hoping to get a Ph.D. following Peace Corps and teach in a university, and I've heard that that suggests that I should go for it and get an M.A.

So, the question is, is it worth it? Who cares? What's the difference between an M.A. and an M.S.?

What should I do after college?

rybreadmed — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:05:07 -0800

What do I do with my life after college? I want to do something I don't hate, and might even like. I want YOUR suggestions and ideas. I'm in my late 20s and am a bit less than a year away from receiving a BS in mechanical engineering from a not-very-prestigious state university in Los Angeles County. I already possess a BA in creative writing and an MBA in finance. I went back to school for the BSME a couple of years ago. My grades are quite good (mostly A's, with a couple of B's every so often--nothing below a B). Next quarter, I'll be attending a very prestigious engineering school (also in the LA area) for a class on an exchange program (I'll get credit at my own institution for work done at the prestigious engineering school). I've also been working at an engineering firm doing actual engineering work.

So I ask you: What do I do next? I enjoy finance and engineering (and creative writing, but that won't put food on the table). I've thought about going to school to study quantitative finance, but more school? Another masters? Do I want to be in school forever? Do I get an engineering job? The idea of JUST doing engineering work kind of bores me.

Do I try to find a consulting job? Consulting sounds exciting, but do they hire engineers fresh out of school? And my undergraduate institution for my BSME isn't prestigious. From what I hear, McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group hire from schools everyone's heard of (such as the prestigious school I'll be attending next quarter).

Also, it has been said that my participation in this exchange program would help my chances of getting into their graduate school. From this particular institution, I wouldn't mind another year or so of school for a Master's, but there's no guarantee of getting in (or even succeeding in their exchange program).

I ask you (yes--YOU!) for your ideas. I want to hear things I haven't thought of. I want to make a pretty good amount of money. A lot of money would be great. I don't want to work 80 or 90 hours per week unless there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Also, I want to see my girlfriend for more than an hour a week. No, I don't want to join the Peace Corps. No, I don't want to move to Qatar to take part in their huge economic boom. No, I don't want to join the military (as suggested by the idiot career adviser at my school's career center).

'His Life of Academic Freedom', or 'School Is No Good For You'?

ZaphodB — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:23:34 -0800

I'm applying for a Masters in Theory, Culture, and Politics. Will I ever work again? Hey folks,

It's quarter-life crisis time. I'm in the fifth and last year of my BA in English and Political Science at a small Canadian university, and have now applied for a variety of Masters programs at other programs. My top choice is the Masters in Theory, Culture, and Politics at Trent University. I've enjoyed the hell out of my BA and want more, I love the topic of the MA, and the more contact I have with the program and Trent U as a whole the more excited I become.

I'm not too concerned about the academic rigmarole of the program., but I am concerned about the effect that such a degree will have on my resume. Trent has a bit of a reputation (not entirely undeserved) as a hippie, liberal arts kind of place, and the name of the degree is less than business-oriented. I'm going into this with a desire to go into academics and become a professor - I love the work, I love teaching, and I'm (a little too) driven. But I'm also 22, and I know that it's pretty likely that I won't always feel that way.

So my question is this: how negative can a flippantly-titled Masters degree be in the real world job market? Would it even be remotely possible to find a job that would value that kind of academic experience? I know that this kind of program - abstract and theoretical - is often talked about as kind of a resume-killer, but is that really the case? Does anyone have experience with this kind of thing? I've been applying for other, similarly-titled programs: McGill's MA in Communication Studies, UVic's MA in Cultural, Social and Political Thought, so these questions aren't tied to Trent specifically.

Thanks for any reassurance!

Life at George Washington University for foreign students

zaebiz — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 03:35:26 -0800

Young New Zealand girl seriously wants to go to George Washington University to study a Masters of Forensic Science next year. That's all I know. That's pretty much all she knows .....but she wants to know more. What should she know? I guess she is just looking for information about what it would be like living there, how could she prepare for it, will it be easy to make friends, what's the school like. Seriously if you know anything about George Washington University or what life would be like for a young female foreigner in DC, that's more than either of us know!

Recommendations for letters of recommendation?

escher — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:45:29 -0800

What letters of recommendation should I get when applying for a Masters in Computer Science? I completed my undergrad degree 7 years ago in Computer Science. Since then, I have worked at 2 different places of employment (software development work). I now want to pursue a Masters degree in Computer Science.

Each school that I want to apply to requires at least 3 letters of recommendation. I can fulfill this requirement by getting 3 letters from the 2 employers I have worked for since college. Should I also contact my undergrad professors who may or may not remember me and/or my work for additional letters? Would these letters from past professors even be applicable since it’s been 7 years since I studied under them? I haven't had contact with my professors since graduation.

GradSchoolFilter: How bad did I screw up, and can it be fixed?

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:14:26 -0800

I'm trying to get a M.S. in Computer Science, I already have a B.S. in Computer Science. Started last year as a full time student, took a semester off, and now trying to take classes while holding a full time job. My horrible time management skills combined with not knowing how crazy my job gets in August has caused me to do poorly in class. So poorly, that I may be "ineligible to continue graduate study". I'm very de-motivated by the whole situation and wondering what my options are, so I have a couple of questions :

Is it possible to "switch majors" in Graduate School?
Is a second undergad degree regarded at as highly as a master's degree? I'm considering going back for a second undergrad if I can't continue with Graduate study.
If I go to another school for a totally different program, is it okay not to mention my current school when I apply? I don't want to have what happened at this school weigh negatively on me getting in somewhere else.
I'm working as a Programmer/Analyst. I was going for the Master's to get better job prospects. Would it be a better use of my time to get training on specific technologies rather than an advanced degree?

This deals with career info, so I don't want it tied to my name, hence anon post.

Started last year as a full-time grad student on an assistantship. I later realized that I was burnt out from getting my undergrad and that I needed time off of school. Got a job and decided to give school a break.

There is a 5 year limit on me completing the degree, and it started last August (2006). I figured if I did at least one class a semester, I could get extremely close to that limit. I also planned to increase my course load as I went further along. Given that, I started again this past August in a class that I thought I needed to complete to be able to take other courses. I had reservations about not being ready to go back yet, but I thought that taking it slow and easy would have worked.

My job is full time, and gets extremely busy around August. I hadn't taken that into account when I decided to go back to school. It offers no tuition assistance for what I do, but my manager has been flexible with letting me take time off. I'm the only person in the office that can do integration between different systems, and I have never-ending list of pending projects.

I'm not doing well in the class because I can't seem to unplug myself from my job long enough to do the homework and study. I'm to the point of being apathetic about the whole situation. I'm even doubting whether this is the degree I want.

The only other degrees (undergrad or graduate) I would be content in pursuing are ones that wouldn't help me in job advancement or I don't have enough background in (philosophy, psychology, [a particular language] studies, cognitive science). I'm aware that getting some business knowledge under my belt would make me the ever so desirable "techy w/ business experience", but I have no interest in that.

So, I'm confused and trying to figure out where to go from here. All advice is appreciated.

Help me better my chances of getting into grad school.

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:44:18 -0800

I'm hoping to get into a Computer Science Masters program somewhere next fall, and am looking for some advice on bettering my chances. Writing out paragraphs explaining everything would fill [more] pages [than this already does], so I'll be informing you in bullet form.

• I have a BS in Electrical Engineering, from a no-name Minnesota state school. GPA: 3.0. Well, 2.98, but I round.. I'm not proud of this, and kick myself daily for getting D's in 2 classes and not fixing them before graduating.

• I have had great work experience in software through jobs I've had (4 years worth since college), and personal endeavors.

• I've taken the GRE 3 times, and have never been 100% satisfied with my scores. First two times two years ago (720Q/480V, 740Q/520V), and a third time last month (770Q/560Q) which is also disappointing considering I was averaging 650 in verbal on all the practice tests I was taking.

• I've taken 4 grad-level CS classes at Columbia University (I work there now as a Programmer and get free classes) and have earned A's in all of them.

• I aspire to be an independent software developer of sorts. I live for problem solving and inventing things, and my dream would be to have the time to work through all the software ideas I have.

• I am mostly self-taught in CS, aside from the few CS related courses I took in undergrad, and the grad classes I mentioned in my previous point. I would like to go to grad school to get some formal education in the field, and to open possibilities to jobs that are unavailable to me in my current situation. I don't really see myself in research, but I could be wrong.

• I have applied to Columbia's CS department 3 times in the past 2 years, and have been rejected every time. This has shot my grad-school confidence in the foot, and has made me a little bitter. The fact that Columbia pays me to program for them and that I have proven myself worthy by getting A's in their classes, but still won't let me pay them to learn to be a better programmer boggles my effing mind. Like i said: bitter.

• I'm through trying to get into Columbia. My wife is finishing grad school (at Columbia) next month, and we're leaving NYC. I'm applying to several grad schools around the country, and am trying to make my applications as appealing as possible. This is where you come in.

What makes a good application essay? Do I need to pretend I'm really interested in research to make myself appealing to grad schools? How can I do this when truthfully I have no idea what specific interest of computer science I'm interested in, and just want the opportunity to find out? I'm past the level of getting another bachelors in CS, but I refuse to believe that masters degrees are just for research. Am I wrong?

Do I need to justify my mediocre undergrad GPA and verbal GRE scores or make no mention of them at all? Do I need to trump up my work experience? I tried both angles when applying to Columbia, with no luck. Where's the back door?

Please help me, hive mind.

Bonus question:
I'm applying to the University of Wisconsin, Madison / University of Washington, Seattle / University of Minnesota, Minneapolis / University of Texas, Austin / University of Colorado, Boulder / University of California, Berkeley / and the University of California, Santa Barbara. I realize almost all of these are high on the list of CS schools, and some I have little to no chance of getting in to. I could use some more schools with great programs, and high admission rates. Know any? Your alma-mater, maybe?

Throwaway email for questions: gradschoolhopeful@gmail.com

Looking for a resource to have a graduate admissions statement of intent read and critiqued please.

iamkimiam — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:11:26 -0800

I am applying to grad school. The deadline is approaching. Where can I go to get my letter of intent (personal statement) read and critiqued? I am seeking some feedback on what I've written. Is there a resource out there for this? Preferably at minimal cost, with a very quick turnaround, and knowledge about the system and what the admissions professionals are looking for.

Other info: I'm applying to SF State for the Masters Program in Linguistics. Any specific info or resources about this program and/or graduate studies is also very helpful to me!

How do I learn to survive grad school?

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:26:45 -0800

How do I learn to survive as a grad student? For a number of reasons, this is anonymous, so bear with me as I drench you in information.

I recently started a two-year masters' program in the arts, and I also currently hold a half-time assistantship.

Basically what I'm looking for is advice on managing what has become a fairly quiet, monastic life, and also on making myself do work.

My program allows us a tremendous amount of time to read and write, which means that the amount of actual classwork I have, even when combined with my teaching duties, is less than I had as an undergraduate. However, I have quickly found that I don't know how to best use all of this "free" time, and it is quickly wasted taking naps and reading gossip blogs.

Moreover, I'm having a bit of difficulty adjusting to my new life in general. I live alone, which is optimal but quite lonely; my significant other is far away, which is not new but still difficult; I'm one of the youngest ones in my program, which makes me feel inexperienced and intellectually lightweight; I'm surrounded by PhD candidates and unsure about my work, which adds to the feeling that I'm a lightweight; I moved from a large city to a small town, and now winter is closing in; I have lots of new friends and colleagues who I enjoy spending time with at work but who have little free time outside of school and family life; and, oh yeah, there's the shock of realizing that hey! academia is just like any other workplace, and even brilliant people are jerks and have personal problems and get involved in low-stakes academic politics.

So, MeFites who've survived grad school, how did you organize your life and deal with any, or all, of these problems?

I'm not thinking about quitting (yet), but I also don't want to find myself thinking every day that it's only two more years until I can leave here/move in with S.O./work in my field/etc.

tell me about your master's in public policy

puffin — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 09:46:14 -0800

Do you have a Master's in Public Policy? What's it like? More specifically, what kind of jobs have you had since you got your degree? What kind of educational background and/or work experience did you have before you got your degree? Do you live in DC?

I'm a college senior concentrating in philosophy. I graduate this spring. All I know is that I don't want to pursue any further study in philosophy. I'm thinking about alternate routes I can take in the future, and what I can do to prepare for them now.

To me, an MPP seems like a good combination of politics, economics and the social sciences in general, which have been my main focus at school outside of philosophy. (For instance, this semester I am taking Welfare Economics, Statistics, a seminar on Civil Liberties, and a cognitive science course on decision making.) But honestly, I don't know anyone with anyone with an MPP or a job in the field, so I have no idea.

Ideally I would like to find a job where I can use my "philosophy skills" -- critical thinking, analysis, writing clearly -- in a practical, interesting and meaningful way. I ask about DC because I am concerned that most public policy jobs are located there. I grew up in the DC metro area, and I'd rather not pursue a career path that will tie me down to one city. I wouldn't mind living in DC at some point, but I don't like the idea of spending my entire life there.

Also, if you have any suggestions of other career options that I should consider, please let me know. At this point I feel pretty lost.

Help me figure out what type of careers are possible!

PetiePal — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:20:47 -0800

Explain to me what career paths for an MBA, Masters and technical certifications can lead to. I'm a 25 year old IT professional in NJ. I graduated in 2004 from Syracuse University with a bachelor of science in Information Technology/Management. Since then I've worked for companies such as AIG, Pfizer, Merck, Nokia and a small hedge fund. My last few positions were contracts as opposed to full-time due to the scarcity of jobs in these fields. I've done a little bit of everything from lowly help desk, managing small scale projects, vendor relationships, IT managing info systems, change control and technical writing.

I'm starting to consider continuing my education with graduate school or an MBA. I find the biggest problem with most programs or masters degrees is that you never really are presented with a clear idea of what careers opportunities each afford you.

I've never been a fan of (or that good for that matter) programming. I'm really much more of a people person that someone who's stuck in a cubicle all day programming.

Some of the things I really enjoy:

-project management
-writing
-interacting with people
-video game culture
-Developing new ideas
-Stocks/stock market
-vendor relations
-managing teams/people

What can you do with an MBA? A Masters in Technology? What kinds of fields, jobs or career paths do each of these afford?

The idea of being a CTO for a company really appeals to me. Being the person who makes strategic decisions of the technological direction and implementations of a company always seemed like a very interesting job path. What is the path to being a CTO?

I feel like I'm 25 and I'm nowhere farther really than I was when I graduated 3 years ago. I have "real-world" experience but it's not enough to find a solid full-time job than I can be happy in and grow career-wise.

Also any recommendations on programs/schools in NJ?

Graduate EE programs in NE Massachusetts & Southern NH

dumbledore69 — Wed, 16 May 2007 09:22:48 -0800

Does anyone have recommendations for graduate electrical engineering programs in northeast Massachusetts or southern NH? They would need to be night/weekend based and if there are online classes available that would be even better (but at a brick & mortar, legitimate universities). This is on behalf of my spouse. We work in Tewksbury, MA & live in Nashua, NH. Looking for the least stressful (if possible) way of obtaining a masters in EE before we start a family.

Bank St or Columbia for a master's degree for a teacher?

shivohum — Mon, 07 May 2007 18:11:52 -0800

A teacher friend of mine is trying to choose between Columbia Teachers' College and Bank Street for a master's degree. Any advice? She wants to be a teacher for several years at least, but perhaps eventually wants to branch out into being a principal or even going into school reform projects.

Columbia has the big advantage of reputation in the eyes of laymen, but Bank St. seems to be warmer and much more focused on giving their students accessible professors and a high-quality learning experience.

Does anyone have any advice or experiences? What is Bank St's reputation in the education industry? What steps should my friend take to find out more (she's already visited both places)?

Is this a case where one can't go wrong?

Where's the Masters' cams?

Thorzdad — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 10:16:12 -0800

Can anyone find any of the live webcam links on the Masters.org site? According to this page on the Masters website, there's supposed to be, at the very least, a live cam at the practice tee daily. But damned if I can find any links to cams anywhere.

Becoming an IT Exec: Master's Required?

jbiz — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 13:41:42 -0800

Do I need a Master's? I've been seeking opinions on this question all weekend, so I thought I'd ask here as well :)

Some background information:

I'm 26 years old and have a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Maryland (who consistently ranks amongst the top institutions, both public and overall). I've been out of school for almost 5 years. Including internships and college jobs, I have almost 7 years of experience working with various aspects of IT: web application programming, database programming and administration, systems administration, customer support, and now have accepted a new position at my current employer to be a Network Security Analyst (networks and security being two of the last aspects of IT that I haven't formally dabbled in).

In addition to those 7 professional years, I have about 12 years of informal experience being a huge geek. My interest in computers came about at the right time - the advent of the Internet as a means for sharing information. I love it - every part of it, and I've always wanted to saturate my brain with as much information about as many topics as I can. I have a very broad range of IT knowledge, including some topics with a very rich skillset. I also consider myself a big picture thinker with an innate ability to dissect and analyze just about any situation.

The biggest long-term goal I've set for myself is to one day be a CTO or CIO of a company. All of that said...

Do the benefits of having a Masters (likely in Business, Information Systems or some kind of hybrid of the two, if that's possible) outweigh the immense effort and financial burden of obtaining it?

(I am not fond of writing papers, I'm still about $60k in debt from my out-of-state undergrad years, and am not 100% confident that I can maintain enough motivation to finish given that I haven't stepped in a classroom in 5 years and will likely be starting a family in the near future)

I've always hoped that the dawn of the information age would change the traditional methods, attitudes and perceptions that companies use to seek potential employees. Is a B.S., the experience, aptitude, and instinct good enough to get me to that level?

Miserable with a future, or on hold but with less misery?

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 22:38:44 -0800

I have almost certainly won an eighteen thousand dollar award to do my Master's degree, but every day I find myself semi-wishing that I don't win it so that I don't have to do my Master's. Do I suck it up and advance my career, or turn down more money than I make in two years and end up working at the mall? I am a pretty smart cookie, I love school, and I love the fields that I majored in. For the past several years, though, I have been a research assistant for Dr. M, and when the time came for me to pick a supervisor, he seemed a natural fit. Smart, well-known, friendly, a good boss. Since then, though, we have had some conflict. I have had to change my topic from the area I am passionate about to the area he studies (I know, this is fairly typical) and he micromanages every step of the application process. As an example, he wrote my scholarship application for me and then seemed insulted when I made changes. He made all the decisions about who would be on my committee without consulting me. He has already decided the theoretical framework and methods for my study (as it happens to coincide with his). Anyway, bitching aside, the Cole's notes version is: I am unhappy with my supervisor, I am unhappy with my topic, I will very likely win a bunch of money to do this work.

Switching to another prof so that I can study what I want is not an option, as for various reasons I am tied to this one city (which only has this one school), and my department is quite small. There is no one here who specializes in my interest, and the department is so small that I really can't afford to step on anyone's toes, especially not Dr. M who has invested so much in training me these past years. I feel like I owe him.

If I do turn down the award, my degree is not such that I am qualified for any particular position. I would probably end up working at a call centre or something equally fulfilling. At this point, though, all I really want is to get away from the Uni. I have been there for so long that I have grown to hate it, hate research, and hate writing.

I can suck it up and do this degree, but I am sure it will not be a pleasant two years. Still, it will be two years, a short amount of time in the long run. I will have the award to put on my CV, plus some publications. All-in-all, good for my career. Do I do this, put my academic potential first and suffer through two years, or do I put my career on hold for a bit (turning down a large sum of money), and experience Life After School?

Please help me overcome my congential elitism.

zadermatermorts — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:51:36 -0800

What do you know about the M.A. in Writing program at DePaul University or about such programs in general? I have decided that for reasons of both career advancement and personal development, I would like to earn a masters degree in writing.

I live and work in Chicago, so doing this at DePaul would be convenient. Such programs in writing with a choice of focus (as opposed to degrees specifically in creative writing, journalism, etc.) seem to be somewhat rare. I think the next closest one is at Illinois State.

The DePaul curriculum looks great to me. However, a few things about the program give me some pause. (1) A thesis is not required as part of the degree. This makes me think the program may not be as rigorous as some others. Shouldn't a writing program, particularly one as heavy in compositional theory as DePaul's seems to be, involve the creation of a substantial piece of work? (2) Neither GRE scores nor letters of recommendation are required for admission. This suggests that they are not very discerning in the admissions process, although I realize the applicant pool may be somewhat self-selecting. (3) I grew up with a very elitist mentality about brand-name education, and part of me can't help but think that I might be better served in the programs at places like Johns Hopkins or Carnegie Mellon for no reason other than general reputation.

My future goals are not set, but I envision perhaps writing or editing creative or scholarly nonfiction or working for magazines.

Narcissistic background: I am a copy editor at a highly regarded university press, did well at a prestigious undergraduate institution, and have a fairly high opinion of myself. Thus, my questions are twain:

1. How does the DePaul program compare to other similar programs? Will I be challenged? Will it prepare me well? I have had no success in finding objective comparisons of programs in this degree.

2. Regardless of the content of the program itself, would I benefit more later by virtue of having a piece of paper from a better known school?

Thanks in advance. I guess I could also benefit from any general comments about the concept of graduate work in professional writing. I do think it's a pretty good choice for me right now.

How much is my Master's worth?

fiercecupcake — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 07:59:31 -0800

WannabeEditorFilter: I hated my first year of grad school, with its accompanying anxiety attacks, no free time, surly students, and pages of really boring reading. I'm halfway through my Master's and I am dreading going back. After my first year of grad school studying English literature, I took a year's leave of absence. I'm nearing the end of that and it's time to decide if I really want to go back. I am working in a job that I love -- but it's temporary.

Pros:
- I would be fully funded (TA position includes tuition, stipend, benefits)
- My Master's might allow me a higher earning potential over the rest of my life (?)

Cons:
- The aforementioned anxiety attacks, which I am starting to fear more than that which causes them (teaching and writing stress)
- I am really enjoying having weekends off for the first time in forever, and the new freedom of having no homework to worry about when my day work is done

My eventual goal is to have a full time proofreading, copy editing, or content editing position -- a stable office job with benefits and weekends off. I love to proofread, and I am very good at it; I have many references and a decent amount of experience.

How important is the Master's?

Tell me about MLIS programs in the US!

GilloD — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 08:08:48 -0800

MLIS Filter!: I'm thinking about heading back to school to snag an MLIS. However, reviews of programs seem to be far and few between. Tell me about your MLIS. Outside of a few standouts (Chapel Hill and Rutgers come to mind), it seems to be awfully hard to find any comprehensive review of MLIS programs. I was hoping some Mefi-ites with MLIS experience could suggest some programs, warn me about the pitfalls and help me on my way.

I'm trying to avoid Rutgers (Too much time in NJ already) or someplace way out the in the middle of nowhere (I did my undergrad in a wasteland. And it was a fine time, but I don't think I could do it again). I'm in NYC now and I see that Queens and Pratt both have programs, but I was recently warned off the Pratt program and told it was "disorganized, at best".

For reference: I graduated with a degree in English and Philosophy and I have substantial experience in programming (However rusty I might be) and research. I've worked in libraries before as well in archives. I applied very last minute to the University of Hawaii last year and got shot down.

Thanks for any help!

Roehampton Creative Writing Masters

0bvious — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 14:44:00 -0800

What do you know/think about the University of Roehampton, London? Most especially I am interested in its School of Arts, and its MA in Creative and Professional Writing.... Good uni? Did you attend there? What are your experiences of the Roehampton area?

Any info gratefully appreciated