What does getting a Master's Degree look like?
March 1, 2024 10:16 AM Subscribe
I'm finishing up my Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology this summer. YAY! It only took me 30 years. I'm throwing around the idea of continuing to get my Master's degree, but I don't even know what that looks like. Is it just taking more classes? Is it project-based? I guess each program varies, but in general, what does a Master's degree entail?
Masters degrees in academic (as opposed to professional) fields fall into a number of different forms:
(1) expressly pre-PhD. Usually involves coursework in the field and often some foreign language courses and data science courses if you don't meet the expectations of current PhD programs on either front. Sometimes includes masters thesis, often does not. More common outside the U.S., PhD. programs in U.S. usually like to take people in directly and have them do the masters-level work as part of the PhD program.
(2) Broadly "terminal" - expressly NOT for people planning to go on to Ph.D. Coursework and some kind of research project / thesis expected. The practical motivation for these programs include: none (hobbyist, basically); checking the MA/MS box for higher salaries or ranks, especially in teaching and government jobs; a basis for a student visa and OPT working visa thereafter; CV enhancement for people who have unimpressive or out of date undergraduate credentials looking to do credential-hungry things like getting a job in finance or being admitted to law school; qualifying to adjunct at community colleges; and (sadly) a basis for continuing to be able to draw on the living expense portion of student loans.
(3) Narrowly "terminal" - designed to qualify you for some specific advanced capacity in academia or industry. Coursework and sometimes some kind of thesis. Not sure that there would be many/any such programs in anthropology - maybe some kind of specialized lab support scientist role for physical anthropologists or archeologists?
(4) Ph.D. program dropout consolation prize.
posted by MattD at 10:37 AM on March 1 [15 favorites]
(1) expressly pre-PhD. Usually involves coursework in the field and often some foreign language courses and data science courses if you don't meet the expectations of current PhD programs on either front. Sometimes includes masters thesis, often does not. More common outside the U.S., PhD. programs in U.S. usually like to take people in directly and have them do the masters-level work as part of the PhD program.
(2) Broadly "terminal" - expressly NOT for people planning to go on to Ph.D. Coursework and some kind of research project / thesis expected. The practical motivation for these programs include: none (hobbyist, basically); checking the MA/MS box for higher salaries or ranks, especially in teaching and government jobs; a basis for a student visa and OPT working visa thereafter; CV enhancement for people who have unimpressive or out of date undergraduate credentials looking to do credential-hungry things like getting a job in finance or being admitted to law school; qualifying to adjunct at community colleges; and (sadly) a basis for continuing to be able to draw on the living expense portion of student loans.
(3) Narrowly "terminal" - designed to qualify you for some specific advanced capacity in academia or industry. Coursework and sometimes some kind of thesis. Not sure that there would be many/any such programs in anthropology - maybe some kind of specialized lab support scientist role for physical anthropologists or archeologists?
(4) Ph.D. program dropout consolation prize.
posted by MattD at 10:37 AM on March 1 [15 favorites]
Importantly, plenty of people enroll in type 1 programs with type 2 motives, in part because type 1 programs are more likely to be funded.
posted by MattD at 10:40 AM on March 1 [2 favorites]
posted by MattD at 10:40 AM on March 1 [2 favorites]
It varies depending on the subject and the university but Masters are broadly split into two types: research and taught.
As MattD said, a research Masters is usually the first step towards a PhD or because you're doing research as part of a career. For example you might work for an engineering firm and do a research Masters in materials engineering because that would be beneficial for your company and/or your career. This usually involves working on a project and presenting it as formal research in a specific topic/specialism. The aim is to find out something new, or to expand on what is known/understood about something. Research Masters are often funded by industry or by grants.
A taught Masters doesn't preclude you from doing a PhD but it is intended to demonstrate you have advanced knowledge of a topic/specialism rather than doing any original research. In the engineering example you might do a taught Masters in materials engineering because your job requires you to know a great deal about (e.g.) stresses and strains in different types of metal. This usually involves lessons, coursework and a final exam or dissertation. Taught Masters are usually self-funded unless your company pays for it (a company-funded MBA is quite common) or you qualify for some kind of scholarship.
I'm not an anthropologist so my naive assumption is that for anthropology the analogous difference would be between doing field work with a particular group (research) vs doing class/library work to learn about that group (taught). Your university department should have a member who is designated to answer this type of question from interested students though, so definitely find out who they are and ask them.
posted by underclocked at 10:55 AM on March 1
As MattD said, a research Masters is usually the first step towards a PhD or because you're doing research as part of a career. For example you might work for an engineering firm and do a research Masters in materials engineering because that would be beneficial for your company and/or your career. This usually involves working on a project and presenting it as formal research in a specific topic/specialism. The aim is to find out something new, or to expand on what is known/understood about something. Research Masters are often funded by industry or by grants.
A taught Masters doesn't preclude you from doing a PhD but it is intended to demonstrate you have advanced knowledge of a topic/specialism rather than doing any original research. In the engineering example you might do a taught Masters in materials engineering because your job requires you to know a great deal about (e.g.) stresses and strains in different types of metal. This usually involves lessons, coursework and a final exam or dissertation. Taught Masters are usually self-funded unless your company pays for it (a company-funded MBA is quite common) or you qualify for some kind of scholarship.
I'm not an anthropologist so my naive assumption is that for anthropology the analogous difference would be between doing field work with a particular group (research) vs doing class/library work to learn about that group (taught). Your university department should have a member who is designated to answer this type of question from interested students though, so definitely find out who they are and ask them.
posted by underclocked at 10:55 AM on March 1
As someone with a master's in a field - art history - where that is not the terminal degree (PhD's expected almost everywhere now, including curatorial work) I can tell you about my grad school experience.
I went back to school 7 years out of my undergrad and did not have firm convictions that I needed the PhD - and decided once I finished the MA thesis (our required final project) that I didn't want one. I didn't have a project I felt strongly enough about to take loans for another 7 years, basically, and was itching to get back to work.
I went to a program where students were not admitted directly to the PhD program, and to continue in the same department you were expected to re-apply. Several of my cohort did this, and at least one was not admitted (mismatch between her proposed project and the main faculty advisor in her field...)
I have found the MA very useful as a credential and don't regret having left grad school when I did. Since I don't want to curate or be a professor, the terminal degree was not essential to me. My particular program was very satisfying in that I gained research skills and absorbed a whole lot more scholarship than I previously had, and it gave me time and space outside of a paid job to think about what my own interests were and where I wanted my career to go. Our entering Methods class gave me a broad understanding of how the field had developed and what kinds of ideologies were in operation at different moments in the history of the field; I still think about what I learned there and in my other coursework.
I found the advisor/advisee relationship to be almost unbearably intimate. I didn't have an undergraduate advisor and was kind of unprepared for how fraught it can be. That's probably just my personal problem though, and another reason I didn't continue to the PhD.
My advice to anyone thinking of grad school: think about what you want out of it, whose work in your field interests you the most and whether they are taking students, and how you will fund it (hint: they should offer you money). And try to apply with a project already in mind.
Programs vary widely. Most anthro folks I know do fieldwork, so would your program include that?
posted by Lawn Beaver at 11:04 AM on March 1 [3 favorites]
I went back to school 7 years out of my undergrad and did not have firm convictions that I needed the PhD - and decided once I finished the MA thesis (our required final project) that I didn't want one. I didn't have a project I felt strongly enough about to take loans for another 7 years, basically, and was itching to get back to work.
I went to a program where students were not admitted directly to the PhD program, and to continue in the same department you were expected to re-apply. Several of my cohort did this, and at least one was not admitted (mismatch between her proposed project and the main faculty advisor in her field...)
I have found the MA very useful as a credential and don't regret having left grad school when I did. Since I don't want to curate or be a professor, the terminal degree was not essential to me. My particular program was very satisfying in that I gained research skills and absorbed a whole lot more scholarship than I previously had, and it gave me time and space outside of a paid job to think about what my own interests were and where I wanted my career to go. Our entering Methods class gave me a broad understanding of how the field had developed and what kinds of ideologies were in operation at different moments in the history of the field; I still think about what I learned there and in my other coursework.
I found the advisor/advisee relationship to be almost unbearably intimate. I didn't have an undergraduate advisor and was kind of unprepared for how fraught it can be. That's probably just my personal problem though, and another reason I didn't continue to the PhD.
My advice to anyone thinking of grad school: think about what you want out of it, whose work in your field interests you the most and whether they are taking students, and how you will fund it (hint: they should offer you money). And try to apply with a project already in mind.
Programs vary widely. Most anthro folks I know do fieldwork, so would your program include that?
posted by Lawn Beaver at 11:04 AM on March 1 [3 favorites]
Assuming you'd intend to continue in anthropology, I think your best move is to schedule a meeting with a friendly faculty member at your current university and ask them some of your questions. As you can see from the responses so far, masters degrees are pretty varied, and discipline makes a big difference.
I would also ask, what's your motivation for continued study? Assuming it has some tie to employment: In some fields, a masters degree is kind of the "basic degree" to be qualified to practice (that's more or less true in my field, statistics, although we're not actually very good at gatekeeping). In other fields, it won't necessarily add a lot to your employment prospects, either because you need the PhD to really work in the field, or because you don't really need a graduate degree at all to get interesting and well-compensated work in the field. However: I believe that some students view a graduate degree prospectively as a choice that is bound to improve their general prospects even outside the field, and I think this is mistaken. When I was finishing up my PhD in another field there was a great deal of handwringing about how difficult it can be to transition from an academic career to a nonacademic one. That may be changing, but if this is your approach ("one degree was good so more is better") I think you want to make sure it's true before investing a lot of money or time in a graduate degree.
If it's just for love - that's another matter, as long as you can keep paying the bills while doing it.
posted by eirias at 11:12 AM on March 1 [3 favorites]
I would also ask, what's your motivation for continued study? Assuming it has some tie to employment: In some fields, a masters degree is kind of the "basic degree" to be qualified to practice (that's more or less true in my field, statistics, although we're not actually very good at gatekeeping). In other fields, it won't necessarily add a lot to your employment prospects, either because you need the PhD to really work in the field, or because you don't really need a graduate degree at all to get interesting and well-compensated work in the field. However: I believe that some students view a graduate degree prospectively as a choice that is bound to improve their general prospects even outside the field, and I think this is mistaken. When I was finishing up my PhD in another field there was a great deal of handwringing about how difficult it can be to transition from an academic career to a nonacademic one. That may be changing, but if this is your approach ("one degree was good so more is better") I think you want to make sure it's true before investing a lot of money or time in a graduate degree.
If it's just for love - that's another matter, as long as you can keep paying the bills while doing it.
posted by eirias at 11:12 AM on March 1 [3 favorites]
I have two Master's degrees - one in Historic Preservation and one in Library and Information Science.
I would say in general, a Master's is a lot like a Bachelor's, but with more focus on research - either practical research (fieldwork, experiments, case studies) or academic research (literature reviews, analyses, etc). You will still take classes, have exams, write papers, etc. but you are expected to have a "bigger picture" in mind that will eventually either form the basis of a thesis/dissertation or a capstone project. For example, my focus in my MLIS was veterinary librarianship, as I already worked in a veterinary library. I did an independent research project on a narrow aspect of the field, and my capstone was a study of why the patrons of our library chose to study there (or didn't).
One strong piece of advice I give you is to NOT undertake a Master's that you are paying for out of pocket, unless there is some specific job that you want that requires a Master's (and not a PhD). It is fairly easy to get a Master's paid for, either by an employer or by the program you are attending (as a fellowship or something). For my MLIS, I took advantage of my employer's tuition reimbursement program, for example, though an MLIS is exactly the kind of Master's that might make sense to pay for, as you still pretty much need one to be hired as a librarian anywhere.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:15 AM on March 1 [3 favorites]
I would say in general, a Master's is a lot like a Bachelor's, but with more focus on research - either practical research (fieldwork, experiments, case studies) or academic research (literature reviews, analyses, etc). You will still take classes, have exams, write papers, etc. but you are expected to have a "bigger picture" in mind that will eventually either form the basis of a thesis/dissertation or a capstone project. For example, my focus in my MLIS was veterinary librarianship, as I already worked in a veterinary library. I did an independent research project on a narrow aspect of the field, and my capstone was a study of why the patrons of our library chose to study there (or didn't).
One strong piece of advice I give you is to NOT undertake a Master's that you are paying for out of pocket, unless there is some specific job that you want that requires a Master's (and not a PhD). It is fairly easy to get a Master's paid for, either by an employer or by the program you are attending (as a fellowship or something). For my MLIS, I took advantage of my employer's tuition reimbursement program, for example, though an MLIS is exactly the kind of Master's that might make sense to pay for, as you still pretty much need one to be hired as a librarian anywhere.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:15 AM on March 1 [3 favorites]
You're getting a lot of really great info here. But to step back and answer your question more broadly: a master's degree in the social sciences and humanities is likely going to be primarily taking classes in that specific area (like classes in your major in undergrad, including maybe some of the very same classes but allegedly at a higher level), along with a master's paper or thesis or project, in the second year. It's still a generalist program, but with the opportunity to dive deeper into an area with a culminating thesis or project under the supervision of a faculty member. Imagine the last two years of undergrad with fewer general education requirements and at a slightly higher level, with generally more motivated classmates.
A typical two year program will have you take about 3 classes or so a term/semester the first year. You'll take a research methods class, most likely. It's possible you might take a class or two out of your main department, in something like statistics, or whatever aligns with your research methods. In the second year, you will also start on that final project and use the first half of the year to figure out your project/thesis. The last term/semester will include some credit for your thesis, but also with still taking a class or two.
If you're in anthropology, your research might include some field work that's directly supervised or on your own. But, in general, it's probably going to still be mostly taking classes.
If you are thinking about getting a master's degree at your undergrad institution, go ahead and search for something like "X University Digital Repository" and then look for masters' theses or masters' projects in anthropology. You can get an idea of the kind of research projects done by recent graduates.
A master's degree that isn't part of a specific career plan or path can be a rewarding, very expensive approach to on-going learning and adult education.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:24 AM on March 1 [1 favorite]
A typical two year program will have you take about 3 classes or so a term/semester the first year. You'll take a research methods class, most likely. It's possible you might take a class or two out of your main department, in something like statistics, or whatever aligns with your research methods. In the second year, you will also start on that final project and use the first half of the year to figure out your project/thesis. The last term/semester will include some credit for your thesis, but also with still taking a class or two.
If you're in anthropology, your research might include some field work that's directly supervised or on your own. But, in general, it's probably going to still be mostly taking classes.
If you are thinking about getting a master's degree at your undergrad institution, go ahead and search for something like "X University Digital Repository" and then look for masters' theses or masters' projects in anthropology. You can get an idea of the kind of research projects done by recent graduates.
A master's degree that isn't part of a specific career plan or path can be a rewarding, very expensive approach to on-going learning and adult education.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:24 AM on March 1 [1 favorite]
It varies depending on the subject and the university but Masters are broadly split into two types: research and taught.
This distinction doesn't hold in US social science or humanities programs.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 12:05 PM on March 1 [1 favorite]
This distinction doesn't hold in US social science or humanities programs.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 12:05 PM on March 1 [1 favorite]
I have a social science Master's degree that was completely pre-professional (MPH)--almost no research and mostly networking to get a job. The course-work was totally useless to me since work in this field is learned on the job (unless you're an epidemiologist or a biostatistician).
For the friends I know who have more research-based Master's degrees (in things like sociology, anthropology, etc), it's almost always been a stepping stone to a PhD and is equivalent to the first few years of a PhD--I think it has very limited value in the job market outside of that. However, if you take classes in research methods and learn quantitative skills, those could have broad applicability.
posted by lizard2590 at 1:45 PM on March 1
For the friends I know who have more research-based Master's degrees (in things like sociology, anthropology, etc), it's almost always been a stepping stone to a PhD and is equivalent to the first few years of a PhD--I think it has very limited value in the job market outside of that. However, if you take classes in research methods and learn quantitative skills, those could have broad applicability.
posted by lizard2590 at 1:45 PM on March 1
It's going to vary for sure.
At Western , the Engineering school offers a thesis based research oriented Masters of Engineering Science degree which is funded.
It also offers a course based Masters of Engineering degree which is not eligible for funding.
"The Master of Engineering (MEng) is a course based degree program that is structured to
advance knowledge of practical interest in
specialized fields. This degree program is well suited for working professionals and those
seeking careers in the industrial sector."
--
posted by yyz at 2:37 PM on March 1
At Western , the Engineering school offers a thesis based research oriented Masters of Engineering Science degree which is funded.
It also offers a course based Masters of Engineering degree which is not eligible for funding.
"The Master of Engineering (MEng) is a course based degree program that is structured to
advance knowledge of practical interest in
specialized fields. This degree program is well suited for working professionals and those
seeking careers in the industrial sector."
--
posted by yyz at 2:37 PM on March 1
Assuming you are based in the United States:
You will likely have some required courses and some electives, and then you will write a thesis (or do a "capstone project" which may be basically a thesis and may be something else, especially if your focus is something like public archaeology or applied anthropology). 30 credits is pretty standard, with most classes being 3 credits. You might expect 3-6 credits to be allocated to thesis research and writing, so probably 8-9 actual courses, some of which will be theoretical/foundational (e.g. Anthropological Theory, Archaeological Theory, etc.), and some methods-focused (e.g. Ethnographic Methods). If you are focusing on cultural anthropology and do an original ethnographic study for your thesis, you will likely need to go through your institution's IRB and get approval for your project; your professors will help you with that.
Most anthropology programs in the US are "four-field" or "three-field" so what your thesis will be on will depend on what you specialize in. A cultural anthropology thesis will be very different than a biological anthropology thesis, etc.
The UCLA MA in Anthropology page someone referenced above is not something you should look at as a typical example, as it is not meant to be a stand-alone / terminal degree, and they don't expect students to write a thesis. Relatedly, terminal MA programs (so, not ones where you apply and get into a PhD program straight from your undergraduate degree, and get an MA while in the program en route to PhD, as is the case at UCLA) are almost never fully funded, if that is a consideration.
If you are based outside of, or considering a Master's degree outside of the US, some things are a bit different. Feel free to me-mail me with any more specific questions.
posted by virve at 4:37 PM on March 1 [2 favorites]
You will likely have some required courses and some electives, and then you will write a thesis (or do a "capstone project" which may be basically a thesis and may be something else, especially if your focus is something like public archaeology or applied anthropology). 30 credits is pretty standard, with most classes being 3 credits. You might expect 3-6 credits to be allocated to thesis research and writing, so probably 8-9 actual courses, some of which will be theoretical/foundational (e.g. Anthropological Theory, Archaeological Theory, etc.), and some methods-focused (e.g. Ethnographic Methods). If you are focusing on cultural anthropology and do an original ethnographic study for your thesis, you will likely need to go through your institution's IRB and get approval for your project; your professors will help you with that.
Most anthropology programs in the US are "four-field" or "three-field" so what your thesis will be on will depend on what you specialize in. A cultural anthropology thesis will be very different than a biological anthropology thesis, etc.
The UCLA MA in Anthropology page someone referenced above is not something you should look at as a typical example, as it is not meant to be a stand-alone / terminal degree, and they don't expect students to write a thesis. Relatedly, terminal MA programs (so, not ones where you apply and get into a PhD program straight from your undergraduate degree, and get an MA while in the program en route to PhD, as is the case at UCLA) are almost never fully funded, if that is a consideration.
If you are based outside of, or considering a Master's degree outside of the US, some things are a bit different. Feel free to me-mail me with any more specific questions.
posted by virve at 4:37 PM on March 1 [2 favorites]
I don’t have the experience to answer your question in a general/global sense. But I do have an MA in Applied Anthropology and would be happy to answer any questions if you’re interested in the more terminal/“taught” types of programs referenced above specifically in anthropology. Folks are right that MA programs in anthropology tend to be PhD-track. My program (University of Memphis) was more practice-oriented and has a good track record of graduates ending up in successful, non-academic careers. The coursework still consisted of a lot of very heady academic literature, but instead of a master’s thesis we had to complete a practicum assignment & report (essentially a research-focused internship that we then had to connect back to what we learned in the coursework). Feel free to memail me if you have more questions!
posted by a.steele at 7:19 PM on March 1
posted by a.steele at 7:19 PM on March 1
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This is a link to the UCLA page for their MA in Anthropology to get an idea of what the program requires. From looking at it briefly, I think they either have a capstone project or a thesis, but not both, depending on their subfield. And they require 10 classes, taken about 3-4 at a time.
I have a graduate degree, but not a Masters, and my program was just classes. (A graduate degree is roughly like half of a Masters, often the class half.)
Congratulations on your BA, by the way!
posted by Meldanthral at 10:35 AM on March 1 [2 favorites]