<p>what are your views experiences on this program?</p>
<p>To me it kind of seems like a guranteed admission to a UCLA masters program as long as you satisfy the requirments and get the nomination. </p>
<p>any thoughts or experiences?</p>
<p>I think you're right about being an in for most Grad programs. </p>
<p>And I was going to do it. I was actually really serious about it. But then I realized that research in comm wasn't going to get me a job and I need a job to get into Anderson more than I need research about something random. So I went with an intensive internship instead and got over the research thing. </p>
<p>From everything I've heard, it's really intense but generally people enjoy it. It helps if you have a mentor professor you really connect with and who will help you.</p>
<p>Malishka,</p>
<p>It's a good way to work toward an MA, yes. But why? The problem with an MA like the one that the Departmental Scholar program offers is that it's not really an academic degree that will get you jobs...and it's not really a professional degree that will get you jobs.</p>
<p>Yes, it will definitely set you apart from other people on campus, but don't think that they just grant admission to the program willy nilly. The only people I know who've done it were like 3.8+, kickarse students with really good reasons for pursuing it. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, I do believe it can be a good thing to pursue-- as long as you're willing to recognize the limitations of the MA that you'll get.</p>
<p>Is there a list somewhere that says what programs offer this DS? Or is it all the departments?</p>
<p>I wanted MA in pub policy or socio.</p>
<p>Malishka,</p>
<p>Why? Again, do you have a BURNING academic question that you must answer? Are you INCREDIBLY interested in public policy or sociology?</p>
<p>If not, don't do it. You will be miserable. Graduate work is VERY different from undergraduate work, and you will find yourself on the short end of the happiness stick quite quickly if you're doing this just to do it.</p>
<p>All major departments offer it as far as I know. However, public policy only offers a regular MA (e.g. apply after you get your BA.)</p>
<p>well whats the point of applying to schools and doing it that way, or doing it this way? same result</p>
<p>You don't go to grad school "just to get a degree," though. You do it because you have a very specific reason to go.</p>
<p>As far as I can tell, however, public policy is a separate school entirely and only offers its degrees to regular applicants. As for sociology, probably the only way they're going to take you is if you're a major and have demonstrated exceptional ability in the department.</p>
<p>I just don't see why you'd take the sociology MA, though, unless it's something you really enjoy.</p>
<p>well normal people dont go to just get a degree, or people with specific intrests, thats not me, i dont even care for the bachelors degree that much. I dont have a specific educational passion... i just want the degrees to get a job.</p>
<p>But the degrees aren't necessarily going to get you a job. Having an MA is sociology is not going to land you some career that you can't get without the BA. The public policy degree (say an MPP) might, but you're likely to need work experience before you get that degree anyway.</p>
<p>If you think that undergrad is miserable, then don't rush into grad school. It's much better to go work for a few years with a BA than to try to force your way through grad school and come up another $20K in debt and empty handed. </p>
<p>And seriously, unless you have something in mind, rather than "a job," grad school is not for you. Please trust me and the wisdom of thousands of people before and with me on this. I am not telling you not to go to grad school-- just don't rush into it.</p>
<p>umm i didnt say undergrad was miserable, i am just not passionate about it... there isnt going to be some field ia m going to be passionate about, its not me, i dont like narrowing it down that much, there is a wide variety of things i would like to know.. not something specific.</p>
<p>I work now. I have worked b4, and the kind of jobs i can get with a BA are the kind of jobs i can get now with my work experience... unless i get BA in something very different... like math or accounting or something. </p>
<p>If i did MA in sociology, it wouldnt be my final degree, it would just be an in between. </p>
<p>My final degree will be MBA or JD, but i want a masters degree b4 that.</p>
<p>An MA isn't going to really do much for admissions to law school. For one, the GPA is not factored in. At best, it's just frosting on the cake. At worst, you can hurt your admission if you don't perform well in your MA classes. If you are not passionate about graduate study, you will probably not do well. Most people need to have a serious reason to do well in grad school-- that's just how it is.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for someone like you, grad school is ALL ABOUT specificity. </p>
<p>I'm just saying that unless you have a reason for going, you are not really going to get much out of it and may find yourself regretting the decision. It's not something to do "just to do it." It's not something to do just to add letters on to your resume. It's something to do if you have a serious academic reason to do it. Trust me, I know a few people in the program, and I'm in grad school. The people without a passion end up hating it.</p>
<p>There's really, really no point in getting an MA if you later intend to get an MBA or JD. You'd accrue an extra $20-40k in debt for what? a job you may or may not have for a few years before going to professional school? And an MA with soc won't get you a lot. You'd be better off doing a joint MA/PHD program for soc if you're going to spend the time doing it at all. </p>
<p>And I agree with Ari on the passion aspect. You may not have passion for a single specific field, but it's best to pursue a grad degree in at least some area that you have a great deal of passion for. Grad school is entirely about narrowing down your field and working on something you find interesting. Without that I can only imagine how miserable the entire process would be.</p>
<p>Just out of curioisity, is this program for all departments or only certain departments?</p>
<p>Departmental Honors are available in most departments.</p>
<p>ok, i thought about it graduate work, there is something i would want to address in graduate work but i dont know how to make a job out of this</p>
<p>I would want to know the impact and extend of pedophilia and child abuse in developing countries and then attempts to make policy to help change that. Weather the policy has to do with institutions or law or what not, that would be something iw oudl have to reasearch, but that would be very rewarding and intresting for me.</p>
<p>I would focus on that on the national level but i kind of feel there is a lot of social instuations and legal ones in place in america where as abroad especially in developing countries there is most likely nothing in place. I know that actually putting forth that type of policy would be hihgly unlikely because there are more pressing things such as hunger, but it would be nice if that is something that i could work on... somehow through the government or something, that would be nice, but i dont know exactly what type of career that would. that is just something i would like to do.</p>
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<p>the reason i wanted an MA first, was that my MA was supposed to focus more on the social aspect of it, or on the actual policy making, where as the JD would help me make more changes, it would sort of help me get my foot in the door in places or with other organizations and then i could go form there. </p>
<p>I know this makes probably 0 sence, but in my head it seems very clear, i am just having a hard time constructing a good pattern of events that will help me achieve what i want to do .</p>
<p>Malishka,</p>
<p>It sounds to me like you need to do an honors thesis, perhaps in sociology!</p>