Would a science program (specifically Earth Science or Geology) even consider me for their Master’s program if I got my BA in History? I went through undergrad, very passionate about history, mainly because I had some top notch high school teachers who made the topic absolutely fascinating. Then as I went through undergrad, life happened, and eventually I realized I did not want to pursue further studies in History. Being that it was very late in my schooling, I couldn’t change my major either, mainly due to financial aid.
Now after being out of school for a little bit, i’ve realized (finally) what I want to do with my life and that is conservation science and research. However, my entire concentration in undergrad was history and the liberal arts, the only science and math credits I have are my gen eds.
Ive juggled the idea of going back for a second Bachelors but most sources have told me at this point it is probably more wise to go straight for the Masters. With that being said, how willing would a Master’s program be able to work with me in acquiring whatever prerequisites I would need? Would I even be considered for admissions into a program?
Graduate programs in the hard sciences have both hard and soft requirements to get into the program. I doubt you will qualify for too many hard science Masters programs. That being said, conservation science might be one in which they’ve seen your situation before.
Look up some of the programs and do your online research before contacting a few with any specific questions.
What really matters in most cases is the prerequisite coursework. An MS in earth science, for example, will have some kind of prerequisite requirements for admission. Those might be clearly delineated (“successful applicants will have taken one year of chemistry, one year of biology, a two semesters of calculus…”), or they might be a bit more ambiguous (“ideal applicants will have a strong undergraduate record with a degree in some branch of the natural, physical, or earth/planetary sciences, including considerable quantitative coursework”).
The former kind of program is easier. You take the courses that you need to get in. You have to take all of the courses on the list, and taking 1-2 additional courses is probably good to make you competitive. The latter is harder. It doesn’t mean that you needed to have majored in the field in your first attempt at college, but it does mean that you will need the equivalent coursework - which is generally about 30-40 credits, or 10-15 classes.
So the short answer is that no, a science MS program is going to consider you if you have little to no coursework in the sciences. Graduate programs are called such because they build upon undergraduate knowledge, which you have to have first. But it is possible to get into a science MS program if you are willing to do the prerequisite coursework to get in. I’d advise you to check around and look at some master’s programs in the earth sciences or geology, and see what the prerequisites are; that will help you’d determine whether you can just take a few prerequisites to get in or whether you would essentially need a second bachelor’s.
There are some MS programs that will admit students conditionally, and then allow them one year to make up some prerequisite coursework. But this is usually done for students who need, perhaps, 1-3 courses before they can start - not students who are missing all prerequisite coursework.