<p>I've been thinking a lot more of higher degrees in Biology and whatnot...knowing that by age 35 I'd love to have my Ph.D...but I want to jump right into the classroom at 22....and earn my masters and Ph.D mainly over my summer vacations...</p>
<p>And here comes the question: How long would it take to earn my master's if I were to only take classes during the summer?</p>
<p>Well, there are great three-summer programs at both RPI and Bard.</p>
<p>this will be very amatuer advice as I dont know you that well or the specifics, but somethings to think about. I might add I have an MS in Geology, a number of years ago.</p>
<p>First, at least for a year or two chill and enjoy undergrad... I think i saw you are in georgia? doesnt matter, but I read a thread some time ago and just remembered you. </p>
<p>Ok. Most 'full time' MS programs take about 2 years to 2 1/2 years--at least the ones I know of. I also recall that most MS are about 36 hours. with or without thesis -depends. Anyway, with what I know about MS programs, assuming you could schedule it - it would take probably 3-4 years miinimum. </p>
<p>In reality, most people I know who teach and et an advanced degree need 5-6 years. If you can do it, my personal advice is get the MS right after undergrad, If money is an issue, that is understandable.... but the poor grad student life is usually a favorite memory of most people--including me</p>
<p>just some random thoughts</p>
<p>You will need to find a program that offers all of your masters requirements in the summer months. Many part time courses of study also have evening and/or weekend classes during the year. You may want to consider that option as well.</p>
<p>^^^Following up on thumper's post: while it is easy to get a masters degree in education by taking only summer classes, it will probably be quite difficult to get a masters in biology doing that. There just aren't that many upper-level science classes taught during the summer at most universities. The reason education courses are available over the summer is because that is when the customers are available to take the classes.</p>
<p>Part-time PhDs in bench/lab/natural sciences are very rare. You have to do a research project; that cannot be done very easily just by working in the summer.</p>
<p>If you plan on teaching, there are requirements in most districts on how soon you must start your Master's and how soon you must finish it. The good thing is many school districts will help pay for it. Many colleges will allow teachers a nice discount for a course if they have a student teacher for a semester.</p>
<p>If you plan on teaching right after undergrad, I would suggest that you do not start worrying about your Master's until after your first year of teaching. The other option is what someone above suggested, go straight for the Master's but then you may have to pay for all of it yourself.</p>
<p>I agree with cmbmom, many/most districts require continuing your education as you teach so taking classes every summer and often during the school year is pretty much a given. I don't know why it matters how fast you do it.</p>
<p>If you plan to receive a Ph.D. in biology, understand that many programs have minimum residency requirements; that you most likely will need to be a full-time student; that you will need to pass General Exams and be close to a lab. </p>
<p>I don't know that it makes sense to get your M.A. then go for a Ph.D. many years down the road.</p>
<p>What is the OP's ultimate goal. The initial one is to get into a classroom and I'm not clear what that exactly means (High school science??). If that is the case, most public school teachers do need to get a masters degree within a certain number of years, and yes, most do this in evenings and/or summers. It is possible for teachers to do this. Yes, some colleges do give stipends or tuition for grad courses if you have a student teacher BUT you will need to check the requirements to HAVE a student teacher. In many places, that requires a masters degree and a certain number of years of teaching experience. The OP would not likely be able to avail herself/himself of this benefit. PLUS I would not suggest that any first year teacher take evening courses. The challenges of teaching will likely be enough work in that first year (and maybe even the second year). Now...looking further down the road. Why does the OP want a PhD? Is it to teach at the college level? If that is the case, and this person wants to teach sciences at the college level, the advice above is probably going to apply...there will at least be a residency requirement (meaning you must study full time....not necessarily live there) for a semester or a full year. I know several folks getting their PhD's part time but ALL took a full year off of their jobs to write and defend their dissertations. AND all had the goal of teaching at the college level. You also need to know that once you start a doctoral program you WILL have a deadline in which to complete your requirements for the degree...my friends had up to 7 years to complete their requirements or they were not eligible to defend their dissertations.</p>
<p>I plan on teaching high school. However, I would also love to teach at the local technical college....and with my luck many professors are looking into retirement in the next 5-7 years.</p>
<p>So, either of the two would be welcomed. </p>
<p>You can start teaching there with a bachelors as long as you are working towards a masters (most there have a masters).</p>
<p>Many high school teachers who earn a doctorate get an Ed.D. (Doctor of Education). Education doctoral programs are often set up so that they can be completed by teachers who are working full-time. As others have said, a Ph.D. in bio is a big time commitment.</p>
<p>Do the current teachers at the technical college have PhDs? If teaching there is your goal, this would be good information to have. A friend of mine teaches Chem at a community college. While she has the PhD, most of the other science teachers do not.</p>
<p>Also, if you are able to work on a biology PhD outside of the usual academic year, you should know that you are committing yourself to many years of devoting summers and holidays to this work and to writing your dissertation.</p>
<p>Thanks for the clarification FutureHSteacher. Here is my humble opinion. I'm sure you will find a high school science job. Where I am, there are openings every year for HS science teachers. Do your first year of teaching without taking any evening classes!! Believe me, you'll be plenty busy with your new job. Then next summer, begin your masters program. The second year you teach, you could take one course each term in the evening...you will have to be the judge of that. While you are taking masters courses, I would suggest you NOT teach at the technical college. You will need to work with the advisors at the college where you are taking your masters to lay out a plan for your coursework (finding out when each course is offered and when you have to take them, etc). You may find that in your final year of masters work, you can teach a course at that community college when you are NOT taking courses yourself elsewhere (could be during the school year in the evening, could be in the summer...). By the time you complete your masters, you will have multiple years of experience teaching and will be more marketable to that local college as an instructor. Also, you will be more into a routine with your "day job" teaching at the high school. There are a few teachers with whom I work who teach adjuntt at colleges in my area. All really enjoy this. I don't believe you need a PhD to teach at the local technical/community college level. In fact, as an adjunct instructor, you may find that you don't need a PhD for other colleges either.</p>
<p>woah, go back to the Ed. D....somehow that slipped my mind. Need to talk with my Anatomy teacher about that tomorrow...</p>
<p>but for now, can you explain the difference in that and a Ph. D?</p>
<p>Okay, here is how I'd like everything to go....one of two ways:</p>
<p>Get a masters in Biology and then begin teaching high school or Get a Bachelors and begin teaching high school, and start my masters the fall of the next school year.</p>
<p>Eventually, I would love to have a Ph D....or Ed. D whichever be the case...</p>
<p>In fact, I'm about to go research that at my universities website...</p>
<p>Ya'll are extremely helpful.</p>
<p>In addition to Ed. D.s, there are also schools that offer Ph.D.'s in something like "science education" within their school of education. Both the Ed. D. and Ph.D. in education are generally not as time intensive as a Ph.D. in bio from the biology dept., and cater to people in secondary education already.</p>
<p>I will most definitely look into that...I know that the biology one would be more intense, but I wonder if ti wouldn't also be more useful?</p>
<p><a href="http://education.valdosta.edu/pdfs/ACT%20Program%20Guide.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://education.valdosta.edu/pdfs/ACT%20Program%20Guide.pdf</a> </p>
<p>am i headed in the right direction? hopefulyl this is what you were speaking of?</p>
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<blockquote> <p>Get a Bachelors and begin teaching high school, and start my masters the fall of the next school year.>></p> </blockquote>
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<p>If you are able to do this, the school district in which you work will likely pay at least a portion of your masters coursework. When you interview for jobs, you may want to ask if they have tuition reimbursement in their district. Some places do and some don't.</p>
<p>To me, the link you posted looks like a teacher certification program that also provides a masters degree. Are you getting a teaching degree and will you be certified once you complete your bachelors? If so, this doesn't look to me like what you want. This looks like a course of study for someone who is NOT certified to teach but wants to become certified. </p>
<p>In most states (if not all) you will need to have certification to teach in that state to get a high school teaching job in the public schools. If you are looking at private schools, the criteria are different, and sometimes they do hire folks who have experience in a content area or field, but who are not certified teachers.</p>
<p>If you plan to teach, you should probably get your teaching certification and degree as an undergrad.</p>
<p>The teacher certification process varies widely from state to state and is in flux in many states. It is increasingly easy to teach science and math in public high school classrooms without an undergraduate degree in education--in some states--by following an alternative certification program, specific to each state. The path to alternative certification differs depending on whether the potential teacher has a bachelors or graduate degree in a specific field.</p>
<p>Quite a few universities, including private (Vanderbilt Univ. Peabody College of Education) and public (Truman State University) no longer offer undergraduate teaching degrees by themselves; all education students must concurrently earn a degree in a specific field.</p>
<p>I've known several future teachers in recent years who have simply double-majored in education and a specific field (science, history) even if they are at a university that still offers a traditional ed degree with a specialization in a field. That way, there is no need for further classwork to earn certification and they are more readily employable at districts that prefer majors in the field of study, as well as at private schools.</p>
<p>Master's</a> Program of Study Curriculum Form</p>
<p>how about this?</p>