<p>Hi, I'm a senior in college. I got accepted to one masters and one phd, both in history. the masters is at a top school in UK and the phd is at a good-but-not-so-prestigious school in US. one of the best professors in my field works there though.</p>
<p>My question is: considering the chance of getting a decent job in academia in the future, should I first do a masters in UK and then try applying to phd again (to get accepted to a better school)? or should I take the offer and finish phd in US?</p>
<p>I know it depends on so many factors.. but I really have to think about it especially when the market looks so hopeless...</p>
<p>I know in the sciences who you work with is sometimes more important than the department that you’re in, but I’m not sure that this is the case in the humanities. The other thing is that if you want to be a professor of history somewhere, you need to go to the BEST program you can possibly attend. So ask the PhD program where their recent graduates have ended up, and what they are doing now. Have most of them gotten tenure-track positions somewhere, or are they all doing visiting assistant professor positions and adjuncting?</p>
<p>If they don’t track where their graduates end up and genuinely don’t know, the professor you are working with will know where <em>his</em> recent grads have ended up, so ask him. Consider also the reputation of this program in the field.</p>
<p>On the flip side, you have to consider whether the greater chances of getting into a PhD program after the UK master’s 1) actually exist and 2) whether they’re worth the cost of the UK program. Also consider - let’s say that you do get the dream, a funded PhD history program in the top 10 and then a tenure-track AP job. Your starting salary is between $50K and $65K, most likely. Will you make enough money to pay off the UK master’s PLUS any undergrad loans that you have?</p>
<p>It’s really hard to tell, especially if the program is good but not great.</p>
<p>I would say that if you want to be a professor than you absolutely should go for the PHD. If you don’t mind me asking, what schools did you get in to?</p>
<p>I got accepted to PHD at UT Austin and MA at LSE. UT has at least one super scholar but 20% of PHD holders are not on a tenure track. LSE is more famous as a whole but it’s a MA with no funding.</p>
<p>Actually, I’m starting to wonder if doing a MA at UK would do any good because it’s a one-year taught masters where I wouldn’t have any chance to publish articles or attend conferences… I also don’t know if the masters thesis requires research as substantial as MA in US.</p>
<p>Some additional info: I’m an international student newly coming to US or UK so free from debt now. I’m not sure if I’m come back after completing PHD (the job market in my country is even worse than US).</p>