<p>I am planning to apply to a MA program for Fall 2014. My goal is to have the terminal MA, then apply to a PhD program with the goal of one day gaining a tenure track position at the university level. I love learning and doing in-depth research - I'm very interested in the ancient Near East and Mesopotamia. Additionally, I truly believe in higher education and hope to impact students, similar to how my own professors have changed my life. I have several questions and I would really appreciate any help or advice anyone has. </p>
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<li><p>My biggest worry is about my GPA. Although my major GPA(history) is a 3.5, my cumulative GPA is a 2.6. I was in a different major and deeply unhappy, until I took a quarter off to re-prioritize and seek counseling. I switched from human biology to history and never received a grade below a B+ in my upper division history courses. It turns out I was depressed, but therapy has been helping. I am hoping admissions will look at the progress I have made, and I understand I am not as competitive as others in my field. This is the most discouraging factor for me, should I even bother applying?</p></li>
<li><p>I am planning to take the GRE in November. Studying is hard because I have a full-time job, sometimes clocking in 50-55 hours a week. I feel as if my lack of motivation is a sign that I am not ready for graduate school, but I believe that my concerns over my GPA affects my motivation. It seems pointless to take the GRE if I manage to get decent scores, but my GPA affects my chances of admissions. </p></li>
<li><p>Languages are a big factor if I want to study anything other than U.S. history. I did not see myself as someone who would be applying for graduate school in history, and by the time I began to contemplate the choice, I was finished with my degree. I am learning Latin on my own, but again, it is difficult with a full-time job. My old professor has told me that my GPA will not factor in as much as I worry it will. He has mentioned that when he sits on an admissions committee, he looks for improvement, and strong grades in the field. He has also advised me to have strong GRE scores, especially in the verbal(obviously) portion. But he did warn me that my lack of languages will be a detriment. Do MA programs admit graduate students who do not have proficiency in another language and give them time to study?</p></li>
<li><p>I am applying to state schools, focused in the LA/SD area. I graduated from UCSD last year, and I have settled down Southern California. However, I have been told that if I want to go on to become a professor, I should look into a PhD program instead of attending a college with a terminal masters, then applying for a PhD. So my question is, will it be detrimental to my career if I receive a masters from a state school(where I know I can do well and prepare to be a more competitive candidate)? Or should I apply to a PhD program, where I can receive a master's on my way to a PhD; despite knowing I am lacking in the criteria the programs are looking for?</p></li>
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<p>In addition to working full time, I also intern at an organization that is related to my field. I know my recommendation letters will be strong, I have stayed in touch with the professors I worked well with, and I have gotten A's in all their classes. I don't know what else I need to consider, if I am missing anything, I would really appreciate any helpful comments or advice. Thanks!</p>
<p>You don’t want to get an MA from a random LA/SD-area state school just to get an MA. History is an extraordinarily competitive field right now in terms of finding tenure-track employment and you would be well-advised to apply directly to quality Ph.D programs.</p>
<p>Your cumulative GPA may well be an issue, but with your major GPA and dramatic improvement in performance, it may not be as big an issue as you think. Trends matter, and so does performance in your major.</p>
There are only about a dozen universities in the US with any offerings in Mesopotamian or Near Eastern studies, and even fewer have strengths in Near Eastern history. Predictably, they’re all incredibly difficult to get into. Without both French and German (or at least one of them) and at least some background in Akkadian, an applicant is facing an extremely uphill battle. Nearly all successful PhD applicants have an undergraduate background in the subject, either from one of the few American universities or a university overseas. Unless the OP has amazing credentials that weren’t mentioned, I think admission to a reputable PhD program is pretty unlikely.</p>
<p>Although many students look to MA programs to beef up their credentials when they’re unsure about PhD programs, there are no MA programs in Near Eastern history within the US, unless you count seminaries or the unfunded/cashcow MA programs at Brandeis and Chicago. </p>
<p>cywong – On the bright side, UCLA is one of the universities with relevant offerings. If you’re admitted to one of the nearby CSUs, it is possible to take one course per semester at UCLA, space permitting. That could be a good way to get relevant (language) coursework under your belt. Alternately, it may be possible to take relevant courses as a non-degree seeking student; I’m not sure how that works. </p>
<p>I recommend CSU Pomona if you’re looking for MA programs in Southern California.</p>
<p>You should be working with your professors to develop a cohesive plan. Without the full support of a respected professor or two or three in this area you are not going to get anywhere. You need to learn the old near eastern languages to do your own original research as well as languages in which other research has been written such as German . You really need to work with your professors starting now.</p>
<p>polarscribe - I do understand it is highly competitive, and if admissions was based on my GPA, letters of recommendation, and GRE scores, I would apply directly to PhD programs. However, my lack of proficiency in languages related to the area is a problem. I am proficient in Spanish and Chinese, neither of those will get me very far in ancient Near Eastern history. </p>
<p>Additionally, I am not applying to random schools, I am looking at professors that I can work with.</p>
<p>warblersrule - Thank you so much for the tip. I was looking at CSU Pomona, and realized the program is geared towards secondary school teachers. But now that you mention it, I will look at it again. </p>
<p>boysx3 - I have been speaking with my professors since I graduated. They are very supportive and have all agreed to write me recommendation letters. Yes, they have all advised me to learn the language and given me information about the admissions process. I thought that giving them a list of the schools I am interested in applying to, along with additional materials they asked for was a cohesive plan, but perhaps I am missing something? If I am, I would appreciate any tips you have, thank you.</p>
<p>Yes, you need to give your professors a list of programs to which you are applying so you can tailor your application. You also need to attend a program where you can learn the languages that you need to study near Eastern studies in your PhD program.</p>
<p>If you are really serious about academia, you need to consider looking outside of the LA/SD area and really look nationwide for the best programs in your field, especially since the languages you may need may be obscure or less-taught.</p>
<p>Consider earning your MA in Near Eastern Studies. UC-Berkeley offers an MA in Near Eastern studies; they offer coursework in Arabic, Cuneiform (Akkadian, Sumerian, Hittite), Egyptian, Hebrew, Persian, Iranian, Semitics (Aramaic and Ugaritic), and Turkish. UCLA offers an MA in Islamic Studies and African & Middle Eastern Studies. A good Near Eastern studies program will have classes in ancient history of the region as well as more contemporary ones. That coupled with your major in history may help you gain admission to a good PhD program.</p>
<p>But I suspect that if you want to get an MA in Near Eastern history you will have to branch outside of the LA/SD area. It’s an investment in your career - if you really want a shot at a top PhD program you will need to go to an MA program that suits your needs, and the ones nearby you may not be that one.</p>
<p>Given that your GPA is low, you need to make sure you set aside the time to study for the GRE so you can get high scores (especially high verbal scores).</p>
<p>Thanks for all the tips. I have looked at Berkeley, but right now I’m not really qualified for any program that requires prior knowledge of languages, and a high GPA. I was planning to look nationwide for the PhD program - after doing well in a MA program. I know I can do much better since I have learned from my past mistakes. Would it be detrimental to my future career goals to get a MA at an institution with professors in the field I’m interested in?</p>
<p>Yes, I have a list written out, and I’m forming a solid plan. I have looked at other programs as well, but I don’t meet their requirements.</p>
<p>I must admit I’m a homer as an alum, but my daughter graduated with an MA from the classical studies program at Brandeis and I wouldn’t call it unfunded or a cash cow. She received $10,000 in merit aid and $10,000 in need based aid her first year. She TAed her second semester so that was another couple thousand in tuition, all fees, and almost $4000 as a stipend. Her second year, her tuition dropped to under $2000 so when she TAed, she went for free and got the stipend. She also received several thousand dollars each summer to go work on an archeology site that the department runs. She’s now a fully-funded PhD student at her first choice and was accepted into 6/8 programs. I think the ~$20,000 over two years was well worth it since she said she’s doing better than just about all the other students, especially those straight out of college. Her Brandeis thesis has also become the foundation for her dissertation proposal. Oh, and she took Akkadian at Brandeis which is pretty cool. Just my 2 cents from a less worried parent now…</p>
<p>An unfunded program doesn’t mean that no one ever gets funding; even at many unfunded professional master’s, there are usually a few students who get scholarships or TAships. But the majority of students don’t. And “cash cow” isn’t a statement about the quality of the program - just the fact that the program exists at least in part to generate revenue for the university, because most students are paying mostly through loans to attend.</p>
<p>BUT sometimes attending an unfunded program is necessary for the next step in one’s career.</p>
<p>All my daughter’s peers at Brandeis received the same funding (though not all received teaching assistantships or did a program in the summer). One of her other choices for an MA was Tufts and she found out talking to current students at the time that a couple get good funding, a bit more get medium funding (her situation),and many (most?) get nothing. She visited Arizona and didn’t like it at all. She also didn’t like the one year programs after college that didn’t give you degree but allowed you to prepare.</p>
<p>Thank you for input. I really appreciate you all easing my worries. I just took the GRE and I think my scores are pretty average. I have also decided on applying to both MA and PhD programs - I might get lucky!</p>
<p>Good luck and if you feel so inclined, keep your significant others updated. It was a huge help for us as we tried to support from the sidelines. It’s scary but also thrilling when it works out!</p>
<p>I’m not sure if anyone is still following this thread, but I am in need of advice. </p>
<p>I applied to SDSU, CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach, and Brandeis. I have been admitted to SDSU and Brandeis, no word from CSUF or CSULB. </p>
<p>I am conflicted because Brandeis will definitely have a lot more opportunities, although SDSU has a very versatile program. I have met people from the SDSU program and the students there all look very enthusiastic and happy about their choice. Currently, I am still based in San Diego, and my only brother has recently accepted admission to UCSD for undergrad. I feel as if I am abandoning him all over again if I move away and I suspect a part of his decision to attend UCSD is because I live here. However, Brandeis has offered a very generous scholarship which will help a lot. And there are a lot more professors to work with, and much more research opportunities. With the PhD in mind, which school would an admissions committee look more favorably on? </p>
<p>Where you get your MA from does matter in PhD admissions to a certain extent. While going to SDSU wouldn’t tank your career at all - and you could still go to a great PhD program from SDSU - I’m pretty certain that Brandeis is very well reputed in Near Eastern studies. You’ll work with great professors and have access to the languages you need. Brandeis is also a world-class research university, so your library access and the scholarship you can do will be greater. You may be able to continue there for your PhD if you do well. You said yourself that there are more professors and more research opportunities. </p>
<p>On top of that, you got FUNDING. A scholarship. That is NOT common in your humanities field, and indicates that you were a desirable student to them.</p>
<p>I have a younger sister, and I know sometimes it’s heartbreaking to move away from siblings - especially as they begin college. I always wish I lived closer; my sister began college just as I graduated and moved away for grad school. But, you have to live your own life and follow your own career.</p>
<p>Yeah, I really think Brandeis is a great option, and even thought I got into the Classics department, I know that I can integrate Near Eastern studies into my studies. The professors are top notch and it is a great launch pad.</p>
<p>For funding, although generous, it does not cover everything, and I am trying to consider if the debt is worth moving across the country from a stable job I have now. Currently, I am helping my parents with the mortgage so finances are a big issues. </p>
<p>As for my brother, the first thing he asked me when I told him that I might be moving away was, “Can I have your car?” so I think he’s fine. </p>