<p>He lives in Boston, and he's currently attending Boston University Law. Some background: He already has a BA and MA in History. Now, he wants to go for a PhD in Government at Georgetown University, though, and I'd say he has the credentials to get in. He would apply to start fall 2010, when he'd also be starting his second year in Law.</p>
<p>He's wondering, though, since all he needs is a dissertation (since he's already got his MA), would it be prohibitive of him to stay up in Boston and go to law school, writing the dissertation on the side? Would Georgetown want him down there, near the school? Or would it not be a problem? Help for my friend?</p>
Uh…yeah. Besides the obvious issue of PhDs requiring coursework beyond the MA, clearly you have no idea what a dissertation entails (no offense). It is a truly massive undertaking and cannot be done “on the side.”</p>
<p>He may also be expected to teach or act as a TA if he receives funding.</p>
<p>I agree with IBclass06. His plan sounds pretty tough. I suggest he talk to his law school and the administrator of the PhD program he’s interested in to get their feedback on his plans. </p>
<p>He may want to look into joint PhD/law school programs or just wait until he’s done with law school to consider PhDs. I admire his enthusiasm for education!</p>
<p>I agree about looking into a joint program. A PhD is not something you “do on the side”. When you are a PhD student, that is your work, what you are paid to do. He also needs the appropriate coursework, and it may be difficult (depending on the program) to transition from a History background to a Government PhD.</p>
<p>Yeah, that’s something I’ve always wondered too. Like, when you’re applying to a PhD program after already having received a Master’s, is an MA an MA, or does it have to be in the same subject?</p>
<p>That is not how most PhD programs work. If you have a MA/MS, some of them will let you take <em>fewer</em> classes. But every PhD program I’ve ever looked into would still make you take some classes, and would make you take quals. Plus, most PhD programs have a residency requirement - you can’t just breeze in, write a dissertation, and breeze out.</p>
And this is especially true if it is in a different discipline. Most likely, your friend would have to do another MA/PhD sequence. And yes, just think of it as a job. Would you try to take on a full time job in another city while you were still in law school in Boston? Absolutely not.</p>
<p>Not strictly, though it strikes me as the kind of thing someone who doesn’t know what they want to do would do to kill time. I think it might be more common to get one MA and one MPP or MSW or other professional type Master’s.</p>
<p>Two masters - people usually do two research masters either because they have changed their professional focus (and so new knowledge is needed) , or else because they want to cross two fields without “compromising” either one. For example, I knew a guy who did masters degrees in religion and sociology, because while he wanted to combine the two in practice he did not want to limit his understanding or credibility in either field by tying it explicitly to the other.</p>
<p>PhD/JD - there are several schools that offer this, and some allow students to make the decision after a year or two in the school. If your friend is not in such a program, he may still be able to transfer.</p>
<p>PhD commitment - even if you have no funding obligations (ie no TA or RA duties) studying for the PhD is a full-time effort for 4-8 years (or longer!) depending on your field. There are almost always course and residency requirements covering the first few years - depending on the field it may be possible to finish the final years remotely. Having a masters in the same or related field will reduce this, but the amount will vary from school to school.</p>
<p>“All he needs is a dissertation” is an erroneous assumption, especially in history. Even if you already have an MA in history, you are generally required to do more coursework in history on the doctoral level, as well as take comprehensive and language exams and do research and work with professors in the department. Of course Georgetown is going to want him down in DC and in residency for at LEAST the first 3-4 years of the program. He may be able to move away and back to Boston after that time; a lot of students do their dissertation long-distance, but there’s no way he’ll be able to start OUT long-distance.</p>
<p>And no, you cannot write a dissertation “on the side” of law school! You have to make a choice - law school now, or PhD now. You can do a JD and then a Ph.D, or a Ph.D and then a JD, or even a joint JD/Ph.D program, but you can’t complete both programs at once without them being joint.</p>
<p>I am enrolled in a dual-master’s program. They are both professional degrees. My specializations are similar (addressing communitities in different contexts). Both degrees are also necessary (entry-level) for employment, licensing, and higher pay (and eventually senior management). If I’m interested in research later, I can pursue the PhD in the same or related area. I am also working as a RA in a social-science research center.</p>