<p>I am almost about to get my B.A. and am applying to both Ph.D. and Master's programs.
I have a 4.0, will be published in a few months (twice) with primary source research and have the GRE scores needed to get in pretty much anywhere.</p>
<p>I am missing one foreign language requirement, (but have a plethora of other languages under my belt, and by plethora, I mean it) but I know exactly what I want to research and one of my publications is intended to be my first research step in this field.</p>
<p>Aside from the one missing language, I feel ready. I've immersed myself in my research field for the past two years (on a personal level; I couldn't take classes because it's specialized and my school doesn't have anything like this specialty) and while I know my focus might shift, widen, or narrow inside the field, I am 100% certain that this field is what I will study for the next 6 years or more. At the same time, I get cautioned by some people to say that one shouldn't jump too far ahead. I'm wondering, if I'm ready, why not?</p>
<p>When you keep thinking to yourself, "I could spend the rest of my life doing this," is that a good sign? I really think I could just go for my Ph.D. instead of doing a separate Master's.</p>
<p>You didn’t mention the subject, but based on your username I’m going to guess you’re looking at history?</p>
<p>If you’ve got good GRE, GPA, focus, and research experience, the only thing you seem to be worried about is this language requirement. Is this a requirement for graduate programs? I’m a little unclear on what your concern is. Everything else seems to indicate you would be a good candidate for PhD programs.</p>
<p>The language is required in some programs, and not in others. I am concerned, though, about how I would measure up to others who have the one language I am missing. It’s not that I can’t pick up a language in a few months, but I don’t want to be precluded because of a language and then have to go get a Master’s when I feel ready for a Ph.D.</p>
<p>So what is it precisely that your are missing? Is it something you could take easily before starting a PhD program? Even if you can’t quite fit it in during your degree, is it something you could do the summer before you start grad school?</p>
<p>I went straight to a PhD program (not doing a separate MA first) and I felt ready for it at the time. Looking back, I don’t regret my decision.</p>
<p>If you feel ready, go ahead and apply. But the thought should not be, “I <em>could</em> spend the rest of my life doing this” but “I want to spend at least part of my career as an academic and a scholar, but if I end up doing something else afterwards, I won’t regret having spent the time getting my PhD.”</p>
<p>Also, you can’t be 100% certain of anything that you want to do. I was certain of my research interests, too, when I entered grad school over 5 years ago. Over that time my interests have shifted, and they probably will again, over the years. I don’t know too many scholars who are still studying exactly what they wanted to study when they were a first-year graduate student.</p>
<p>
All other things equal, those applicants will always have a leg up. Often each subfield of history can take only one or two people a year (if that many), and an applicant without the necessary languages - even if they’re not officially required for admission - could very well be out of luck. Languages are often used to knock out applicants in the first round or two, as they’re easily the most time-intensive and difficult requirements for humanities programs. From their perspective, why waste time and funding training someone when you can get someone ready for research and advanced coursework from the get-go?</p>
<p>If the language is something easily acquired through a graduate-level “X For Reading” class (i.e. German, French, Italian), however, I wouldn’t worry about it too much.</p>