Hi, everyone! I’m looking at options for getting a Master’s in History and I was curious about ODU’s graduate program in history. Has anyone had any experience with this program? Is there anything I need to watch out for? Is it a good program? How difficult is it?
What are your goals for studying an MA in history that you cannot do without an MA in history?
Is it a funded program, or would you have to pay a substantial amount and/or take loans for it?
1 Like
Well, I want to be a history professor, or at the very least teach history at the community college level as an adjunct. And if that falls through I could teach history at my local high school since I already have a B.A in history, and I figure that having a Master’s would be good for me since I would be making more money and I have a better chance at being a principal position later down the line if I choose to.
And I think I would have to take loans for the program, if I’m remembering correctly.
For tenure-track faculty jobs, you need a PhD just to enter the highly competitive job market for those jobs (most PhD graduates do not get tenure track faculty jobs).
Adjunct faculty jobs are typically not paid that well, so taking substantial loans to go to that path is unlikely to be a good idea.
What is the teaching credential educational requirement for teaching high school history in your area, and how does demand for high school history teachers look in your area?
Since you are looking at loans, you need to carefully consider the financial aspects of any path so that you have a reasonable chance of paying off the loans in a reasonable time.