Unsure about which route to take

Graduate School
1

Ok, so I am a little unsure about what I want to pursue past a bachelors degree. Mainly this is due to not being sure exactly what career I want to pursue. I have narrowed myself to 3 options for the time being and I just want to get an idea of which of these is the most practical and worthy of my time.

1st option and probably my greatest sheer interest is to get a dual Masters in History/Political Science. Obviously in addition to the immense difficulty I would face in completing the two, the job market for academia jobs (which in this case I would be targeting) is beyond weak.

Next two options are both really on par in terms of my interest:

2nd option is to pursue Law, I haven’t taken the LSAT yet so I really don’t know where I would stand though I would expect the 160-170 range. Career focus is also a worry for me just because I am more politically based law rather than corporate, injury, etc which I believe are more prevalent. Though being some kind of Judicator is also interesting.

3rd option is a Masters in Finance, I think this is more focused then an MBA so I feel like it may benefit me more in a job search. I enjoy nearly all aspects of finance, but would really like to target either stock management, or real estate.

Ik a lot of people are going to say “Well, you need to narrow your search,” or “you should be further along in evaluating careers,” but I just honestly am not there.

In terms of cost, I think there is a significant difference between the 3

MS Finance<MS Hist/PS<JD (Barring a huge score on LSAT)

Regarding salary it is a bit more muddied

MS Finance can range hugely, but I would expect to be at 60+ pretty quick, Real Estate might be more hit or miss

MS History/Political Science would be a long term venture. Probably looking at a low salary start (45~ at some cc) (70~ later at some university) if I take one to PHD

Law could vary greatly as well but probably looking 60+ very quick as well

2

My immediate thought is that if you don’t know what you want to do - especially with three wildly different careers as these - you shouldn’t go to graduate school at all. You should go on the job market and find work, and then work while you figure out what you want to do. You want to be sure - a lot surer than you currently are. You don’t want to regret going deeply into debt 5 years from now for a degree that you later decided you don’t need because you aren’t interested in the career fields for that.

Here are some other considerations:

  1. Wanting to go into academia in the humanities these days is kind of like wanting to be a famous artist or rock star. The chances are very low because there are lots of other young people like you dreaming for the same thing. The job market in history is truly abysmal right now, and the situation is not much better in political science. You have to have a passion - an obsession, almost - with answering specific questions in research, through scholarship. You have to persevere enough in those areas to study it for at least 12-14 years - 6-8 years of the PhD and 6 years on the tenure track. (And that’s extremely optimistic, assuming that there are no visiting positions or adjuncting in between the two.) You basically can’t really change your area until after tenure, so it has to be something that will interest you, and you have to have an enormous amount of intrinsic motivation. It’s not something you do just because you think it might be fun to teach some college classes; you do it because you love history, especially some specific area about history. (Or political science).

Hang out on the academic jobs wiki through a job search cycle - August through March or April-ish - and watch what people talk about. You might also want to lurk around the Chronicle of Higher Education forums and listen to people talk about the job market.

  1. The law market is ALSO bad. Basically these days it’s hard for anyone who can’t get into a top 10-15 law school to get any kind of job that will repay those loans (a “Big Law” job, or a corporate attorney position at a firm with at least 250 lawyers). When you go down below that, it’s hard to even FIND a job, and if you have one you may struggle to repay your loans. And as you said, more politically oriented jobs are more competitive. (I don’t know what you mean by “judicator.” Do you mean an adjudicator? An adjudicator is a judge, and that’s an even more competitive pathway. Do you mean like a prosecuting attorney or a public defender?)

  2. “Focus” won’t necessarily benefit you more - it’s demand, and it’s based upon what you want to do. While career considerations are major when getting a graduate degree, you also get one because it helps you do what you want to do. That said, finance is a pretty robust field to go in right now.

3

@juillet Thanks for the advice!

  1. History/Political Science definitely isn't something I just want to do because I would like to teach. I have a significant passion for it. Also, while I did specifically say my end goal would be a University, I would be open to teaching a cc (Ik that is very competitive as well) or even an AP position at a high school (so long as the pay is fairly adequate). Not sure what the Job market looks at that level.
  2. Law probably scares me the most because of the debt worry and may actually have moved to last on my list going by your advice. As far as judicator, yes I was referring to adjudicator, but I would be open to attorney, defender, mediation, etc.
  3. Finance from an interest standpoint is fairly high up there, pay is good, jobs are there.

The curriculum for an advancement does sort of worry me, it isn’t necessarily my skill set. (I like stats but hate things like calc which I think there would be some applications in).

4

@UNCLady08 Haha! We do sound alike! I actually have an AS in Communications as well.

Accounting is something I can do, but I am not sure how much I would enjoy it. I see accounting as a bit technical and straightforward then Finance which I feel I could put my personal touch on more.

Also Please do! I hope it goes well for you!

5

For teaching in a HS, you won’t need a content area MA right off the bat. You will need a teaching certificate. Check around for one year MAT programs that will get you through the certification requirements for your state.

But I do agree with juillet that you probably are best off working for a year or two before committing to any particular grad program. Take a break from the educational treadmill you have been on since kindergarten or pre-school, make a bit of money, explore the world, and then go to grad school when you have a specific reason to do that.

6

@happymomof1 I know that I wouldn’t need it, but I think it might be a good thing to have (bigger salary, win competitive positions).

As far as taking a break to work a year or two I don’t think it is a great idea outside of maybe financial posturing. The “educational treadmill” isn’t exactly tiring me out in fact I enjoy it. Plus, I don’t think there is a job really attracting me right now from the 4 yr degree (outside of the long term Real Estate). Hence, wouldn’t it be better to start grad school.

I mean Ive literally been told since high school that I’ll figure it out, but I have done internships, coursework, and I am still on the fence (though I have narrowed things significantly).

Also, one more option I am lightly considering is an MPA Homeland Security/Emergency Management, any thoughts?

7

The break from the treadmill is not just to relax a bit, it also is to allow you a change of perspective. That you are considering so many different grad school options is an indicator that you really don’t know what is out there in the world, and that you think that the “right” grad program will somehow guarantee you a satisfying future.

Work for a while, and explore some career options. Find out if a graduate degree is necessary for the pathway(s) that ultimately appeal(s) to you. Grad school is such torture that you really should not put yourself through it without the need to do so.

8

@happymomof1 Ok, thanks I’ll definitely take it into cosideration