MA w/out a lot of writing?

Someone looking for an MA degree that is not writing intensive. They do not care about the differences in accreditation but lets just say we want RA (my choice that I made for them, since they do not care). I suggested the MA Interdisciplinary Studies from Western New Mexico State, but I have a feeling there is a lot of writing in that degree.

I did tell them that I am getting my MBA and even for a business degree there is a lot of writing. His primary interests are History, Poly Sci, Psych, and International Relations, but for the most part the degree major does not matter.

So, does anyone know of a distance/online Masters that is not writing intensive?

Their undergrad degree is in Sociology....

Thanks for the help,


Cory

 

I would suggest staying away from any History, Poly Sci, Psych because I would assume they are writing intensive.

Why don't they want a heavy writing portion? I was not really interested in a heavy writing component but ended up getting my MS from TUI which was a total of something like 108 papers in total. It gets easier as you write them.

 

I'm not sure

That is exactly what I said. I took a few history courses as an undergrad and they seemed to be some of the most writing intensive courses I have completed.

In my MBA, it seems like there is a lot of writing as well, I would say writing is not my most favorite thing to do. My friend is intimidated by starting his "graduate" degree. We have some good schools around here, but he wants something online (family reasons) and it not too picky about the major...

I was thinking maybe a management degree, like an MA in Management or something along those lines? Hard for me to tell, seems like all grad degrees require a lot of writing.

Randell, didn't you get your Tech Mgmt degree from TUI? So, you're saying that was pretty writing intensive too? Hmmm.....I'll keep looking,

Cory

 

Why is your friend looking to obtain a Masters degree? If he doesn't know the answer to this question, then there is the problem. A graduate degree is not a lofty undertaking. It requires (as you know) a significant amount of work and sacrifice (not to mention $$$).

With that said, New Mexico State University offers an online MA in Sociology (I mention this program, since your friend's undergrad is in the same subject). Probably a lot of writing with this degree, but there is a non-thesis option available.

http://www.nmsu.edu/~anthro/Graduate.html

Good luck to your friend!

- Tom

 

I'll second this opinion. Graduate studies are where one develops general research skills within the context of a specific discipline. Demonstrating one's ability to conduct research is by nature writing-intensive. This is true even in hard-skill technical and engineering fields.

I would encourage your friend to consider whether his career goals requires an ability to conduct and present research. If not, then perhaps a grad degree isn't his best use of time and money.

 

I find these replies interesting. When a question comes up asking for college courses with minimal or no exams the replies are often sympathetic. Yet when it comes to not wanting a writing intensive program the sympathy doesn't seem to be there.

As someone who's not the best writer I do sympathize with your friend. When I started looking at IT programs I made an attempt to look for programs that were not writing intensive. I found a couple and finally decided on one. Sure some courses still have a good deal of writing but the overall program doesn't focus just upon writing. I'm sure if your friend keeps looking he'll be able to find what he's looking for. I know you mentioned RA, but I believe I've read that CalCoast isn't writing intensive for every program, I know there are people on here who've done the Psyh program with them, perhaps they can chime in on how writing intensive it is.

If you don't get many good replies here try looking around at various programs and see if the schools have syllabuses on their websites.

 

Well I told my friend that he needs to get over his anti-writing sentiments, and told him to register for the board here. Hopefully he will chime in if he does...

I thought that maybe an MBA program would be best for him, but he is not real interested in the business side of things.

The best I could do was to convince him to narrow his focus and perhaps pick a subject that he enjoys, and therefore would not mind writing about...

Other than that, I am not sure how we will proceed. I do appreciate all of the replies. Thanks,

Cory

 

For what it's worth, some Math and Computer Science graduate degrees do not require a lot of writing. I could be mistaken, but it seemed to me that the more technical you go - the less you'll need to write. For instance, Charles Sturt and Aspen both offer Masters that allow 50% of their degree program to be transferred in via professional certifications/exams (PMP, MCSE, Oracle, etc.)

I wouldn't be surprised if some may go a step further and offer a research only math/comp sci masters...which could be as little as 10 pages (for example, take a look at Bill Gates graduate work...).

Just an idea...

Greg

 

Maybe the University of London has something that fits your needs - heavy on closed book exams.
http://www.londonexternal.ac.uk/prospective_students/postgraduate/index.php

 

I third that opinion....the whole point of a Master's degree is to show mastery of the subject being studied.

 

It's been my experience that most of those who come to this board seeking to finish their undergraduate degrees already have most of the requisite knowledge (or are willing to acquire it outside the classroom), they just need advice on how to demonstrate it. Likewise, many (if not most) view an undergraduate degree as an admission ticket to graduate school.

To me, an undergrad degree shows a basic level of competence concerning a subject, a Master's degree shows a mastery of the subject, and a doctoral degree shows the ability to contribute original research and knowledge to the field.

 

I agree with your assessment, but who's to say that the mastery of the subject must be proven with a writing intensive program vs. an exam intensive program?

 

An MA without a lot of writing sounds to me like a contradiction in terms. Good luck!

 

Undergraduate degrees may be either examination-intensive, writing-intensive, or a balance of both exams and writing assignments. For research graduate degrees, there is no way around the writing requirements. That said, there are some professional master's degrees, like the MBA from Edinburgh Business School of Heriot-Watt University, which are examination-intensive, but it sounds like your friend's not interested in that.

 

If the exams themselves have a significant writing component, I don't have a problem with that. However, it's my opinion that someone who earns a graduate degree should have honed their research & writing skills, and there's really no way to demonstrate that than to.....demonstrate it.

 

Who's to say? Virtually 100% of the US grad programs, that's who.

 

I certainly can't refute that Kizmet. Some good posts here and they make sense, this board itself is often an education for me.

 

Have you considered a non-RA school?

Many DETC accredited schools emphasize exams and minimize writing. If Regional Accreditation isn't crucial to you, DETC schools give you many more options.

 

Since my buddy is in the military like I am, he is making a career out of it, I pretty much have him convinced to go with American Military University. He is looking at the MA in National Security studies, or Intelligence.

Since I am working on my MBA at AMU, I was able to let him know that they have great customer service, are very supportive of the military (duh!), and have some interesting programs.

Anyway thanks everyone for the replies! I just completed two courses, so now I have 12 credits down and 24 more to go. Looks like I may be able to complete the MBA by the first part of 2009! I can't wait.

Cory