So I have narrowed it down to 2 M.A. programs. I am looking to teach at a Community College in either English/Literature, History, or general Humanities. My areas I am interested in are Sociolinguistics, folklore, and oral traditions. I know about the "18 grad credits in a subject to teach X subject" rule. I found the following: Cal State-Dominguez Hills online M.A. in Humanities. You can specialize in one subject- I would do Literature. Cost is about $6360+ books/extras. Would take about 12-16 months to finish. Con: it's a "concentration" in Literature, not an actual degree in it. Pros: Cost, time, I like the "name" recognition, and the classes sound really cool. Western New Mexico Univ. online M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies- you get two 18 credit concentrations. I would do History and English, making me qualified to teach two fields. Cost is about $6850+ books/extras. Would take a full 2 years to finish. Con: It would take longer, cost is more. Pros: 2 subjects I can teach, cost is still reasonable. Or there's Morehead State's online M.A. in English (my fave). Traditional program. Cost is about $10,000-$11,000+ books/extras. Would take about 20-24 months to finish. Con: COST is a lot more, time, GRE required, name is something I can see being teased about, only qualified to teach one subject. Pros: It's a well-regarded program, I was conditionally accepted already What would you do if you were me? lol Also, cost is a factor. If I choose CalState or WNMU, we can pay cash for the M.A. With Morehead, I would need to take out some loans. Also, finishing a year sooner would help make it possible for me to get adjuncting sooner (well, nothing's guaranteed but it would help). I've read the many discussions on adjuncting here, looked up information about the different programs. I have found a wide variety of offerings (thanks Ted and others for all of the school recs!) I am mostly concerned about cost (but I understand that I am looking for quality and one sometimes has to give for the other). Basically, I like MSU's program, they are super friendly every time I call, I was conditionally admitted until I take the GRE, and the cost is ok. However I was looking to be able to teach a 2nd and 3rd subject without too many extra credits, and like the idea of an interdisciplinary degree. My undergrad is from a Big 3 (TESC if it matters), and I was looking for a state school or one with a larger name to compensate for that. I also at some point in the future am toying around with a PhD, however I know it is not a degree to consider half-a$$ed and it may be an "overkill" for CC teaching. Also, I am 8.5 months pregnant so while I could go to a local state school (I applied at Eastern Michigan, but haven't heard back yet), I am not entirely sure that is the route I am looking for.
It seems like you have your list finalized, so it really comes down to what you feel most comfortable with. One other option to consider is National University's M.A. in English; http://www.nu.edu/Academics/Schools/COLS/ArtHum/Degrees/710-504.html
Bruce- Do you think that it would be beneficial to have qualification at once in 2 subjects, or work on getting one qualification then add the 18 additional grad credits for another? I think that is the biggest thing I am confused about.
The key word is "qualified". Having a degree such as the M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with two concentrations will qualify you to teach at most community colleges in those two fields; but, if there is an opening for an English adjunct then IMO the person with the M.A. in English will get the job every time over the Interdisciplinary Studies person if all other things are roughly equal. If teaching is your goal I would always go for the focused degree first, and you can always add a graduate certificate later in another subject.
That's what I was thinking, so I'm leaning toward MSU. Pretty much the only (silly, I fully admit) thing other than cost which makes me hesitate is the name itself. I can just see it being the butt of quite a few student jokes and would it be looked down on if it was on a resume? It seems like a pretty well regarded program, so I'm not sure if that should be a concern.
Not everyone will agree, but I think not liking the name of a school is a perfectly valid reason to not enroll. This is a decision which will cost you a lot, both financially as well as time & effort, so you should be totally comfortable with the school you choose. That being said, I think the "state" part of the MSU name softens what you're concerned about quite a but. But, it's still a valid concern. One reason I dropped Capella off my list was because that name makes me think about a bunch of winos harmonizing around a burning trash can.
I found NAU (Northern Arizona) and I'm looking into their M.A. program (they have two, but one is geared toward tech writing). I think I'll give their offices a call. They're a few thousand more than MSU, but the name is better and their program appears to be comparable, so I'll give them a call. I appreciate the help!
