2 Master's Degrees...Good / Bad / Suspicious??

Did these persons have to prove they were not arrogant? And if so, how did they do so?

 

Well, they had to prove that they were not felons by submitting to a criminal background check. They had to prove that they were not difficult to work with by allowing us to contact former employers and colleagues. They had to prove that they could teach a concept by teaching a mini lesson to the hiring committee and submitting previous student evaluations. They had to prove (or at least mask) their lack of arrogance during a one-hour interview with the committee.

In the case of our AoJ faculty member--considering that he had two masters, a doctorate and had been chief of two large police departments (Seattle and Anaheim, if I recall correctly), he turned out to be a pleasant, competent, non-arrogant guy. He beat out almost 90 competitors for the position.

Tony Pina
Northeastern Illinois University

 

I am also pursuing another Master's degree

Hello everyone. I am new to this forum, so forgive the wobbly legs.

I am also in pursuit of a second Masters degree. For my BA I studied history and communications. I felt that history was a brilliant medium which warranted a grasp of other genres in the social sciences. For my MA I realized that I was a social historian, and focused on the US relations with the Modern Middle East. I took two routes for research; the scientific method employing oral history methodology. (Einstein is my favorite brain and I too marry the analytical and intuitive).

After graduation I moved to the Middle East in pursuit of more idealistic research projects and was absolutely floored. My experience working and living in the region I had studied was, in itself, a learning process. Almost as if I was earning yet another degree-one of realistic, practical learning.

I have piles of notes waiting to be written, but I just can't do it. My process is a bit different. I have to absorb, analyze filter, and execute when it comes from a place of definitive, objective analysis.

I realized one thing-the power of our connection with young minds-our real future.
Also the significance of the human ego. We are pretty much assholes everywhere. Throughout human history, we have fed and tripped over our egos and will continue to destroy both the earth and each other if we don't stop.

I also began to realize how important one's actual physical environment has on the human psyche. People without electricity, clean water, and adequate food sources get grumpy. Urban settings make us feel crappy. We explode.

As an Idealist and active person who wishes to devote their lives striving for social justice and the nourishment of minds (mine included) I decided that pursuing an MA in Regenerative Studies will compliment my background as a social historian.

I can assess the needs of a society (which is often overlooked to everyone's detriment my development folks) and help them with something equally as powerful as giving them a platform to express themselves. Learn how to give a village solar power so they don't have to rely on their faulty governments.

I digress.

I could kill many birds by doing so. It will give me a leg up with the extra degree on my resume....loads of out of work PhDs are out there, folks. We are a world which doesn't read anymore. No place for researchers or Oral Historians.

Plus, it will be an active science to carry the passivity of a social science.

I hope I can land a job here in the United States to help our ailing farming community.
Teach at a community college on the side. Get some peace and quiet to write (the students will totally inspire me...the light that comes from their faces keeps me going. Knowing the shit we care about isn't in vain. Tenure tracks, deans, snooty folks with lots of publications under their belts...tend to deviate from this. Just know that every institution has its ego and bullshit. Excuse my french.

Do what you love. I hope I can land a job. Been out of work since my return to Southern California. I'd much rather be a part of the changes our world needs than complain about it.

I really, really hope I would be hire-able.

I would love to gage some feedback, perhaps gain some support from my fellow academics. Perhaps I should post this in its own little place?

Good luck all.

 

suspicious

I've been on many hiring committees (but never at a junior college). I think two masters with overlapping times would appear suspicious, as though neither program were very demanding.

Personally, I know nothing of the rigor of an online masters at either Excelsior or Miss State but neither is exactly high in the league tables.

 

Two master's? No troubles there.

I'm much more interested in the question about having two doctorates....

 

suspicious

I've been on many hiring committees (but never at a junior college). I think two masters with overlapping times would appear suspicious, as though neither program were very demanding.

Personally, I know nothing of the rigor of an online masters at either Excelsior or Miss State but neither is exactly high in the league tables.

 

I'm afraid this is often the case.

PhD's at junior colleges were often previously hired but are now qualifying for a pay raise or tenure. Generally this explains why their PHd tends to be from a third rate institutions. The increase in pay is exactly the same whether its from Stanford or Riverdale Baptist so why not take the cheapest and easiest route?

This often accounts for why a faculty member at a reputable school have a third rate PhD. They were hired for various other reasons: politics, family connections, affirmative action, etc but need a PhD (any accredited PhD) to stick around.

I've also heard of cases of a ghost-written dissertation from schools where the supervision is minimal. I don't see why distance course work can't be out-sourced to a third world country with a surplus of the well-educated either. How would the distance school know?

 

So could having 2 masters degrees help if you ARE NOT wanting to teach? I am thinking of pursuing a masters in political science and a masters in public relations. Given I want to work within the political arena in public relations it seems like these could both help me. But I'm also thinking either one, or both together, could open other doors if need be. Am I on the right track with this, or will 2 masters degrees be seen as overkill or being unfocused?

 

I would think that as long as they complement each other it should be fine. I have am MS in IT Management and an MBA in Marketing. I worked managing employees that were very technical and worked under marketing to drive service contracts.

If they were unrelated and you were changing careers it would still be okay. Let's say you are a biologist and become an accountant - simple career change. As long as you show how they work together I think it is fine.

 

Excellent. I really love both fields, and I want to try and incorporate both into a really wonderful career, but if it doesn't work out I want to have some options available with either or both degrees. Thanks

 

This is exactly correct. If you are planning on teaching on the ground, spend a few minutes checking the catalog at your local community colleges. See how many classes you'd be technically qualified to teach. By that, I mean, what your degree is in, not just classes you would enjoy or feel qualified to teach.
I will tell you that the CC I worked at has only 1 course in meteorology and one in geology. While I'm not a science person, so I don't really know what "else" makes sense for a teacher to teach in your field, the fact remains, that we have about 12 sections of intro gen bio 1 & 2, and intro / gen chem 1 & 2 EVERY semester (plus tons of 200 levels in each) requiring multiple full and part time teachers. With only 1 section of each (meteorology and geology) that means there are only 6 credits up for grabs each semester. At my college, that would pay exactly $3250 per semester, or $9750 per year before taxes no benefits/no contract. The bio and chem teachers are working full time and scale for them is $41,000 per year plus benefits and a contract.

 

I have 2 Master's degrees in fields that are related to each other (Criminal Justice & Forensic Psychology), and have never been questioned about it. Then again, they were earned several years apart, so there's no overlap at all.

 

I've been told that two master's degrees makes one redundant.

 

Wow! An eight year old thread!

 

Hey Ted, not to sound like a bi*ch, but why do you always point out how old a thread is as if we can't see the dates? lol Is that just your thing, or is it your "job" on here to let us all know that we are posting in an old thread? I don't mean to sound mean or snippy (although I'm sure I came across that way and I really do apologize for that as it is absolutely NOT my intention) but I've noticed you do it a lot and I am genuinely curious about why you do it. Again, asking things on the internet can make it hard to know what one's intent is behind the question, and my intent was NOT to be rude. Again, I apologize if it sounds that way. I just really am curious to know why you do that.

 

Taking dead issues and bringing them back to life often re-introduces arguments long settled and forgotten. Also, the subject of the thread is usually not current as well. By reintroducing the thread, however, the same points and objections get raised again without an issue to settle.

 

Ted is racing to that 15,000 post mark and that helps him :veryhappy:

 

LOL oh ok. That makes sense then.

 

Not really… :shrug:

 

Agreed. But at the same time, people who werent around back when the threads first started may have new/additional info they want to contribute. I'm sure they are very aware that it is an old thread and do not need to be informed of it every single time they happen to post in one. And not everyone who posts in a old thread is looking to resurrect old issues. Maybe they found some of the info helpful and want clarification. You never know.